Examples of our integrated dialogue approach – aligned to our stakeholders
In 2008, we again attended and organized a number of different events to promote direct exchanges. These ranged from open house days and discussion round tables with interest groups to participation in international initiatives. In many countries we engaged in an exchange of views with experts from the fields of politics, business and science.
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For Henkel, it is important to address sustainability even beyond its own sphere of influence. In 2008, we therefore initiated a large number of projects and campaigns, particularly dealing with the theme of “Education for sustainable development”.
One example is the internet portal “Save your Future”. Supported by Henkel and the German ifok Institute, this internet portal enables young people to share their ideas on the subject of sustainability and organize joint actions and events.
In collaboration with the Universities of Rostock and Oldenburg in Germany, we initiated the project “Sustainable Cleaning for a clean environment". Henkel employees developed extensive materials as a resource for teaching chemistry in schools. They include simple and low-cost experiments tailored to students between the age of 11 and 18 on the subject of environmental awareness in relation to laundry washing. The teaching materials are now being presented throughout Germany in training classes for teachers. They have already been translated into English, and other languages are planned, as is the international dissemination of the materials in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The following materials can be downloaded and used freely:
Sustainable Cleaning for a Clean Environment:
| Stakeholder | Theme |
| Employees | Spain: In the context of the annual company-wide Henkel Friendship Day, Spanish employees participated in a project for Niger in Africa and enabled the planting of 1,800 trees. |
| Germany: Employees from our business sector Adhesive Technologies organized a one-day colloquium centered on the question “Sustainability as a competitive advantage?” In addition to the participants in Düsseldorf, several hundred employees worldwide followed the colloquium via a video conference. | |
| France: Henkel France organized the 2008 Henkel Friendship Day around the topic of sustainability. Activities included the distribution of different information materials, a quiz on key questions of sustainable development, an “eco-art” workshop using second hand artifacts as well as an organic breakfast in the newly opened Eco-Café in the main office in Paris. | |
| India: To draw attention to climate change, the employees at the Chennai site held a “Lights Out 88888 Campaign” on August 8, 2008, when they switched off the lights for 8 minutes at 8 o’clock. This was accompanied by an employee essay competition about the potential impacts of climate change. | |
| USA/Canada: Our Adhesive Technologies business sector in North America appointed a core team to regularly discuss sustainability topics relating to our industrial customers. Their quarterly newsletter “Going Green” informs all employees about customer-relevant sustainability themes and trends. | |
| Customers and Consumers |
International: The Schwarzkopf Academy is now present in more than 80 countries worldwide. Its training courses for hairdressers range from seminars on haircutting and styling techniques to management courses. In many countries, these complement the local educational system for hairdressing professionals. |
| Central and Eastern Europe: In order to assure optimal and resource-conserving application of our building adhesives, Henkel establishes training centers for craftsmen. In Central and Eastern Europe, for example, Henkel Ceresit has already founded 140 training centers, which also supports the national professional education system. | |
| Italy: In the “Differentiate yourself!” campaign, Henkel provided information in supermarkets in ten cities about sustainable consumption and waste prevention. Consumers could study their own consumption patterns with the help of a questionnaire. | |
| International: The newly launched website www.henkel321.com from Henkel WINTeQ and Ceretherm offers customers and consumers an easy way to calculate annual energy consumption of their home. It also demonstrates the savings potential that can be achieved e.g. through adequate façade insulation. | |
| Analysts and Investors | Germany: Henkel actively seeks a dialogue with financial experts. For this reason employees of our CSR and Investor Relations departments participate in the working group "Deutsche Vereinigung für Finanzanalyse und Asset Management" (DVFA, German association for fiscal analyses and asset management) dealing with sustainable investments. |
| Germany: At the Investor Relations Forum 2008 by euro adhoc, a representative of the CSR department at Henkel discussed recent questions regarding non-financials and sustainability together with experts on fiscal communication and analysts. | |
| Politicians, government authorities and non-governmental organizations |
Korea: Together with representatives from government, industry and science, the executive director of Henkel in Korea and China discussed best practice industry approaches to handling the global challenges of sustainable development at a Green Business Symposium in Seoul at the beginning of 2009. |
| Germany: Henkel researchers are involved in the strategic steering committee of the German Environment Ministry’s Nano Commission, in which representatives from the scientific and business communities, government authorities, consumer organizations, and environmental groups exchange views on the opportunities and risks of nanotechnology. | |
| Spain: Employees from Research and Marketing discussed the subject of sustainable consumption with non-governmental organizations such as the World Business Council on Sustainable Development (WBCSD) at the 2008 World Conservation Forum of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). | |
| Malaysia: Henkel supports the goals of the round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to find adequate ways and means for the sustainable cultivation of Palm Oil. In the year 2007, Henkel took part in the fifth meeting of the RSPO (RT5) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As a visible sign of its engagement, Henkel became an official member of the RSPO in April 2008. | |
| Scientists and Universities | USA: Since 2008, Henkel researchers have been cooperating with the Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS) at Arizona State University in producing life cycle analyses for laundry detergents. The project will run for several years. |
| USA: The President and CEO of The Dial Corporation attended the "Sustainability Solutions Summit" at Arizona State University to exchange views and ideas with partners from scientific institutions and the retail trade. | |
| Germany: Henkel has been participating in a “Product Carbon Footprint” pilot project. Together with partners in research, industry, the retail trade and non-governmental organizations we are working to advance the development of a reliable and internationally harmonized method of determining carbon footprints. | |
| India: Since 2005, Henkel India has held an annual national competition for schools under the name Henkel Eco-petition. The winner is presented with the Henkel Enviro Care Award. In 2008, the subject of the competition was “Water.” At 500 schools in six Indian cities, the students were asked to submit their ideas on how to save, reuse and recycle water. Six finalists from more than 2,000 competitors presented their ideas in a video conference to a jury of Henkel employees and non-governmental organizations. | |
| General public and local communities | Spain: Henkel was an official sponsor of Expo 2008 in Zaragoza, Spain. The theme was “Water and Sustainable Development.” Our participation in the Expo underlined our commitment to protecting water resources. Visitors to the Expo got acquainted with Henkel products and learned how they can help them to contribute to protecting water resources. |
| New Zealand: At our Auckland New Lynn site, Henkel employees collected production waste like plastics and cardboard for a “Trash to Fashion” event at schools to draw attention to the subject of recycling both among employees and schoolchildren. | |
| Germany: An increasingly important communications theme for Henkel is information about the resource-conserving use of our products. As in previous years, we produced brochures and had consumer information stands to accompany the nationwide “Sustainable Washing” day in Germany. |
