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Sustainability has been a high priority for the Gauselmann family and the entire MERKUR GROUP for many years, and it has long been an integral part of our day-to-day operations, regardless of legal regulations and requirements.
To better meet the constantly growing social, ecological, and economic legal requirements as well as the high demands of the entrepreneurial family itself, a separate Group Sustainability Department was set up in 2022 within the MERKUR GROUP. The department’s task is to develop and implement cross-company strategies in the ESG areas of Environment, Social, and Governance.
The topic "Environment" is dedicated to the environmental aspects that can influence the Group and - at the same time - have an impact on the company. The MERKUR GROUP has a clear focus on strategic climate protection, environmental compatibility measures, and careful resource management.
PROJECTS & MORE
The topic "Social" is dedicated to creating fair and safe working conditions for all employees of the group. This includes the promotion of training and further education as well as the creation of optimal working conditions to ensure the health, well-being, and performance of all employees.
The topic "Governance" covers the ethical behavior of the corporate group, both in society and company. For the MERKUR GROUP, responsible governance is an important fundamental obligation. A particular focus is placed on the areas of channeling and player protection, anti-corruption, compliance, and data protection.
The successful implementation of effective Sustainability management requires integration into the organizational structure, which enables cross-functional cooperation. This important step was successfully launched last year. The Sustainability Steering Committee, consisting of the members of the MERKUR GROUP's Management Board, and the Strategy Team, with experts from a wide range of specialist areas, actively support the Sustainability team in fulfilling its tasks. The progress of the projects is regularly presented to the Advisory Board of the Gauselmann Family Foundation. This strong anchoring of the Group Sustainability Department within the company and the appreciation of the work carried out there, enables the successful integration of Sustainability aspects into the working methods of all areas of the company. This guarantees that the MERKUR GROUP fulfills its ecological, social, and corporate responsibility.
The Group's products and services have a great impact on communities and the environment. At the same time, their success is significantly influenced by the perceptions, expectations, needs, and decisions of stakeholders. The materiality analysis, which covers all relevant environmental, social, and governance issues within the MERKUR GROUP, is a guiding principle for the Group Sustainability Department. It is an important basis for all of the Group's Sustainability activities and a milestone on the way to developing a Group-wide and holistic Sustainability strategy. The materiality analysis also forms a central building block for mandatory Sustainability reporting.
A 360-degree view of the many aspects of Sustainability is only possible if the relevant stakeholders are also included in the process. To this end, the Sustainability team conducts an active and ongoing stakeholder dialog with the aim of identifying the requirements and expectations of a wide range of external interest groups in the areas of the environment, social, and governance. Participants in this dialog include the Player Protection Commission, environmental and social initiatives, educational institutions, political players, authorities, associations, and banks. This dialog makes it possible to gain a holistic view of various sustainability aspects and to ensure that the MERKUR GROUP's activities in Sustainability issues take into account the specific needs of various stakeholders.
You can find more information on the topic of sustainability in our special section of the 2022 Annual Report.
Here you can download the ISO 50001:2018 certification of our energy management system.
MERKUR GROUP
Merkur-Allee 1-15
32339 Espelkamp
sustainability@merkur.com
