Krauthammer aims to act in a socially responsible manner at all times. Together with a CSR* implementation team, we have developed a CSR company policy focusing on:

• Greener and more efficient usage of our resources
• The nurturing of our ethical framework (e.g. our corporate values)
• Partnership with Ashoka
• The generation of CSR individual initiatives

Krauthammer has created a set of 6 values and 14 principles to promote the wellbeing and wealth of our stakeholders: employees, clients and shareholders. A Core Squad is appointed annually to make sure these values and principles are applied and nurtured along the year.

And we are mapping out further initiatives such as:

• Paper less(er): Our purpose is to work paperless without losing efficiency in our working procedures.
• We favour scanning, digital files, electronic document management instead of paper copies.
• A working group is implemented to orchestrate this project in all offices.
• Office rent policy: The goal is to implement CSR criteria into our office rental policy - location, isolation, energy saving capacities, etc.
• Energy saving: The objective for Krauthammer is to realise substantial 10-40% energy savings, with a system of electricity saving plugs.
• Mobility policy: We started a greener mobility policy concerning our car park and our transportation policy. Examples: leasing of green cars (145 g CO2 max/km), planning of training close to consultants‟ homes, favouring train rather than air transportation, carpooling, home working when possible, etc.
• Fair Trade purchasing: The objective is to spread best practices in CSR office and food supplies procurement to all Krauthammer offices.

Ashoka partnership

In the beginning of 2009, Krauthammer signed a partnership agreement with Ashoka to support its mission, the development and professionalism of social entrepreneurship. Ashoka selects, finances and supports innovative social entrepreneurs around the world. Under the terms of the partnership, Krauthammer delivers ongoing structural support in the form of coaching, facilitation and training to Ashoka’s Fellows and staff.
“This training brought me a lot, sincerely. It enabled me to verbalise my issues and to find solutions. I very much appreciated the concrete tools, the role plays, the interactions with the group and personal work between the sessions. And I still regularly use what I learnt,” says Florence Rizzo, who benefited from a free “Matrix management” open programme under the framework of the partnership. Like Florence Rizzo, 38 social entrepreneurs were offered individual training and coaching in 2009 and 2010. Group workshops and customised training programmes developed further the occasions for our 2 cultures to meet and develop together.

Initiatives

These include making sure that our ecological footprint is moderate when it comes to issues such as transportation, office locations and course material.
“When our training material was going to be replaced in the course of 2008, we saw a great opportunity to think about our environment too. All the material is now printed on FSC paper which stands for “Forest Stewardship Council”, a non-profit organisation devoted to encouraging the responsible management of the world’s forests. The FSC logo guarantees that the wood for the paper comes from certified well-managed forest. FSC sets high standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable way”, explains Christel De Neef, Head of Purchase and Logistics. “The FSC paper printed materials include stationery - letterheads, paper, compliment slips, business cards and our corporate brochure. Also we repeatedly check that all our materials are produced in premises where child labour is strictly forbidden. The Krauthammer supplier must abide by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), and comply with all relevant national and international laws, regulations and provisions applicable in their country of production.”

The goal is to purchase only green products and at the same time decrease costs for office supplies. Our headquarters at Brussels selects products such as Post-Its, pens, flip-chart paper, napkins and DVDs from its provider’s CSR catalogue. In April 2008, our headquarters at Brussels switched to Oxfam for food and beverage supplies.

*CSR (Corporate Societal Responsibility): engagement of organisations  in economically sustainable business activities in addition  to protecting the health of People and Planet and reconcile them with Profit.