Sustainability management at Daimler
Our corporate sustainability management body is the Sustainability Board, which was established in 2008 by a Board of Management resolution. This body effectively combines all management processes relevant to sustainability. The board, which is directly responsible to the CEO, coordinates key sustainability initiatives throughout the Group and supports the operating units with their implementation. The Sustainability Board is headed by a Board of Management member. Dr. Thomas Weber, the Board of Management member responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, has been the director of the board since 2009. Dr. Weber has set a goal for the Sustainability Board stipulating that Daimler must be among the top companies in the industry with regard to sustainability issues. The board is supported by the Sustainability Office, which ensures that all relevant corporate departments, established bodies, and key decision-makers from all divisions are involved in sustainability management activities.
The Sustainability Board analyzes and evaluates Daimler’s sustainability activities, prepares decision memorandums on behalf of Daimler CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche, and supports the Board of Management by working with the Sustainability Office to provide second opinions. The board is also responsible for the annual Sustainability Dialogue event, which it coordinates.
Our various focus areas from the prior year were further addressed in 2010 by the Sustainability Board in order to structure its work and define new targets and measures. These areas include climate protection (CO2 reduction), sustainability in supply chains, responsibility for employees, compliance, stakeholder dialogue, and community relations. One of the board’s main tasks remains to dove tail and coordinate our centralized, Group-wide sustainability approach with that of our business units (and/or their brands).
In 2010, for example, we set up a core team at Daimler Trucks whose mission is to derive and globally coordinate sustainability initiatives for the division on the basis of stipulations laid out by the Sustainability Board. In addition, the individual corporate functions and other operating units established specialized committees to organize their sustainability activities.
Our Human Resources Sustainability Committee brings together all the relevant human resources functions at the Group. The committee, which ensures the holistic implementation, controlling, and reporting of sustainability measures at Human Resources, is directed by the Head of Human Resources and Labor Policy, who represents the human resources department at the Group level as a member of the Corporate Sustainability Board.
