We at VAUDE not only want to engage in business that is as sustainably as possible; we also want to show that it is possible to take responsibility and be economically successful. By doing so, we want to contribute to the development of our economy in a direction of public service and strong values. We willingly draw public attention to these issues, join industry associations for sustainable solutions and take a stand in politicians.
Taking a critical look at ourselves, we are dealing with the question of what impact our aspiration to do business sustainably has on company growth. You can find our answer here
»Sustainability is something that I feel really passionate about. That is why I am also active on a political level.«
In our work, we often encounter factors along the way that hinder us from becoming 100 percent sustainable. By the same token, we also often experience things that help us. Based on this experience, we form our ideas about what political or social conditions need to be created so that sustainability can be more strongly established.
The company management and CSR Team sit down together to discuss obstacles and opportunities as well as external topics and develop our stance on these topics. We also consider where and how we are both able and driven to bring the issues to the public in order to achieve change. We firmly believe that only by working together can we achieve truly sustainable solutions, which is why it is important for us to be influencers where it counts the most.
2017 was a busy year in terms of socio-political developments. The federal elections and the difficulties in forming a government, increasing populist attitudes and voices in Europe and the many crises and wars worldwide that are driving millions of people to flee their homes.
We have been moved and touched by all of these issues, both personally and as a company. In the face of these developments, we are concerned with taking a stance based on our values in order to provide encouragement and to inspire constructive public conversation.
Here is our positioning on the issues that have moved us the most in 2017.
In 2017, we became very committed to residency rights for refugees who are employed or in training programs. Seven of our employees are threatened with deportation – read more at Committed to Refugees.
In September we wrote an open letter to Angela Merkel and outlined the economic damage we would suffer if our seven employees were deported. She has yet to answer.
At the end of 2017, together with Brauerei Härle, we founded a corporate initiative to discuss political solutions with the Baden-Württemberg Minister of the Interior, Mr. Strobl, together with other companies affected. 80 companies from all over Baden-Württemberg and three associations have joined the initiative and signed the position statement. You can find the results of the interview with Mr. Strobl in April here
