Commitment
As far back as 1986, trading firm OTTO announced environmental protection as a specific corporate aim. Today, the conviction is firmly embedded in the Otto Group’s company culture that it can only achieve its aim and secure its own future if it follows sustainable business practices. As a visible sign of this, in 2010 the Otto Group embedded ‘assuming our responsibility towards people and nature’ as a leading philosophy of its new corporate vision.
The Otto Group has signed the ‘Biodiversity in Good Company’ Initiative’s Leadership Declaration; in accordance with this the Otto Group has studied the impacts that its business activities have on biodiversity and has defined indicators to measure these. Thus, conserving biodiversity and the sustainable use of its components have been integrated into the Otto Group’s environmental management system. As a Group comprising retailers and commercial service providers, biodiversity considerations – particularly in terms of its product assortment and advertising materials – play a central role. This is why measurable and realistic aims were set as part of its 2010-2013 CR Strategy for the companies in which the Otto Group has a majority shareholding. This applies in particular to the area of sustainable products (i.e. articles made from organic cotton, sustainable cotton or FSC-certified timber (FSC: Forest Stewardship Council)) in order to improve the conservation of biodiversity. For instance, the Otto Group’s largest trading company, OTTO, will have increased the share of FSC-certified articles in its wooden furniture assortment to 15% by the 2012/13 financial year.
The Corporate Responsibility area (CR) manages and coordinates CR activities across the Group and regularly reports to the Group Executive Board. The Otto Group also publishes its progress, aims and challenges in a Sustainability Report that appears every two years. On top of this, the Group informs suppliers about biodiversity objectives and activities and where appropriate, involves suppliers as part of the Group’s stakeholder dialogue activities.
Benefit
The Otto Group’s activities in the area of biodiversity are making an important contribution to achieving its vision, which places ‘taking responsibility towards people and nature’ at its heart. The Group’s activities are made visible internally, such as through its exhibition for employees and via the intranet, as well as externally through PR work.
The Otto Group’s constantly increasing range of sustainable articles made from organic cotton, sustainable cotton or FSC-certified timber is combined with positive messages and makes it easier for customers to shop responsibly. This approach thus enables Group companies to tap into the LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) target group – i.e. people who combine consumption with ethical and health aspects – ever more effectively. This commitment also has a positive impact on the Group’s image.
Furthermore, the Otto Group is gathering valuable experience and expertise in managing a resource-friendly value chain. At a time when the global demand for raw materials is continually rising, this serves not only to conserve biodiversity, but also makes an important contribution towards securing the Group’s future.
Best Practices
- Click example to enlarge
Otto Group