Information: This report is outdated – you can find the current sustainability report here.
This report contains all relevant information on issues during the reporting period and an outlook on future material aspects. The selection of aspects is based on our experience and our knowledge; we have not deliberately omitted any information that could be important to our stakeholders.
Principles for defining report content:
In order to create a complete report, we began our process of materiality by looking at the complete list of GRI G4 Aspects. GRI Guidelines are divided into categories; each category is then divided into aspects. Within each aspects there are several indicators that describe the economic, environmental and social performance of a company. In our selection process, we looked at the impacts inside and/or outside the organization of each aspect.
The material aspects of this report were identified in a company-wide team. Team members were employees in key positions who are concerned with sustainability issues and have contacts with our stakeholder groups (e.g. human resources, environmental management officer, sustainability communicators, product line implementation). In preparation for our team meetings, those in charge made a pre-assessment with regard to materiality.
| GRI: | G4-17 |
| GRI: | G4-18 |
We defined two evaluation areas that each had various aspects.
These areas were rated per aspect and subsection numbers (3 = low, 2 = medium, 1 = high). This resulted in a clustering of topics:
The estimates are based largely on the experience of the person responsible, as well as the discussion in the group. We verified individual aspects on the basis of figures, for example, spending on locally based suppliers. For each aspect was also assessed whether the effects occurred within or outside the organization.
Finally, the results were discussed and three aspects were again reviewed by the Executive Board, of which Jan Lorch, Sustainability Officer of the Executive Board and Chief Sales Officer is also a member.
The aspects identified as material were compared with and assigned to the corporate goals – see dazu „Our goals in detail“, making a direct link with the company strategy visible.
We are independent and economically sustainable.
In "Our Goals in Detail " we have documented in detail, which aspects are assigned to each company goals, what we have accomplished in the past year, and where we are still working on improvements.
In the sections "Strategy and Analysis" and"Our Goals in Detail" we represent our understanding of sustainable development on each subject and what long-term strategy we are pursuing as a company in the field of sustainability. Furthermore, we explain the challenges we are facing at our site in Tettnang-Obereisenbach and what issues are particularly relevant in the supply chain. We show what goals we set ourselves, what steps we were able to take during the reporting period and the issues that we still need to work on.
In the definition of material aspects that define the content of this report, we have taken into account issues that were raised by stakeholders. An example of this is the higher weight of the transport aspect, as this is a topic that plays a greater role in public perception than the actual impact would justify.
We have selected the most important future challenges for the outdoor industry, as shown by working in industry associations, relevant laws and voluntary agreements, such as the "Code of Labour" of the "Fair Wear Foundation" (FWF) and sustainability impacts that were identified by professional reviews, such as biodiversity at our site in Tettnang-Obereisenbach.
We have also concentrated on subjects arising from our corporate values, our strategy of risks and opportunities for us and our goals and that reflect the interests and expectations of our closest stakeholders such as our employees, partners and producers.
We have taken the interests of our stakeholders into account in a stakeholder analysis - „These are our Stakeholders“. By having employees in key positions participate, we collected information on all relevant stakeholders, prioritized them, and described their concerns based on our experiences and exchanges with them.
For the 2014 GRI Report, a review of materiality with representatives of various stakeholder groups based on this first GRI report is planned.
No other company is included in the financial statements of the VAUDE Sport GmbH & Co.KG. The subsidiaries are listed by equity investments, but are not included in the report.
The sales office in the Netherlands is not included in the environmental indicators. Also, the factory outlet in Metzingen and various rented orders rooms are also not included in the environmental data.
