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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.
In order to better meet the ever-growing social, environmental, and economic legal requirements—as well as the high standards set by the Gauselmann family — the MERKUR GROUP established its own Group Sustainability department in 2022. This department is responsible for legally compliant Sustainability Reporting and supports strategic development 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.
Sustainability is an integral part of the MERKUR GROUP's corporate responsibility. As a family-owned company with a long-term perspective and clearly defined values, economic activity can be systematically combined with social and environmental responsibility.
The implementation of effective Sustainability management is based on structural integration within the organisation and cross-functional cooperation. The Sustainability Steering Committee, consisting of the members of the Executive Board, is the central decision-making body and is responsible for strategic management. Development and implementation are carried out by an interdisciplinary strategy team and by the Group Sustainability department, which is also responsible for preparing Sustainability Reports in accordance with CSRD / ESRS and GRI.
This structured anchoring underlines the MERKUR GROUP's commitment to implementing Sustainability from within – credibly and with a view to the future.
The MERKUR GROUP manages Sustainability strategically by systematically collecting and analysing relevant ESG indicators. This data-based approach ensures that environmental, social and corporate responsibility is not only firmly anchored in the corporate strategy but can also be implemented in a measurable and effective manner.
The focus is on reliable analyses, consistent data quality and the gradual development of reporting structures. These form the basis for transparent and comprehensible Sustainability Reporting, which is part of the MERKUR GROUP's long-term ESG strategy.
The double materiality analysis forms the basis for the gradual development of CSRD-compliant reporting and the further development of the company-wide sustainability strategy. It was prepared in accordance with CSRD and updated in 2025. The results prioritise relevant topics in the areas of environment, social affairs and governance (ESG) and are incorporated into strategy, goals and reporting.
The approach is complemented by ongoing stakeholder dialogue, which actively involves key stakeholders such as authorities, associations, social and environmental initiatives and financial actors. This ensures that expectations and requirements are identified at an early stage and responsibly integrated into sustainability work.
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, Germany
sustainability@merkur.com
This website provides an overview – for more detailed information on ESG, EU taxonomy, carbon footprint or other Sustainability topics, please contact the Group Sustainability department.
