The “pioneers of transformation” have been determined: in a festive ceremony, the German Sustainability Award Foundation presented awards to companies that have won the German Sustainability Award 2024 for their exemplary commitment. In the “Energy, Water and Sanitary Technology” category, the sustainable commitment of the Hansgrohe Group was honored. The manufacturer and supplier of premium products for bathrooms and kitchens, based in Southern Germany, was voted top by a jury of experts: “In its industry, the Hansgrohe Group stands for sustainable innovation in production and processes,” the jury explains. “A large number of improvements are implemented systematically and with commitment. For example, the products save water without changing the showering experience. Saving water means protecting the climate. With products that are durable, repairable, recyclable, and sustainably packaged, Hansgrohe is committed to transformation.”
Taking Responsibility for People and the Environment
Around 1,200 guests attended the award ceremony at the Maritim Hotel in Düsseldorf, including the CEOs and sustainability managers of the award-winning companies, prominent laudators, guests of honor from business and civil society, as well as around 100 media representatives. Hans Jürgen Kalmbach, Chairman of the Executive Board of Hansgrohe SE, accepted the coveted trophy. “It means a great deal to our company and to me personally that the Hansgrohe Group has been recognized as a pioneer in our industry for its sustainable thinking and actions. I am very pleased, as are all of our employees around the world, with this achievement,” says Hans Jürgen Kalmbach. “It makes it clear that acting prudently in every respect is fundamental to the healthy economic development of companies, not at the expense of people and the environment, but for their benefit. In fact, sustainability has been an integral part of our corporate strategy and the basis of our innovations for decades.”
Tireless Commitment to a Sustainable Future
Long before “sustainability” was on everyone’s lips, the global player from the Black Forest had already made sustainable corporate management a maxim. Klaus Grohe, son of company founder Hans Grohe, laid the foundation for this. Hansgrohe has been stringently pursuing the path of green transformation since 1987. In that year, Klaus Grohe launched the Mistral Eco, a hand-held shower that saved 50 percent water. Since then, the company has achieved milestone after milestone: with water- and energy-saving products that also help to reduce CO2 emissions. “The aim of our sustainability strategy is to conserve all those resources within our sphere of influence that are becoming increasingly scarce on earth or whose consumption is fueling global warming,” explains the CEO. The commitment of the Hansgrohe Group to sustainability takes concrete form in the areas of action “Conserving water cycles”, “Protecting the climate” and “Becoming part of the circular economy”. A team of sustainability experts from the company has defined ten initiatives with specific objectives and projects that contribute to the three areas of action mentioned. These include the initiatives green production, green packaging, green products and social commitment. Further information on the sustainability strategy of the Hansgrohe Group can be found at www.hansgrohe-group.com. This is also where the supplier of showers, shower systems, bathroom and kitchen fittings, kitchen sinks, sanitary ceramics and bathroom furniture publishes its latest sustainability report.
About the German Sustainability Award
According to its own information, the German Sustainability Award is Europe’s largest award for ecological and social commitment. “The winners are pioneers of change. As good examples and role models, they show how ecological and social progress can be achieved more quickly,” says Stefan Schulze-Hausmann, Chairman of the Board of the German Sustainability Award Foundation e.V. “The award aims to encourage companies to act sustainably and help to better anchor the principles of sustainable development in public perception.”
For the first time in the history of the renowned competition, the prize was awarded in 100 sectors. Expert juries selected the finalists and winners in a nomination and decision-making round. 150 independent experts assessed companies on the basis of applications and comprehensive AI-supported research into publicly available sustainability data. The juries were looking for pioneers of a genuine transformation towards sustainability in the fields of climate, resources, nature, value chain and society. In line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and the German government’s sustainability strategy for sustainable development, innovations and transferable solutions are most urgently needed in these areas. Partners of the competition include the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). Further information on the German Sustainability Award can be found at www.nachhaltigkeitspreis.de/en/.
About the Hansgrohe Group – Setting the Beat of Water. Since 1901.
With its brands AXOR and hansgrohe, the Hansgrohe Group, based in Schiltach/Southern Germany, enjoys a reputation as a leader in innovation, design and quality within the bath and kitchen industry. Founded in 1901 in the Black Forest, the company gives water form and function with its faucets, showerheads and shower systems. The 120-year history of the company is marked by innovations, such as the first hand-held shower with multiple spray types, the first pull-out kitchen faucet, and the first wall bar to hold a hand-held shower.The company holds more than 18,500 active property rights. The Hansgrohe Group stands for long-lasting quality products and for responsibility towards people and the environment. Sustainable production of resource-conserving products is central to the company’s business activities around the globe. With 34 subsidiaries and 20 sales offices supplying products in 152 countries, the globally active company in the sanitary industry is a reliable partner to its customers in all regions of the world. The Hansgrohe Group, its brands and products have won numerous awards, including more than 700 design prizes since 1974. The products of the Hansgrohe Group are found worldwide: on renowned cruise ships, in luxurious 5-star and boutique hotels, in international metropolitan cities, in extraordinary spas, exclusive bathrooms of lodges and luxury villas, public facilities, as well as in countless private homes. The Group’s high quality standards are ensured by seven wholly-owned production facilities: four in Germany, one each in France, the United States and China. In 2021, the Hansgrohe Group generated a turnover of EUR 1.365 billion. It employs around 5,400 people worldwide, about 60 percent of whom work in Germany.
