28. September 2023

AWARDED: Ströer is a finalist for the German Sustainability Award

The German Sustainability Award (DNP) is the biggest award in Germany for companies that act sustainably. In August 2023, a jury of experts nominated Ströer in the "Advertising & PR" sector. From the nominees in this category, the jury has now determined the top 3: Ströer is in the final of the DNP.

Whether start-up, medium-sized company or large corporation - since 2008, the German Sustainability Award Foundation (Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V.) honors players from business, local authorities and other sectors once a year for making a significant contribution to sustainable transformation. The award criteria of the German Sustainability Award (DNP) are based on the key points of the 2030 Agenda and are accordingly closely linked to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The DNP is one of the largest awards of its kind in Europe to actively promote sustainable action in society.

In August, a jury of experts had chosen Ströer among the pioneers of transformation in the "Advertising & PR" sector. This year, the German Sustainability Award Foundation (Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V.), together with the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the DIHK (German Chamber of Industry and Commerce) and the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), awards the German Sustainability Award in November to particularly exemplary companies in their sectors. The jury has now selected the top 3 from the nominees in the "Advertising & PR" category: Omnicom Media Group Germany GmbH, Eberle Werbeagentur and Ströer!

"Being in the final of the 16th German Sustainability Award in our industry is a great recognition of what we have achieved together and motivation to continue on our path - which is far from over. Sustainable corporate development is not a luxury topic. Quite the opposite. It is about nothing less than our future viability and ultimately our existence - as an industry, as a company. I therefore consider a critical and open discussion to be more than appropriate," says Christoph Löhrke, Head of Investor Relations at Ströer and responsible for ESG issues at Ströer.

Ströer does not only apply sustainable corporate development to its ecological performance. Social performance also plays an important role. Ströer and also the DNP are guided by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - i.e. the global plan to promote sustainable peace and prosperity and to protect our planet. Meaning climate protection, CO2 reduction, etc. are only one side of the coin; on the other hand, Ströer also wants to promote awareness for sustainable and social action and create the best possible structures for this: For example, the company provides media carriers to non-profit organizations at cost price or at a greatly reduced price ("pro bono"), for example to non-profit environmental protection organizations or Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, for the acquisition of donations. In 2022, a Group-wide declaration of principles on compliance with environmental and human rights standards was also adopted, and the instruments were specifically further developed along the lines of the requirements of the Supply Chain Sourcing Obligations Act. Responsibility for products was also documented in a binding manner with the Principles of Advertising Ethics and the Publishing Principles. To name just a few examples.

"Sustainability affects us in all areas of the company in various ways. In this context, it is also always important to keep an eye on the economic aspect and to find the right balance. Sustainability is not an end in itself," says Christoph Löhrke. "The finalists and nominees all contribute to sustainable change in their own way. They all show ways forward, have identified opportunities, and together we are thus driving sustainable development. The DNP may also help raise awareness of viable transformation paths and resilient business cases around sustainable change in our industry."

Our sustainability strategy

A sustainability-oriented mindset can only be embedded within a company in a meaningful way if when it becomes a long-term pillar of the corporate strategy and is directly relatable to the company’s core business. There is no inherent contradiction between sustainability and business success; in fact, one depends on the other. We prefer to think in decades instead of quarters.

Two important components for our Sustainability Strategy 2030 – efficiency and innovation – have always been part of our business model.

In March, Ströer SE & Co. KGaA published its fourth Group Sustainability Report 2022 - for the first time at the same time as the annual report. The sustainability report provides an overview of Ströer's sustainability strategy and covers the four sub-areas of Environment, Employees, Business Partners & Society and Governance. The report shows the developments, progress and focus for each of these areas and was prepared in accordance with the internationally recognized standards of the Global Reporting Initiative.