Implementing sustainability is now standard practice for companies in Germany. But the wheel does not have to be reinvented repeatedly, and it is precisely in this area that one should build on the experience of others. We have produced a guide to show how organizations can achieve sustainable corporate management.

Initial situation

Most employers have recognized that sustainability is a crucial topic for long-term corporate success. After all, social and ecological framework conditions are the foundation of economic activity. It is not just a matter of increasing regulation to address the issue. Meanwhile, there is empirical evidence that sustainability and corporate success correlate positively.

Objective

Our objective for the development of the guide was to make the issue of sustainable corporate management accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises. On the one hand, this required to show how this can be implemented and, on the other hand, to present concrete examples of good practice from member companies.

That has been done based on the following levels of the operational implementation of sustainability in the areas of

• strategy
• organization
• employee management
• purchasing
• production
• Sales and Distribution