OUR VISION OF A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Regardless of the area or country in which we work,
we all have one goal in mind. Our corporate values guide us
on the way there. This goal is our vision.
CEO Baumit Group Robert Schmid gets to the heart of the
matter. “People, planet, profit – this triangle is our future in terms of what we do and in terms of the development of the Baumit Group.”
Sustainable as a family business
“Sustainability is the most important and necessary thing for a family business that wants to develop. You always have to look at people, the environment and raw
materials. And then you also have to make a profit in order to survive.”
Sustainability rests on three pillars – which is the most important for Baumit?
“Above all, it is important that all three pillars – social, ecological and economic – are equally important. Ecological progress must therefore be socially responsible and also economically viable. This is the only way to remain successful in the international competition between business locations in the future.”
A sustainability report is not a challenge for us
My grandfather acted sustainably. This means that since then, we have been doing what is “required” of us today: We have to take care of our environment, we have to take care of our employees, staff and neighbours, and we have to take care of profits. This is nothing new for us, it’s part of our corporate philosophy.”
Profit and sustainability – opposites?
“Not at all! Let me explain this in simple terms: Without profit and profit development, we can’t afford to do what we do. We invest in the development of sustainable products – we have to earn the money first.”
“We have to recognise and seize the opportunities.”
Bureaucracy or opportunity?
“The sustainability report is a great opportunity for us. We can record and document what we have been doing since the company was founded. If we write this down, it becomes clearer and easier for everyone to scrutinise.”
Now we have it in black and white
“We’ve been sitting on a treasure all this time without seeing it. Now that we recognise its value, we can make it even better. We just need to focus on the areas where our actions can have a future.”
Durable products are sustainable
Today, products should remain in use for as long as possible. Take a look at our products! They are all very durable. This is not least due to their high quality. You don’t
have to repair them when you use them. At the end of their life, they can be recycled or reused. We have high-tech products for low-tech use.”
Won’t the construction industry run out of work in the long term if we build sustainably now?
“The fact that things today should last a long time and that upcycling is possible at the end of the day is a good thing and not a threat to the construction industry. I’ve had a saying with me since childhood:
when people stop building, they stop living. Creating new things is part of human nature. We do it as long as there are resources. Existing things also become a resource. There are times for new construction when the population grows. Here you need material. There are times for renovation, when more labour is needed. Imagine an old house becoming a source of raw materials. You have to gain experience, build in a completely different way, treat the materials differently, find new recipes. Sustainable construction makes the topic much, much more exciting than it used to be.”
Does this mean that you see sustainability as an incentive to constantly face new challenges as a company?
“Exactly. And we can become even better at it if we recognise the opportunities rather than the problems.”