Our environmental,
social and governance commitments

Environment

Think green,
act green

We depend on green innovation and sustainable action to minimize our environmental footprint and that of our customers. We are determined to protect nature because it forms the basis of our existence.

Social responsibility

People are at the heart
of what we do

We actively advocate a positive working environment and social justice. Our aim is to support the people in our communities and bring about positive change.

Corporate governance

Our compass
for long-term success

Transparency and a clear ethical framework are the foundations of our corporate governance. We adhere to the highest standards of integrity and sustainability. Together we are building a strong future.

We are working for a future worth living, for current and future generations

This is why sustainable action for people, the environment and the economy is embedded at the heart of our corporate culture. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the key focus here. A desire to help bring about the sustainable transformation of the industry is our most important driving force and a key success factor. This is what we are constantly striving for, and what guides our corporate governance.

Global environment

Our environmental commitment:
sustainability at the core of our corporate strategy

The climate crisis affects the whole world, with no exceptions – it will not spare individuals, companies, regions or nations. The effects weigh most heavily on the world’s most vulnerable societies, and are exacerbating global inequality.

The steel industry plays a crucial role in shaping a sustainable world. Our responsibility for the environment is central to our actions. We want to play a part in stopping climate change, and we are putting all our efforts into creating a sustainable future. This is why we produce environmentally friendly steel that emits 80 percent less CO2 than conventionally produced steel. And we have been doing this for the last 30 years. We firmly believe that we can have a positive impact on the world through our innovations and commitment. With our green steel, produced for the key industries of tomorrow, we are shaping a sustainable future.

Our pathway to net zero

By 2039, we plan to have a fully climate-neutral steel production process in place.

GMH

We have been recognized as a climate action company

GMH Gruppe has been recognized for its outstanding climate protection and energy efficiency achievements by Klimaschutz- und Energieeffizienzgruppe der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V. and has been accepted into the Association of Climate Protection Companies. Our Group joins 50 other association members from all over Germany that have been awarded this recognition by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

We are Green Steel

Social responsibility

We are a community of committed people who are working together to achieve great things. Our commitment extends far beyond our business operations. We also attach great importance to the wellbeing of our employees and to social issues that have a positive impact on our world.

Health and safety

Arbeitssicherheit

The health and safety of our employees is a key concern for us as a steel-producing company. Our goal is zero accidents, so we are constantly striving to identify and reduce risks in the workplace. We invest in occupational safety measures and inspections, in the continuous training of occupational safety officers and much more. We regularly organize an Occupational Safety Day, when we ask employees to contribute their ideas. After all, they are the ones on the front line. When it comes to safety, our motto is: Stay on it ­– and don’t stop.

Equality and diversity

Hüttenzwerge

The steel industry has traditionally been a male-dominated sector. This is something we want to change. We promote women and generally create a family-friendly company. This includes financing daycare centers for our employees’ children and offering part-time positions to mothers and fathers alike. We also organize regular networking events where women can network and support each other. In our Culture Clubs, members of management listen to employees and discuss their ideas and challenges – both on site in the workplace and online.

Education and social integration

Bildung und soziale Integration

Our foundation primarily supports projects that help to fund the education of young people. Activities include an extensive scholarship program, especially for science and engineering courses, as well as various sustainable initiatives that aim to strengthen peaceful coexistence in a diverse society at both local and national level. These include a project at Osnabrück Zoo, where primary school pupils not only learn about the animal kingdom, but also improve their German language skills through play. Another event at Osnabrück Zoo is BoGeTi Day, when children and their parents have fun together playing games to do with botany (Bo), health (Ge) and animals (Ti), while learning about important aspects of the environment and nature.

More about our Foundation

Corporate governance

Transparency and ethics:
our principles for responsible management

Compliance

We have fleshed out this fundamental understanding of good conduct in our Code of Conduct and have integrated it into our daily work processes by means of internal company guidelines for our organization and our employees. Our Code of Conduct must be adhered to by every employee, every manager and every managing director.

With regard to compliance, our Governance competence center uses a compliance management system to focus on corruption and antitrust legislation – two areas that are particularly important to us. The center also supports and advises GMH Gruppe operating units on all legal issues in connection with other topics that affect our Code of Conduct or concern compliance with applicable laws.

Sustainable cooperation
with our suppliers

  • The International Bill of Human Rights, i.e. the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Civil and Social Covenants that define the civil, political and social rights to which all human beings are entitled for the sake of human dignity.
  • The core labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO) with their four basic principles – freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced and child labor and the prohibition of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

With this in mind, we have drawn up a Supplier Code of Conduct that clearly sets out our expectations of suppliers. Our aim is to work only with suppliers who align themselves with our principles and comply with applicable national laws. We reserve the right to terminate contracts with suppliers if they violate our principles.

Our commitment to the Act on Corporate
Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains

Our whistleblower system

As part of our implementation of Germany’s Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG), we have set up a central reporting channel and adapted our internal processes accordingly.

It is important to us that potential violations and misconduct can also be reported anonymously. We handle information and well-founded suspicions in a process that is transparent, balanced and predictable for all parties involved. We safeguard the confidentiality and anonymity of whistleblowers. And we ensure that they are protected against any discrimination and punishment associated with the complaints they submit.

Our electronic whistleblower system is available around the clock, 365 days a year. Reports may be submitted in German or English. In exceptional cases where there is no access to our electronic whistleblower system, it is possible to make a disclosure by telephone by calling GMH Gruppe’s internal whistleblowing unit. A telephone disclosure can be made during normal business hours (weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.). GMH Gruppe’s internal whistleblowing unit is Compliance, part of the Governance competence center, represented by GMH Gruppe’s Compliance Officer, who has a duty of confidentiality. The current contact details and telephone number can be found at the bottom of this page.

You can access our reporting system via the following link:

Whistleblower system

Das Thema Compliance liegt bei der GMH Gruppe im Verantwortungs­­bereich des Competence Center Governance. Diese Abteilung erreichen Sie bei Fragen oder Hinweisen wie folgt:

GMH Gruppe Kontaktbild Dr. Andreas Geist

Dr. Andreas Geist

Director Governance / General Counsel

GMH Gruppe Kontaktbild Lukas Kaschade

Lukas Kaschade

Compliance Officer GMH Gruppe