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BUSINESS & INNOVATION
TOPIC
SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY
Germany is one of the world’s most sustain-
as part of conducting sustainable business.
able industrialised nations. This is the conclu-
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) pri-
sion reached by an international comparative
marily hinges on each company’s core busi-
study of the 34 OECD member states con-
ness, which by dint of globalisation impacts
ducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation in
on economic, social and environmental
2015. Against the backdrop of the United
conditions. Most DAX-listed companies
Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals,
such as BASF, Daimler, and Deutsche Bank,
the countries were systematically analysed
as well as many SMEs, institutes and non-gov-
for the first time on the basis of 34 indicators
ernmental organisations in Germany are
ranging from environmental protection
members of the United Nations’ Global
and growth to the quality of the welfare sys-
Compact Initiative, founded in 1999. The
tems. Germany was in sixth place, doing
latter, together with the OECD Guidelines
well in particular with regard to growth,
for Multinational Enterprises and the Inter-
employment and social security.
national Labour Organisation’s Tripartite
Declaration of Principles concerning Multi-
A growing number of companies in Ger-
national Enterprises and Social Policy, form
many are making a commitment to society
the bedrock of principles on which companies base their CSR efforts. Worldwide,
over 8,000 companies and 4,000 organisa-
LIST
tions are members of the voluntary Global
Compact Initiative.
∙ Largest company:
Volkswagen, 592,586 employees
At the European level, Germany in particular supports the EU’s far-reaching CSR initia-
∙ Biggest bank:
Deutsche Bank, 98,138 employees
∙ Most important stock market index:
Deutscher Aktienindex (DAX)
tive. The strategy is updated regularly and
from 2016 envisages the introduction of
obligatory reporting on CSR measures for
certain companies. During Germany’s presidency of the G7 in 2015, the Federal Govern-
∙ Largest trade fair grounds:
Hanover
∙ Biggest aircraft manufacturer:
Airbus, Hamburg
ment put CSR topics such as labour, welfare
and environmental standards on the agenda.
The fact that social and ecological responsibility go hand in hand also becomes evident