Being sustainable makes you successful

New priorities – new objectives

The term sustainability is often used as an excuse not to implement measures. «That’s not sustainable,» I hear time and time again. But sustainability quickly becomes tangible when we define specific goals. Even though the goals of the UN are rather general, concrete and individual guidelines for sustainable action can be derived without great effort.

Since its inception, R&M has anchored the topic of sustainability in its DNA. A family-owned company can only be successful if its corporate values are geared towards sustainability.

However, the focus on sustainability has changed in recent years. The issue of climate protection is becoming increasingly important. We are increasingly obliged to prove that R&M acts absolutely ethically.

Measurable sustainability

One of the most exciting tasks is to fully integrate meaningful improvements into company processes. In this way, they become part of our day-to-day activities. It is important to proceed in a goal-oriented manner and – as in quality management – clear indicators must be used. Progress in sustainability will be made measurable where it makes sense to do so. The matter must not become too formal.

This is why R&M is developing a future-oriented KPI matrix that we can integrate into our operative goal tracking. R&M sets targets for CO₂ reduction and takes appropriate measures.

Of course, we can measure exactly how much energy and water we consume, how much waste we generate, and what recycling rates we achieve. This data has been incorporated into specific improvement projects for many years. However, other topics of corporate responsibility, such as personnel, ethics, and occupational safety, are more challenging.

• We can measure occupational accidents and fluctuation rates.
• Determining the cause, however, is usually not that easy.
• We can define targets and measures in the areas of personnel, ethics, and occupational safety. We can securitize rights.
• However, it should be a matter of course that people are treated respectfully and correctly both privately and at the workplace. We do not need to draw up any special rules of conduct for this. We can’t measure that. In this context, read the blog post by my colleague Marilena Della Casa, Head of Corporate HR.

Compliance issues, such as accepting benefits, are very complex. Some stakeholders expect us to back up such topics with key figures. However, if a company has a problem in this area, it will not solve it using key figures, but only through consistent action and a good corporate culture.

Cultural differences

One challenge is R&M’s decentralized, global structure with autonomous units. R&M is going to standardize processes worldwide. The HQ is sending out clear signals. In doing so, we have to take local situations and cultural differences into account. We cannot expect all our sites to act in accordance with the latest corporate standards overnight. It’s more complex than that.

The good thing about sustainability is that everyone can identify with it. The methods of implementation may vary but the tasks ahead affect everyone equally.

Management task

Sustainability is a management task. We identify requirements, highlight targets, and define processes. We involve specialists who identify with the meaning and purpose of the measures. The initial effort is considerable but worthwhile.

Regular communication both internally and externally is essential. If the employees are familiar with the objectives and understand the measures, they will follow suit. They will incorporate sustainability into their own daily activities. When employees sense and see that our management consistently exemplifies the sustainability strategy, the entire corporate culture will evolve towards sustainability.

Is it worth it?

A family-owned company always questions the ratio of high expenditure to results, including in the case of sustainability. In fact, sustainability can be used to exploit the economic potential. For example, we are constantly optimizing energy and transport costs. There is no contradiction between sustainability and economic success. CO₂ optimization may well mean cost optimization.

R&M supports customers and suppliers on the road to sustainability. For example, they receive information about the CO₂ footprint of their products. The declaration and proof of waste disposal and the environmental impact are also provided. This saves the partners a lot of effort. Our commitment to sustainability gives you added value and competitive advantages.

With these and similar approaches, we can all contribute effectively to protecting the atmosphere and resources. We are able to internalize new rules and continuously work on improvements. R&M has embraced this aspiration for a long time.

You can read more about this in the R&M Corporate Social Environmental Responsibility Report, which I would like to recommend to our customers and partners. You will be able to read more about sustainability from us on an ongoing basis.