The German chemical group Henkel has said it wants to add a more socially responsible dimension to its activities.
The company says it has been particularly influenced by its activities in Chile, where it became the first business, in 1995, to produce a toluene-free glue in a voluntary bid to combat glue sniffing among street children there.
When the Chilean government banned toluene adhesives two years ago, Henkel reaped the benefit. ‘Through our social leadership we had a clear competitive advantage in the market, and we learned the business benefits of behaving responsibly,’ said a spokesman.
Henkel claims it has also been persuaded that initiatives to improve its environmental performance over the past ten years have been a factor in a consistent growth in sales over that period. It believes a similar approach to social issues will produce comparable results.
Henkel, which chiefly makes adhesives, cosmetics and detergents and has 56,400 employees worldwide, produced a code of ethics last year and was one of 18 German companies that set up the Forum for Sustainable Development in Berlin. It wants to use the forum to help it develop social policies ‘in co-operation with other companies’.
Henkel is shortlisted for this year’s European Award for the Environment, which recognises the steps taken by businesses to integrate social and environmental factors into their management. The other shortlisted companies are Brodrene Hartmann (Denmark), Sodra Skog (Sweden) and Titan Cement (Greece). The European Commission will announce the winner on 5 December.