Sustainability Management
The STRABAG Group has a decentralised structure. Within the corporate group, all corporate responsibility and sustainability activities are directed and coordinated by the staff unit Sustainability Management. For us, sustainable management is a constant challenge to be met with individual solutions specific to each industry and company. It is an interdisciplinary task that addresses issues of compliance, human resource development, risk and environmental management, and purchasing for all corporate divisions. Implementation ideally occurs through the adaptation of processes to the changed circumstances and through consistent and rigorous integration into the core business. Organisationally the function Sustainability Management is assigned to the central division unit STRABAG Innovation & Digitalisation.A central task of the Sustainability management is to counsel and support the operating units as well as the Central Staff Divisions and Central Divisions in all matters regarding STRABAG’s sustainability performance. This knowledge transfer is essential, in particular when it comes to processing bid submissions as optimally as possible.
Knowing what the client wants, knowing what information clients, investors and development banks wish to have with regard to the company’s sustainability performance, requires a functioning “radar”. The SuM team identifies at an early stage changes in the overall societal context and its possible impact on the core business.
Together with Corporate Communications, the SuM staff unit coordinates the collection of all necessary non-financial data and information and handles its preparation for external reporting.
The function Sustainability Management falls within the responsibility of the CEO. This sends an important signal to the staff that sustainability and corporate responsibility are long-term issues for STRABAG that are carried by the top management.
Proposals for priority issues, relevant indicators and objectives, as well as the CR policy, are drawn up by the CR director and division managers in coordination with the CEO and subsequently discussed by the STRABAG SE Management Board before being reworked if necessary and finally cleared for release. Critical incidents as well as high-risk projects in terms of environment and society are addressed ad hoc during the board meetings.
In the decision-making process regarding strategically relevant matters with economic, ecological and societal impact, the Management Board can count on the support of specialised working groups on procurement, digitalisation, energy, occupational health management or women at work. These working groups provide a platform for the coordination of internal projects and the regular exchange of experience across corporate entities. They offer upper management a solid foundation upon which to make informed decisions. Their tasks also include working out proposals for policies, guidelines, measures and targets, documenting implementation in the group, and constantly reviewing and tracking goal performance.