What have we done to date, and what are we planning in the near future?
Sustainable procurement
We have already begun looking much more closely at the materials being used and the way in which things are produced when placing our orders for office materials, equipment, etc.
Conserving resources
We want to avoid wasting resources, and that is why we are now taking various steps, such as reducing the time that office equipment is on standby, issuing digital invoices wherever possible, and sending digital Christmas cards to our customers instead of paper ones through the post.
Reforestation
For four years now, we have been planting mixed forests in Germany that are sustainable for local conditions. This equates to some 7,000 trees to date.
Gift campaigns for children
Last Christmas was already the second time that we have worked with the “Laachende Hätze” association to satisfy the wishes of children who haven’t had things easy in their lives. The result: our enthusiastic efforts have helped us put smiles on the faces of some 60 children at Christmas time.
Promoting the next generation
Since late 2023 we are working with the initiative “codiviti” to support digital education and equal opportunities for children. The goal of our partnership is to use creative and captivating ways to get kids interested in IT. As part of these efforts, we will be inviting children to come to the first EBF Girls’Day in April, and we aim to work with holiday camps this summer. We also set up and manage the iPads needed by “codiviti” for its work at schools free of charge. After all, it is one of our core competencies. 🙂
Special leave for helping others
Since 2024, every member of the EBF team has the right to take up to two days of special leave (known as “social days”) every year in order to help out on selected social projects.
Providing information
We have created a knowledge platform and first port of call for all matters pertaining to sustainability. Here, you will find not only our goals and activities, but also interesting background information, a glossary, and helpful reference materials.
Based on external standards
We have pledged to uphold the principles of the UN Global Compact and participate in the EcoVadis assessment process. We do this in particular to help us identify the areas in which we still have room to improve.
What comes next?
In the next step, we want to clearly study what we can do to make our own products more sustainable. And there are many more ideas to be found on our ideas paper. But one thing at a time – we’re in no danger of running out of ideas. 🙂