Corporate responsibility is not limited to a company’s business processes and the areas where they have a direct impact. As a corporate citizen, we are a part of society, and we benefit from being fully involved at the community level at our company locations around the world. We are also playing an active role in the search for solutions to social issues that affect these locations. Our understanding of our role is in line with our
Corporate Citizenship guideline, which lays down the general benchmarks and objectives related to our sense of social responsibility. These objectives have been deliberately drawn up with our core business in mind. In other words, we assign priority to areas where we have specific know-how and where we can achieve the best possible results for the community:
Our priorities:
- Construction, architecture and infrastructure: we provide practical assistance with the construction of buildings and infrastructure by providing materials, time, financial assistance and know-how.
- Environment, climate and biodiversity: we promote initiatives that deal with the most important environmental impacts of our business activities.
- Education, training and culture: in this case, we tailor our activities to the specific needs of each of our locations.
We have also laid down certain criteria for evaluation in order to ensure that these voluntary activities are transparent and effective. We support projects, initiatives and organisations that operate at our locations or to which we have a direct connection. We make it a priority to ensure that the guidelines and principles of such organisations are in accordance with those of HeidelbergCement.
The Group Communication & Investor Relations department is responsible for documenting all of the corporate citizenship activities throughout the Group and for reporting on them within the framework of our internal sustainability communication activities. All of the decisions regarding support for projects in individual countries or at our locations are taken decentrally by country managers within budgetary limitations. Furthermore, these managers are responsible for implementing and controlling the projects and for external reporting.
Quarry sports
For many years now, we have helped to organise health-promoting activities in Górazdze, Poland. These include sporting events held in our quarry. For example, there was a Nordic walking competition in April 2010 whose route ran, in part, along the nature trail in the quarry.
Help with schools for the youngest
For many years now, we have contributed materials to school and hospital building projects in Africa and have helped to maintain schools and hospitals.
In 2010, for example, we funded the construction of five additional classrooms for a primary school in Wazo Hill, Tanzania, near our company location in Dar es Salaam. We also joined together with other benefactors to finance the purchase of 150 new tables for the school’s pupils. Following the official ceremony to hand over the new classrooms, more than 2,000 adults and children from the village gathered for a celebration.
We have also helped with the construction of a new primary school in the Tanzanian town of Bagamoyo. Our company plant Twiga Cement provided 25 tonnes of cement for concreting and rendering work. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of numerous helpers, the new school was able to open for teaching by the end of September 2010.
In January 2010 we also donated EUR 100,000 to the Red Cross in order to provide emergency relief for earthquake victims in Haiti. This money was designated for setting up and running a mobile hospital and for providing the latter with a supply of clean water.
Corporate volunteering
In many countries, our employees take advantage of opportunities to do charitable work during their hours of employment. In Germany, for example, we support a company network called Wissensfabrik, which aims to encourage an interest in science and business among young people. A number of our employees are also donating their time to the KIS, a cooperative project involving industry and educational institutions. The KIS gives teachers and pupils insights into the practical workings of various areas of the company and provides them with information about topics that have a major social impact, such as globalisation, sustainable development, nature conservation and environmental protection.