Sustainability –
An Obligation and Mandate
for a Global Future 

“We must rise higher to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals – and stay true to our promise of a world of peace, dignity and prosperity on a healthy planet.” These were the clear words found by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, when he addressed the conference of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on the subject of Operational Activities for Development in New York in May 2022. And this was no wonder considering the increasingly visible impact of climate change seen in many parts of the world in 2022. Sustainable action at all levels is therefore more urgent than ever before.

But what is sustainability? The concept of sustainable development was first formulated in 1987 by the “World Commission on Environment and Development,” established by the United Nations in 1983 and also known as the Brundtland Commission after its chairman Gro Harlem Brundtland. According to the definition in its report “Our Common Future,” also referred to as the Brundtland Report, development is sustainable if it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The report goes on to say that the goals of economic and social development must be defined in terms of sustainability, in all countries – developed or developing, market-oriented, or centrally planned.

In all its service areas, regions and countries in which the expert organization operates, DEKRA has been pursuing strict sustainability targets for many years, thus acting as a global partner for a safe, secure and sustainable world. With its portfolio of consulting, testing, certification, and audit services in the focus areas of sustainability, vehicles and mobility of the future, information and cyber security, artificial intelligence and data analysis, and remote services, DEKRA is making a significant contribution to sustainable development in business and industry, the environment, and society in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, the company is addressing the resulting challenges on a daily basis, especially those arising from the digital transformation. 

DEKRA’s specific internal sustainability measures and activities to implement the sustainability strategy include programs to improve energy efficiency in buildings, the transition to renewable energy sources, the promotion of paperless processes and the use of recycled paper, the reduction of travel and vehicle fleet emissions, the encouragement of virtual meetings, employee surveys, and the promotion of diversity and inclusion. They also encompass external ratings, stakeholder participation, and supplier sustainability commitments and reviews. Our approach is holistic in many respects. None of the individual measures which are built on each other and are closely interwoven. The concepts are also holistic because, in line with the top-down approach practiced by DEKRA, the board of directors, and all the company’s managers and employees are involved equally in each measure. This is the only way to efficiently and successfully implement a sustainability strategy that is accepted as an ongoing process.

It goes without saying that DEKRA will continue to follow this course consistently. In this Sustainability Magazine, our pathway to holistic sustainability in our business practices is described in detail. Our success in drawing closer to our targets in the past two years is an affirmation that we are on the right track and, at the same time, an unequivocal mandate for a global future.