Sustainability Report: Gebr. Heinemann
Gebr. Heinemann lays down ambitious sustainability goals
We introduce a special section on how companies in travel retail are approaching the key question of sustainability, with a focus on Gebr. Heinemann’s big initiatives in this area. In the pages that follow, we highlight examples of how brands and retailers are making positive moves to protect the planet.
At its annual press conference on 25 April, leading travel retailer and distributor Gebr. Heinemann highlighted its key sustainability targets.
“We have defined ambitious sustainability goals for environmental, social, governance and responsible value chain action fields and have embedded them in our group strategy. In order to develop and implement this ambitious sustainability strategy, we need to work hand in hand with our customers, partners and suppliers,” said Co-CEO Raoul Spanger.
For example, on the environment, the company’s goal is to achieve net-zero emissions in Scope 1 and 2 by 2030 and achieve a -50% reduction per ton of sales volume in Scope 3 by 2030.
In addition, the company said it is paying close attention to compliance with human rights in its supply chain and aims to cover at least 80% of its purchasing volume through independent supplier assessments by the end of 2024. A newly developed global strategy for diversity, equity and inclusion as part of the social action field should be confirmed by ISO certification in 2025.
A clever artist’s depiction of the greening of Heinemann headquarters in Hamburg from the company’s Annual Report
Elaborating on Heinemann’s ESG targets, Spanger said: “We have 18 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals, and this is also our challenge. When we say we are a human-centric company, carrying this across global teams and cultures is not easy. We have to listen to our branches around the world and not rule from the headquarters as we don’t have all the answers. We rely on our group of companies across markets and cultures.”
These ambitious targets will play into action taken across the Gebr. Heinemann group. For example, in the beauty category, Heinemann has entered a forward-looking sustainability partnership with L’Oréal, which was announced at the 2023 TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes.
The partnership is based on a joint business plan that defines actions in the areas of assortment, point-of-sale, supply and social engagement. Both companies will also develop sustainable point-of-sale materials and work together to make the supply chain more sustainable. Gebr. Heinemann said it is already working on entering sustainability collaborations with partners in other categories.
Of the sustainability targets, Spanger said: “This drives a lot of what we do. By taking these initiatives we want to show we are an industry leader and we even aim to go beyond our targets. It’s the most important change we are making, even if it’s not seen from the outside.”
On the theme of sustainability, Co-CEO Max Heinemann noted that airlines, airports and travel retail players needed to lean much more on each other. “This topic is part of today’s tender evaluations but it must go much further. It’s important that the airport asks us for our plan to have positive impact. But when we are asked about this we also need to be able to say, where are you on that journey and how can you help us deliver on our sustainability promises?
“These topics also feed into how the business model is shaped or changed, and we will be more vocal on this, as we have been in the past year or two.”
*For comment on all the major talking points from Gebr. Heinemann’s annual press conference, please see The Moodie Davitt Magazine for May, archived in digital format on our website and available in hard copy at TFWA Asia Pacific in Singapore.
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The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 334 | 12 May 2024
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