Further strategic initiatives
The HOCHTIEF strategy* also includes the following strategic initiatives:
- Expansion in high-growth regions
- Expansion of HOCHTIEF’s products and services
- Stepping up the service business—in particular emphasizing sophisticated facility and energy management serv ices
- Systematic leveraging of Group synergies to the benefit of clients and the company—for example, with our “one roof” policy of housing all units that are in the same locality in one shared building
- Positioning HOCHTIEF as an attractive employer.
Corporate social responsibility is our conviction
HOCHTIEF is a future-focused company and accepts responsibility toward society and the environment. Our vision provides the foundation for sustainable business:
“HOCHTIEF is building the future.—Along with our partners, we expand horizons, link people and organizations, create new ways to think and act, and continually enhance the values entrusted to our care.”
The realization of our vision is furthered by our guiding principles. These are based around four main areas and fully encompass the GRI criteria:
- Client-oriented service spectrum
- Successful employees
- Sustainability
- Value-oriented strategy
In November 2008, to underscore our commitment to responsibility and publicly highlight that commitment, we joined the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative.
Organization of CSR initiatives and their goals
At HOCHTIEF, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate strategy are closely interlinked. Management of sustainability issues is the responsibility of the CSR function within HOCHTIEF Corporate Development. This allows sustainability to be integrated organizationally into strategy development and innovation process design.
Our CSR Committee, established in 2007, is in charge of the HOCHTIEF CSR strategy’s ongoing development and translates the strategy into targets and action items whose implementation it then goes on to initiate and monitor. The Committee makes use in its work of the Group’s proven management systems, including the environment and safety management system and the compliance system with internal and external audits. For the purpose of adding substance to the CSR strategy, the Committee has defined six areas:
- Sustainable products and services
- Active climate protection
- Resource protection
- Attractive working environment
- Corporate citizenship
- Compliance and ethics management
These are of special importance in all of our activities and help us deliver on our social responsibility. We aim to meet the diverse challenges of sustainability by adding substance to these areas. To measure success against meaningful performance indicators, HOCHTIEF works constantly to enhance the quality and comprehensiveness of CSR data.
The CSR Committee reports to the Executive Board on CSR initiatives, providing advice and making recommendations. The Committee meets on a quarterly basis. HOCHTIEF employees can learn about all discussion topics and meeting outcomes on the corporate intranet.
April 2008 additionally saw the establishment of the sustainability excellence team, made up for the most part of employees from operational units. The task of the excellence team is to develop new sustainability-oriented products. This partly involves reinforcing integration and knowledge transfer within the company. The team meets regularly for this purpose at various HOCHTIEF locations. Close cooperation between the sustainability excellence