Strategy & Targets

With our Sustainability Strategy 2025, we strive to further improve sustainability performance within our company and our value chains as well as for our customers through our business activities.

DEKRA has been thinking and operating sustainably in its role as an expert organisation for 95 years. Safe use of technology and protecting people and the environment are in our DNA. Yet never before have sustainability and resource conservation had the global impact and scope as they have today. A sense of responsibility towards nature, people, society and the economy, as well as long-term sustainability with a view to future generations – these are the values by which successful companies are measured today on a global scale.

DEKRA initiated a change years ago that involved embedding the sustainable use of resources and responsible management as goals. Since 2017, DEKRA has been adhering to The Sustainability Code . We and our approximately 44,000 employees worldwide are improving step by step in our defined areas of focus: climate & environment , employees & society , supply & value chain , and management & governance .

DEKRA aims to become a Sustainability Pioneer by 2025. In summer 2020, we took the strategic step to commit ourselves to the principles of the UN Global Compact and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainability is therefore one of DEKRA's unshakable values.

With our Sustainability Strategy 2025, we are striving to further improve sustainability performance within our company and our value chains, as well as through our business relationships with our customers. We have set ourselves the goal of making major progress in key areas by 2025. They include: carbon footprint, renewable energy, employee engagement and training, diversity, occupational safety, social commitment, partnerships, sustainability in the supply chain, and sustainability-related services and solutions.

In four strategic areas, we are focusing on continuously improving our sustainability performance. This means reducing negative impacts and strengthening positive ones. The four areas are:

With our Sustainability Strategy 2025, we aim to further improve the sustainability performance within our company and our value chains as well as for our customers through our business activities.

We aim to continuously improve our sustainability performance over the long term and to make a positive contribution to sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By 2025 we aim to be a sustainability leader. This includes continuing our economic success and implementing and living our vision of becoming the global partner for a safer world. In accordance with our Sustainability Strategy 2025, we pursue the following overarching goals:

To optimise our contribution to climate protection and resource conservation through our systematic environmental management.
To continue to be an attractive employer, to live diversity and to expand our social commitment to sustainability.
To ensure the Group-wide organisational integration of sustainability management, reliable and transparent reporting and successful external sustainability ratings.

To integrate sustainability holistically in our supply chain and to further expand our services and solutions in the area of sustainability.

Our concrete sustainability goals for 2025 are part of this:

100 % renewable electricity

Reduce corporate carbon footprint by 50% (vs. 2018)

Increase revenue with DEKRA sustainability-services

Check 100 % suppliers with respect to sustainability

Increase our sustainability-related social engagement, partnerships and initiatives

Increase of our employee engagement by 20% (vs. 2019)

Increase management gender diversity by >15% female managers (vs. 2019)

Increase of average annual training days per employee to >5 days

Increase work safety and reduce employee accident rate by 30% (vs. 2018)

Responsible Corporate Management

Our aim is to secure our company’s long-term success, taking account of our corporate and environmental responsibility. We live out fair competition and do not tolerate any form of corruption. We safeguard the data of our customers, business partners and employees. The integrity, reliability and neutrality of all our employees are of decisive importance. With the DEKRA Compliance Guidelines, we have issued a set of guidelines and policies that are binding worldwide and require ethical behaviour that is compliant with the law from all DEKRA employees and managers.

Value Chain

We assume responsibility for our entire value chain, from procurement through to internal processes and on to customer relationships. We expect socially and ecologically responsible behavior from our suppliers. Within the company, we have an unconditional aspiration of ensuring the quality of our services. Through the expertise and skill of our employees, this contributes to a sustainable development. We work on sustainable solutions for customers, and gear our corporate mission statement to customer orientation.

Innovation & Future Viability

Innovation and sustainability enjoy a high priority with us. We consistently develop our expertise and are ready and available for technologies of the future. DEKRA promotes innovations in the company, not only through its internal innovation and idea management but also through cooperation with external partners. Our aspiration here is to be a global partner for a safe world.

Employees

The expertise and reliability of our employees are our most important resource. This is why we aspire to making attractive jobs available. The health and safety of our employees are accorded the highest priority. Our aim is to avoid accidents at work as well as to eliminate possible sources of danger. Team work, mutual trust and loyalty are the foundations of our work together. We value the diversity of our workforce, stand for equal opportunities and support the development of our employees.

Environment

The protection of the environment and its resources is one of DEKRA’s primary objectives. The company’s understanding of safety includes protecting the environment: on one hand, through our internal environment management, and on the other through our services and expertise that make an important contribution to environmental protection. A group-wide network of environment management officers bear global responsibility for improving environmental protection and resource efficiency at DEKRA. Our services in the domain of environment and energy management help to ensure environmental protection outside the company as well.

Safety & Society

Safety is the centerpiece of our corporate strategy. We promote safety in all walks of life all over the world, also through our commitment to society. We work on safety issues together with partners in society and actively bring our expertise to bear on public and political debate. Our global contribution to increasing safety in environment, business community and society is our most important contribution to a sustainable future.