R&M states that it will push sustainability further in its 2023 Sustainability Report.
“We have broadened our perspective and are entering a new phase of our value-driven sustainability strategy we call ‘Connecting the Planet’. For R&M, sustainability means incorporating the entire ecosystem and reconciling business activity with social responsibility,” states CEO Michel Riva. Markus Stieger, COO and Sustainability Officer, also commented, “Step by step, we are establishing R&M as a company that integrates key sustainability figures into strategic corporate management.”
R&M has published its progress regarding social responsibility since 2010. The company’s sustainability strategy is globally binding, receiving a revision in 2021 due to the orientation and inspiration of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. “Climate protection is one of the greatest social challenges of our time, although not the only one,” noted Michel Riva. However, Markus Stieger did state that, “R&M wants to halve its operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.”
“For R&M, sustainability means more than just reducing CO2,” Markus Stieger points out. The company stood by this by conducting a double materiality assessment for the first time in 2023. Product quality, cybersecurity, and the health and safety of employees are of the utmost priority. “High-quality products are reliable and durable. Our high-quality standards thus contribute to conserving raw materials and managing them sustainably,” elaborates COO Markus Stieger.
EcoVadis, a rating agency, once again awarded the company Silver in 2023. The areas of social affairs, labor, and human rights, went up a noteworthy ten points. R&M stated that it could “therefore be classified as more employee-friendly than average”.
As well as creating project teams, the company established a global network of sustainability ambassadors during the reporting year. “Local initiatives for environmental protection, health and social projects are to be coordinated in this way and global requirements implemented locally.”
