Goals

Statement by Ralph Landwehr, Chairman of the Executive Board NORDENIA INTERNATIONAL AG

Hardly a day goes by without the word sustainability coming up. In 1987, the United Nations laid the foundation and for the first time described the concept of sustainability, according to which ecological, social, and economic aspects must be given equal importance: a simple idea, in principal. It is about securing a better quality of life for people living today, and for the coming generations.

Therefore, when making corporate decisions it is important to always keep the right balance between the three sustainability pillars of environment, social affairs, and economic effectiveness. All three dimensions are mutually dependent on one another. Economic success is only possible in the long-term if it is not achieved at the expense of ecological and social matters. On the other hand, we as companies can only do little for the environment or the company if we are not competitive.

The reduction of CO2 emissions and greater efficiency in energy consumption are of particular importance in respect of ecological sustainability. For aspects such as social sustainability, the focus is on the recruitment and retention of employees, while according to current studies, the avoidance of market and financing risks is at the top of the list in the field of economic effectiveness.

These are all topics which we at NORDENIA have been tackling for over 40 years. In accordance with our strategic organization, we place great emphasis on considering sustainability aspects in all steps of the value-added chain.

Without a doubt, the topic of sustainability is hugely complex – and it is all the more important that we implement exact measures on an operative level. Therefore, a sustainability task force under the leadership of Dr. Herbert Bader was established in the holding company. In close cooperation with those responsible for sustainability at the individual NORDENIA companies, goals are agreed upon, optimization potentials are detected, chances are seized and, in the best sense of the word, sustainable concepts and measures are implemented in practice. In doing so, we constantly examine whether these measures also make a contribution to increasing the satisfaction of our customers, above all.

External Activities

The more sustainability goals are pursued across industrial sectors and in an interconnected way, the more effectively the individual measures can be. NORDENIA is therefore getting involved in industry sustainability committees and working groups in order to set goals which transcend company boundaries and to launch projects.

Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE) Sustainability Committee

www.flexpack-europe.org

Sustainable Packaging Coalition

www.sustainablepackaging.org

IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V.

www.kunststoffverpackungen.de

Verband für nachhaltiges Umweltmanagement (VNU)

www.vnu-ev.de