Sustainability Management
Sustainability management is integrated vertically, horizontally and cross-functionally into our organizational structure. The Henkel Management Board bears overall responsibility for our sustainability strategy and for the compliance organization in order to ensure that applicable legislation and internal guidelines are observed.
Chaired by a Management Board member and reflecting all areas of the company, the Sustainability Council steers our global sustainability activities as a central decision-making body. Its members represent the business units and corporate functions responsible for putting our sustainability strategy into operational action.
Business units
The business units (Adhesive Technologies and Consumer Brands) are also responsible for adapting our sustainability strategy to their operating needs, as well as providing the resources needed for its implementation. They align their brands and technologies, and the sites involved, to sustainability in line with the specific challenges and priorities of their product portfolio. The research and development departments of our two business units work on key technologies and supply the basis for tomorrow’s sustainable products.
Corporate functions
Through their representatives, our corporate functions support the implementation of our sustainability strategy in their respective areas of responsibility across the company. For example, they develop appropriate supplier management tools, systems for measuring greenhouse gas emissions or the design of sustainable finance. Key sustainability topics for Henkel are coordinated by a specialist unit that reports directly to the Management Board and which serves as the company-wide interface for sustainability. Henkel’s Chief Corporate Sustainability Officer is the head of this specialist unit.
Regional and national companies
Managers in the regional and national companies steer the implementation of Henkel standards and compliance with legal requirements in their respective regions. With the support of the corporate functions and the operating business units, they develop and implement a strategy appropriate to the individual sites and their local circumstances.
Management conferences and specialist committees
In addition to the central role of the Sustainability Council and the interaction between the various units and functions, international management conferences and the sharing of information in specialist committees form an important basis for the ongoing development of Henkel’s sustainability policy. These meetings deal with new scientific findings, practical experience, changes in laws and regulations, and other current topics. The objective is to initiate new projects within Henkel, as well as to further develop approaches to solving problems and to encourage employees to share their experiences with one another.