How can a company stay successful for over 125 years? By remaining true to its core principles. Technological competence, an international mindset, an enthusiasm for research, the urge to innovate, a strong customer orientation, and complete dependability have always formed the pillars of commercial activity at Linde. Weighing ethical factors in our entrepreneurial decisions and practicing honesty in our business activities: these have been fixtures of our corporate culture since the day the company was established. Building on this tradition enables us to master the challenges of today and design new solutions for tomorrow. Our vision of LeadIng crystallizes our goal of being an exemplary and preeminent technology enterprise in every respect. Our actions and behavior are rooted in our core principles of future competence, dedication and responsibility – throughout the organization, in every corner of the globe.
It was from this platform that we began, in 2004, to integrate corporate responsibility into our management activities with even greater emphasis. For to sustain competitiveness on a long-term basis, companies need to look beyond economic success: they must act responsibly and remain open to dialog. The first Corporate Responsibility Report produced by Linde AG demonstrates how we have woven this issue strategically into the very fabric of our organization. This is necessary if we are to achieve continuous improvements in each of the four focuses we have defined: the environment, our human resources, society and the capital market. Our Corporate Responsibility Roadmap lays out the timetable we have set ourselves for attaining these goals.
The Corporate Responsibility Policy of Linde AG, a declaration voluntarily issued by the Executive Board, stipulates the mandatory Group-wide guidelines that we are determined to implement, and be judged by, in the future. These guideline document the commitment we have undertaken to act responsibly towards our stakeholders, i.e. towards our customers, shareholders, business partners, employees, society – and, not least, the environment.
In order to preserve a high standard of living and a healthy environment for generations to come, we have geared our R&D activities towards melding sustainability with customer benefit in our products and technologies. The vocational programs and comprehensive training opportunities we offer our employees represent a key element in our sustainable corporate strategy. These programs illustrate our contribution to enhancing their professional prospects and potential. After all, our employees are the ones whose ideas, creativity and dedication will drive our innovation and therefore play a pivotal role in keeping our customers satisfied.
Through their everyday work, these people are the most important multipliers and propagators of our corporate responsibility. For only if each and every one of them embodies high standards of integrity, displays respect in their behavior toward others, and embraces accountability in all of their actions, can we truly hope to be lead by example. For this reason we expect our entire workforce to recognize the Code of Conduct approved by the Executive Board in 2005 as binding for their behavior.
Carl von Linde succeeded in building bridges between the worlds of science and commerce. The company founder both preached and practiced the importance of improving society and taking responsibility for one’s own actions. We vigorously uphold this legacy by promoting education and learning as part of our commitment to society. The Carl von Linde Academy – which we established at Munich’s Technical University in 2004 – is but one example. Specifically keyed to cultural issues, the courses are designed to give students of engineering and the sciences the skills that will help them develop their careers in the global marketplace. In this report you will find further examples of how we are forging our company’s future, contributing to technological innovation worldwide, and hence energizing economies both in Germany and beyond. With the launch of regular reports on our corporate responsibility activities, we are simultaneously increasing the company’s transparency. The Corporate Responsibility Report augments our annual report by providing detailed environmental and personnel data, thereby creating a comprehensive repository of information that will help us benchmark our goals and activities in the future.
In our conviction, a sound commercial performance is not the only yardstick for corporate success. At Linde, corporate success means more: it is inextricably bound up with the concept of corporate responsibility. This added dimension derives from a commitment to the company’s historical roots and a loyalty to central tenets we uphold today as proven values.
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle
President and CEO
Linde AG