Sustainability
In its company history, Henkel emphasizes the importance of sustainable development. In 1958, for instance, Henkel’s research systematically studied washing active substances in surface waters, which led to the development of low-foam surfactants. Henkel was thus prepared for the German Detergents Act of 1961 passed in response to the mountains of foam on rivers and lakes. It permitted only readily biodegradable detergents to be used from 1964 onward. As early as 1992, Henkel published its first Environment Report. Henkel is also a founding member of the “World Business Council for Sustainable Development” (WBCSD). In 2003, Henkel declared its participation in the United Nations Global Compact and has committed itself to the Compact’s ten principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Since 2008, Henkel is an official member of the “Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil” (RSPO).
In 2008, the company announced its sustainability targets for 2012, which were met by the end of 2010: energy consumption had decreased by 21 percent, water usage by 26 percent, and the amount of waste generated by 24 percent. Over the same period, the number of occupational accidents fell by 29 percent. Presented in 2012, the goal of Henkel’s new Sustainability Strategy 2030 is to achieve more with less and to triple the efficiency. The strategy’s focal areas are divided into two dimensions: Under the headline “more value”, the company focuses on the areas “social progress”, “safety and health” and “performance”. The second dimension “reduced footprint” deals with “energy and climate”, “materials and waste” and “water and wastewater”. As a short-term goal until 2015, Henkel aims to achieve a 15 percent reduction per production unit in the focal areas energy, water and waste. At the same time, the company plans to reach a 10 percent increase in net external sales per production unit. Henkel also intends to reduce its incident rate by 20 percent.
Henkel has been listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index ever since it was established in 1999. In 2011, the company was named sustainability leader in the Nondurable Household Products sector for the fifth consecutive time.
Henkel has structured its corporate citizenship activities around three core elements: supporting employee volunteering (MIT Initiative), corporate and brand engagement for the common good and emergency aid. Since 1998, more than 4,000 Henkel employees and retirees have been involved in over 9,700 projects in more than 50 different countries.
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