Commitment to sustainability now demonstrated with even greater transparency

GROHE is the first manufacturer in the sanitary industry to issue a declaration of conformity with the German Sustainability Code

Protecting the environment, preserving natural resources and exercising social responsibility have long been important elements of corporate strategy at GROHE, the leading manufacturer of sanitary fittings. Now the company has created comprehensive transparency of its commitment and efforts in these areas by being the first in the industry to submit a declaration of conformity with the German Sustainability Code to the German Council for Sustainable Development. In early September GROHE received confirmation of its declaration having been accepted without qualification. The declaration issued by GROHE (in German language) can be accessed through www.deutscher-nachhaltigkeitskodex.de.

Sonderpreis_Ressourceneffizienz

Comprising the core sections “Strategy”, “Process Management”, “Environment” and “Society”, the declaration provides detailed information on the sanitary manufacturer’s multi-faceted sustainable activities - ranging from environmentally friendly technologies at its factories to water and energy saving products, from health and safety projects at the workplace to training programmes for young people in Germany and abroad.

The declaration of conformity is based on the Sustainability Report to be published by GROHE for the first time in the fourth quarter of 2015. It follows the fourth (i.e. the current) guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), an NGO which has developed a comprehensive and globally applicable framework for sustainability reporting.

The catalogue of questions used by the German Sustainability Code is grouped into a total of 20 criteria dealing with ecological, social and economic matters. Developed by the German Council for Sustainable Development in conjunction with business and industry, the catalogue is designed to help companies embrace sustainable principles and to provide decision-making aids to stakeholder groups. Companies issuing a declaration of conformity have to address all questions posed in the catalogue. Their declarations have to include both plain language explanations and the figures and numbers to back them up, thereby creating the highest possible level of transparency and comparability.

The German Council for Sustainable Development has advised the German government on matters of sustainability since 2001. Drawn from diverse areas of public life, its current 15 members were appointed by Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel in June 2010. The Council’s remit includes developing contributions to the implementation of the national sustainability strategy and designating concrete fields of action and projects while highlighting sustainability as an important societal endeavour.

Read more