We have been working to increase the efficiency and safety of our production processes for decades. Our sustainability performance over the past eleven years illustrates this very clearly. As shown below by the positive developments of our indicators, we continuously strive to create more value while reducing our environmental footprint by enforcing sustainable business practices.
Indicators & Progress
The indicators we record throughout the Company offer transparency in many respects. They help us to identify potential improvements, steer programs, monitor target achievement, and inform the public about our performance and progress in compact form.
Economic indicators
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sales in million euros | 18,714 | 20,029 | 19,899 | 20,114 | 19,250 |
| Adjusted1 operating profit (EBIT) in million euros | 3,172 | 3,461 | 3,496 | 3,220 | 2,579 |
| Adjusted1 return on sales (EBIT) in percent | 16.9 | 17.3 | 17.6 | 16.0 | 13.4 |
| Adjusted1 earnings per preferred share (EPS) in euros | 5.36 | 5.85 | 6.01 | 5.43 | 4.26 |
Dividend per ordinary share in euros | 1.60 | 1.77 | 1.83² | 1.832 | 1.832 |
Dividend per preferred share in euros | 1.62 | 1.79 | 1.85² | 1.852 | 1.852 |
1 Adjusted for one-time charges/gains and restructuring expenses. 2 Proposal to shareholders for the Annual General Meeting on April 16, 2021. |
Environmental indicators
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amount of production in thousand metric tons | 8,419 | 9,390 | 9,057 | 9,532 | 9,486 |
Energy consumption in thousand megawatt hours | 2,377 | 2,541 | 2,500 | 2,470 | 2,410 |
Carbon dioxide emissions in thousand metric tons1 | 669 | 709 | 682 | 665 | 535 |
Water consumption in thousand cubic meters | 7,822 | 8,654 | 8,359 | 8,324 | 8,231 |
| Waste for recycling and disposal in thousand metric tons2 | 120 | 123 | 124 | 111 | 103 |
1 Emissions are calculated using the market-based method in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. 2 This figure includes material and thermal recovery. We have removed the share of construction and demolition waste from our footprint and shown it separately, as the presence or absence of some larger construction projects have a significant effect on our waste footprint. This has enabled us to show the performance of our sites and our progress more transparently. |
Employee indicators
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees 1 (as of December 31) | 51,350 | 53,700 | 53,000 | 52,450 | 52,950 |
| Proportion of female employees in percent | 33.1 | 34.3 | 34.4 | 35.5 | 36.1 |
| Proportion of female employees in management positions in percent | 34.3 | 34.5 | 34.7 | 35.7 | 36.9 |
| Average number of training days per employee2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 |
| Participation in employee share program in percent | 30.7 | 31.4 | 31.5 | 30.2 | 29.6 |
| Occupational accidents per million hours worked | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
1 Basis: permanent staff excluding trainees. Figures have been rounded. 2 Our employees have many different development opportunities. In addition to traditional training courses and in-person seminars, they also include eLearning modules and on-the-job training. |
SOCIAL INDICATORS
2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Donations in million euros (financial and product donations, not counting paid time off from work) | 7,814 | 8,037 | 8,304 | 8,096 | 29,9921 |
Number of projects supported | 2,051 | 2,124 | 2,032 | 2,044 | 2,6552 |
1 The total amount of donations was significantly higher in 2020 versus the prior year. This is attributable to our contribution to the fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic. 2 The number of projects supported was above the prior-year level. Due to the special circumstances, employee projects required fewer days off from work in 2020 than in the prior year. Generally speaking, employees may request up to five days off from work per year for volunteer activities. |