Bertelsmann sets eight CR priorities

Embracing social responsibility and acting responsibly toward employees, society and the environment is an integral part of Bertelsmann's corporate culture. At the same time, Bertelsmann works continuously to align its corporate responsibility (CR) activities with key business objectives and to constantly reassess them. The corporate responsibility priorities are regularly determined in CR relevance analyses with internal and external stakeholder groups.

Following the last CR relevance analysis in 2017, a new survey was launched in autumn 2020. Based on the survey results of this materiality analysis, in January the Bertelsmann Executive Board approved eight priority topics *:

• Creative/Editorial Independence / Freedom of Expression

• Content Responsibility

• Fair Working Conditions

• Diversity & Inclusion

• Health & Wellbeing

• Learning (including digital media literacy)

• Responsibility in the Supply Chain

• Climate Change

For the CR relevance analysis, 632 people, including selected top executives and experts from the Bertelsmann divisions, business partners, potential employees, bankers, CR experts, journalists and politicians, shared their views on CR at Bertelsmann. The task was to evaluate 19 selected CR topics – internally according to their relevance for the business and externally according to their relevance for stakeholders. The survey was coordinated by the Bertelsmann CR Council, while the stakeholders selected the areas themselves.

Based on the results of the CR relevance analysis, the next step is for all Bertelsmann divisions to develop appropriate follow-up measures and set priorities for their own companies. RTL Group, for example, has its own evaluation of the stakeholder surveys. This largely overlaps with Bertelsmann's priorities. The following focus areas emerge for RTL Group:

• Content Responsibility

• Creative/Editorial Independence / Freedom of Expression

• Intellectual Property & Copyright

• Fair Working Conditions

• Diversity & Inclusion

• Health & Wellbeing

• Climate Change

• Learning (including digital media literacy)

RTL Group will primarily expand its commitment in three strategic areas: Content Responsibility & Journalistic Independence, Climate Change, and Diversity & Inclusion and for each topic assess exactly where we already stand today and what goals are to be achieved. As the Group’s largest unit, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland will also focus on these three areas. You can find out more about RTL Group's CR priorities, current status, ongoing and planned projects and measures tomorrow on Backstage.  

In today's Benet, you can also read an interview with Immanuel Hermreck, Bertelsmann's Chief HR Officer, on the CR priorities, the process by which they were created and the resulting conclusions.

 

*Note: Bertelsmann's CR survey includes all of the Group's media, service and education companies. RTL Group and Mediengruppe RTL focus primarily on relevant topics from the media sector.