Sustainability Strategy

Truly caring for people, planet and society and taking responsibility for our own actions is deeply rooted in the corporate values of the edding Group – pioneering spirit, empowerment, authenticity and truly caring.

Ever since the first edding permanent marker was launched in 1960, we have been pioneers on purpose and sustainability has consistently formed an integral part of our organizational culture. Today, sustainability stands as the cornerstone of our profit-for company strategy, enthusiastically embraced by all the brands under the edding Group.

Our strategic direction derives its inspiration from our overarching purpose: "We care so that you dare to be who you are." We envision a world where every individual can leave their mark and effect positive change. In all our endeavours, we aspire to make a meaningful and sustainable contribution to ensuring that everyone can freely express themselves in diverse ways.

Sustainability occupies the central position in our vision of the future. We pledge our dedication to creating enhanced value for our stakeholders, conducting our business in a responsible manner, and continually amplifying our positive impact on people and the planet. Our raison d'être has evolved beyond profit generation for its own sake; now, it encompasses profit generation for the betterment of our collective future. In essence, we term this paradigm shift "profit for."

PROFIT FOR A BETTER FUTURE

“As a responsible and forward-thinking family business, we have always embraced the mantle of accountability not just for our own future but for generations yet to come. We are acutely aware of the far-reaching impact of our actions today on the world of tomorrow. We strongly believe that the role of companies is undergoing a transformation – only those who really take responsibility for our planet and the well-being of people will have a future and only a changed economy can help ensuring a future for our planet.

Our goal is to be a pioneer on purpose, a role model that shows that businesses can drive positive change. That's why we have decided to radically change our business model, one we term 'profit for'. In this model, the pursuit of profit is not an end in itself but the necessary means to doing good."
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Per Ledermann, CEO of the edding Group

Acting sustainably in all areas

As of now, profit is our power to create impact and actively contribute to the transformation to a sustainable economy and society. Our holistic approach places economic, ecological and social aspects in balance.

By acting in an economically, environmentally, and socially responsible manner, we want to safeguard the freedom of self-expression and protect the planet for future generations.
 

Social impact

In our view there is nothing more beautiful than a colourful group of people where everyone is being treated equally, feels empowered to speak up and diversity is being embraced. Our goal is to make an impact on people daring to be who they are by protecting and promoting the freedom of self-expression. Our actions in this impact area are aligned with the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s):

Environmental impact

We consider protection and preservation of nature in all our entrepreneurial thoughts and actions. For us, this means that we will focus even more on combining the best performance with the highest sustainability. As a result, we commit ourselves to immensely increasing our positive impact on the environment and started with the accounting of our own CO2e emissions. Based on these insights, we have now set ourselves the goal to reduce our CO2e emissions by at least 3.000 tons by 2026. Our actions in this impact area are aligned with the following SDG’s:

Internal impact

We believe that the key to creating impact starts with us. That's why we ensure that every employee within the edding Group can use their competences to the fullest and receive help if needed to be the best version of themselves. We offer our employees an attractive and healthy work environment, actively support diversity & inclusion within the organisation and provide life-long learning opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and emergency assistance.

Economic impact

Making a profit is essential for promoting positive change for both people and the planet. Only as a profitable business, we have the resources and influence to invest in sustainable practices, innovation, and social initiatives. These profits enable us to fund projects that address environmental concerns, support social projects and develop new technologies that advance global well-being. By prioritizing profit with a purpose, we are determined to drive meaningful change and create a brighter future.

We firmly believe in the shift from a competition mindset to a cooperation mindset and are actively looking for partners working towards our common goals thereby maximising benefit for everyone along the value chain.

Explore our stories

edding EcoLine markers

Made from renewable resources and recycled materials

edding return box

Simply collect & return your empty markers

Refill ink

Fill it up again and again and again!

Our engagement

The edding Group officially joined the UN Global Compact in May 2022.

Based on 10 universal principles on fair labour conditions and the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Global Compact pursues the vision of an inclusive and sustainable economy for the benefit of all people, communities and markets, today and in the future.

The centrepiece of this initiative is a document. It is the Charter of Diversity in the literal sense and a self-commitment of the signatories to promote diversity and appreciation in the world of work. The edding Group signed the Charter of Diversity, because we embrace diversity and find it important that everyone feels welcome and valued - regardless of age, ethnic origin and nationality, gender and gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion and world view, sexual orientation and social background.


Together with the :do foundation, founded by one of our company founders Carl-Wilhelm Edding, we are aiming to support the rights and refugees and immigrants. We especially care about this topic, because migration in many cases has its cause in reduced rights to be who you are. But also after reaching the migration destination, the freedom of self-expression is often reduced due to legal and other barriers such as language and/or cultural barriers or reduced rights.

Wherever possible, we, as an employer, establish the necessary prerequisites to achieve the best possible work-life balance. For example, we are a founding member of a charity and the associated charitable GmbH “Beruf und Familie im Hansebelt” offering various services that make it easier to combine work and family. Our employees in the Hansebelt area are therefore able to benefit from free emergency childcare at home or in the office as well as childcare cover in special situations.

We joined this ecosystem for family businesses in 2021. Maschinenraum brings together the most courageous, forward-thinking German-speaking companies with more than 450,000 employees to connect and share experiences, knowledge, resources and capabilities. In this ecosystem, we support each other in all core areas of transformation, discuss common challenges and share best practices to learn, grow, and shape the future together.

Let's talk

Do you have a question about sustainability within the edding Group? Simply send us an e-mail.