Social responsibility
- Donations and sponsorships are managed under separate guidelines throughout the Group
- The Schaeffler Foundation was established on the occasion of the Schaeffler Group’s 75th anniversary
Focusing on the common good
The company donates to those organizations and initiatives in particular that work towards the common good, are non-profit, and operate in compliance with the Schaeffler Group’s Code of Conduct (CoC). Donations of around EUR 2.1 m (prior year: EUR 3.4 m) were made in 2021. The drop in donations is primarily due to the decline in COVID-19 donations made in the second year of the coronavirus pandemic, which totaled EUR 0.3 m (prior year: EUR 1.6 m). The Compliance department monitors donations and sponsorships. Sponsorship funds are used systematically in accordance with a Group-wide policy, and measures are controlled by an associated global management system. In the reporting period, a total of 398 CSR projects were implemented worldwide.
CSR activities of the Schaeffler Group
Education and scientific research are key factors for success in the Schaeffler Group’s business model. The company is therefore active in education and science through strategic partnerships and collaborations.
Again in 2021, the Schaeffler Group was involved in projects organized by the founding and innovation platform Futury, which works with partners such as Deutsche Bank, Werte-Stiftung, Bain & Company, and Handelsblatt. Launched in 2020, the “Mission IV: Work – Be Next” project primarily aims to develop sustainable, value-based innovation for the work of the future based on concrete ESG aspects that take the SDGs into account. Of the more than 1,000 applications submitted throughout Europe, 20 talented individuals were selected. Following completion of the mission, another partnership was initiated with the PlanCo team, and a prototype tested at the location in Herzogenaurach, resulting in an app that intensifies social exchange among employees at a plant.
The Schaeffler Group also supported Futury’s “Mission VI: Energy – Be Empowered” project. By the end of August, five international teams of talented youngsters had developed a variety of ideas and concepts related to the energy transition. The Schaeffler Group especially supported the teams Endeema, Reevolta, Aquack, in the Mission VI program. Endeema worked on an app designed to optimize energy management at companies and incorporate production planning. The aim is to increase peak performance in electricity consumption and the percentage of green energy. With a focus on remaining service life, Reevolta is working on concepts for monitoring batteries in the field of micro mobility and thus using them more effectively. With team Aquack, ideas and solutions have been validated for using duckweed to filter impurities from industrial wastewater and generating energy from biomass in the process.
The Schaeffler Group is also dedicated to topics beyond education and science, such as supporting people in need or in difficult living conditions, which required a special level of commitment due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2021.
In China, the Schaeffler Group and its employees donated around EUR 780,000 to a fund dedicated to fighting COVID-19. These funds were used to provide masks and food to people who work and live in regions affected by the pandemic. The “Clean Hands” project also financed sanitation initiatives at 158 elementary schools and day care centers in 2020 and 2021.
The Schaeffler Group also got involved in Sorocaba, Brazil, to limit the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, donating ventilators, masks, gloves, and protective clothing to different hospitals. 250,000 FFP2 masks from in-house production in China were also distributed in Sorocaba. In addition, support was provided for the renovation of the basic health care unit with over 47,000 patients in the Jardim Rodrigo district. The work included renewing the electrical equipment and floors, replacing windows and doors, as well as repairing the roof.
In India, the Schaeffler Group’s location in Pune organized an extensive initiative to develop the community surrounding the Talegaon site. The program focused on improving the quality of education and the entire ecosystem of 29 villages with a variety of initiatives, including a mobile science laboratory, setup of libraries at public schools, the awarding of sports scholarships to pupils, and the provision of clean drinking water and solar-powered lighting at schools. The project is carried out by the Deepak Foundation.
Establishment of the Schaeffler Foundation
On the occasion of the Schaeffler Group’s 75th anniversary, Schaeffler AG and IHO Holding established the Schaeffler Foundation in an effort to underline the company’s and family shareholders’ social responsibility – and coordinate the associated activities. The Schaeffler Foundation will initially receive an endowment of EUR 3 million, which will be increased annually with additional contributions. Existing activities such as the Schaeffler FAG Foundation will also be incorporated. The Foundation will be globally active and focus on three areas in particular: 1. Climate and environmental protection, 2. Research and science, and 3. Education, qualification, and equal opportunity.