Sustainability
Interview with Andreas J Ludwig - CEO of the Zumtobel Group, President of CELMA and Vice Chairman of ZVEI, 16 January 2009
- As a company how can the Zumtobel Group contribute to greater sustainability?
- And humanity?
- Why a sustainability report?
- How do you promote sustainability?
- And will you succeed?
As a company how can the Zumtobel Group contribute to greater sustainability?
Some 20% of the electrical energy consumed worldwide is accounted for by artificial lighting. Against this backdrop, we aim to optimize the use of energy by supplying technically innovative, intelligently controlled luminaires, components and lighting solutions. As we develop these products and solutions, we are also concerned to take human needs into account. Within our company too we adopt a responsible approach to the environment and natural resources. That applies, for example, to our use of materials as well as to our production processes. We have a programme to certify all our production facilities to ISO 14001 – the standard for environmentally compatible production.
back to listAnd humanity?
When we make a commitment to sustainability, environmental protection and the responsible use of finite resources, the underlying aim is to contribute to the long-term conservation of our ecosystem and the human habitat. For me, that has two consequences: firstly we must strike a balance between the demand for energy savings and human needs. There are many situations in which energy consumption is essential to the well-being, health and safety of humankind, and promotes human performance. Secondly, in my view, the long-term conservation of the human habitat also involves social aspects of a more sweeping significance. Only if we find answers to the challenges posed by globalisation, if we lay the foundations for more equal opportunities and more equitable shares, do we have a real chance of making peaceful progress. back to listWhy a sustainability report?
Increasingly sustainability and environmental performance is becoming a public process so that customers, employees and shareholders alike can ask to see the achievements or non-achievements, of companies. Following a formalisation of the reporting process within our business a structure is being developed for company wide compliance. We aim to publish our first Sustainability Report for the Group, along the lines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Guidelines, in September 2009 These Sustainability Reporting Guidelines are for voluntary use by organisations for reporting on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of their activities, products, and services. This will show the transparency of our activities against stated objectives and targets, giving us the opportunity to fine-tune our business to reflect our intention of becoming a sustainable company in all respects. back to listHow do you promote sustainability?
Firstly, it is one of the main focuses of our strategy and our investment policy. We seek to offer best-in-class products and services while remaining fully aware of our responsibility to the environment and society. The topic of energy efficiency is something that all our brands have been promoting for many years now. We can help reduce global energy consumption and at the same time improve the general quality of life. On the public stage we offer, amongst others, the Zumtobel Group Award that honours biannually outstanding international architectural and engineering innovations in the built environment pertaining to sustainability and humanity. In line with the company’s vision, the award also challenges the Zumtobel Group itself to boost the emphasis on sustainability and humanity in all its processes. back to listAnd will you succeed?
It’s all too easy for a company to make a few cosmetic changes and then claim to be really green. It’s much more difficult to face up to the real issues involved – the establishing, the monitoring, the implementation of improvements. The Zumtobel Group doesn’t claim to have all the answers overnight, but it is increasingly asking itself the difficult questions as it seeks to ensure the sustainability of its operations. We will succeed because we recognise that sustainability is essential for the long term economic and social/cultural growth of our business. back to list