For the tasks now to be managed by the Sustainability Board, METRO Group can rely on a wealth of experience. The group has already been working for years in many areas belonging to the field of sustainability. And it has done so successfully: The sales divisions Real and Galeria Kaufhof, for example, today received a bronze award in the Corporate Social Responsibility Test organized by the Verbraucher Initiative [German Consumer Initiative].
Example supplier qualification: One key aspect is the qualification of suppliers – a process by which METRO Group supports local suppliers in producing according to internationally recognised standards. In India, for example, METRO Group has been training fishing crews in modern catching and processing methods in cooperation with external experts since 2003 – thereby contributing to combat over fishing of the oceans and creating awareness among local suppliers for issues like quality and environmental protection.
Example real estate: In the field of energy consumption METRO Group is setting new standards by using renewable energies for the construction of shopping malls like the Meydan Shopping Square in Istanbul which received a series of awards for its extensive utilization of geothermal energy and its green roof meadows.
Example integration: METRO Group pursues an active diversity management based on integration and participation. The goal is to use the manifold competencies of the employees – generate an “edge through diversity”. With employees from more than 150 nations, more than 5,500 severely handicapped employees and nearly 30 percent employees aged 50plus, METRO Group is one of the employers with the highest diversity. This diversity is put to practice in the dialogue with customers, for example, with ethnic customer advisors and an intercultural employee integration programme.
Example corporate citizenship: The company actively supports a large number of additional programmes like the schooling of Turkish girls in Anatolia, for example. In the field of social policy, METRO Group has been one of the main sponsors of the food bank programme for many years already, supporting it with food, funds and professional advice.
Source: METRO Group
