Sustainability
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe's understanding of sustainability is based on the classic United Nations principles: Meeting the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs.
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe can only meet its resultant obligations vis-à-vis employees, customers, authorities, society and the environment now and in the future if the company is successful on the market in the long term. With this in mind, our understanding of sustainability combines economic necessity with ecological reason and social responsibility. Our goal is the systematic integration of sustainability into our corporate strategy and company practice. To this end, a sustainability management system is currently being established.
Our understanding of sustainability is set out in the 2009 Sustainability Report on the basis of six success factors:
- Effectiveness
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Doing the right thing.
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe is focused on high-end carbon steel flat products and system solutions.
Effectiveness means permanently developing and exploiting all technology potential to meet the requirements of customers in this demanding market segment.
- Efficiency
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Doing things right.
Efficient, value-based management is the cornerstone of our business policy. Gaining an adequate return on capital employed is our top priority. All our strategic, market- and customer-oriented decisions focus on economic aspects and their impact on the value of the enterprise.
We have succeeded in establishing a continuous improvement process in the company, constantly adding new elements to it and significantly strengthening the quality of earnings.
This creates the financial latitude we need to invest in profitable growth as well as other areas of sustainable development.
- Resources
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Making careful use of everything we have.
All economic activity is based on resources being available in the required quantities and quality and at competitive prices.
For our employees we rely on an integrated HR policy. Training, skill upgrading, health management and executive development programs are key aspects. To safeguard our intellectual capital we have installed a knowledge and ideas management system.
Making efficient use of natural resources such as raw materials, water and energy is part of our everyday work.
- Impact
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Minimize impact in everything we do.
We strive to continuously reduce the impact of our business activities on the environment and sociopolitical and cultural systems as far as possible.
Depending on the extent to which we succeed, we can count on increasing acceptance for our work. Water protection, air pollution control, an almost complete recycling system and health and safety are integral components of our processes.
We apply the same environmental and safety standards worldwide.
- Solidarity
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Look at the bigger picture in everything we do.
For us solidarity means championing specific values and goals within and outside our company.
We train in excess of our own requirements, build up good neighborly relations in the regions in which we operate, and show responsibility to society.
We promote projects and ideas and support the efforts of our employees. When things go wrong we contribute our skills and resources to solve the problems.
With these activities we want to gain increased acceptance for what we do so as to strengthen the platform on which we operate in the medium and long term.
- Justice
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Remain decent and fair in everything we do.
For our company justice means abiding by the law in all our decisions, granting everyone their rights, and treating everyone equally.
Justice calls for fairness and integrity. Justice in this context also means moderation in pursuing the interests of the company and the management.
This maxim is a central component of our value system and an essential key to business success.
