Social Commitment
Social engagement for a sustainable future
Our social commitment is based on our understanding that we are part of the society in which we work and produce and it reflects our aspiration to make a substantial contribution to a more sustainable and more livable world. Our core commitment lies in setting a positive example, promoting and initiating important improvements and advocating a more sustainable way of conducting business.
Donations and sponsorship activities
We are involved in selected projects in the form of donations or sponsorship.
Donation
A donation is a voluntary contribution in kind, cash payment or service for which – in contrast to sponsorship – no consideration is expected in return. It is also possible in these cases, however, that the recipient of a donation will also voluntary perform a service in return.
Sponsorship
Sponsorship is based on a partnership between the sponsor and the sponsored party. The sponsor voluntarily supports people, groups, associations or institutions with contributions in kind, cash payments or services. A service provided in return by the sponsored party is always linked to this in a sponsorship arrangement. The basis of a sponsorship arrangement is a contract in which the services and the services in return are defined in order to be able guarantee the necessary transparency and verifiability.
Our social commitment is focused on clearly defined subject areas:
- Equal opportunities and education: Investing in equal opportunities and education is not only part of our social responsibility but also essential for the continued existence of our society. Helping young people develop is therefore of utmost importance to us, which is why we support selected educational initiatives and educational institutions.
- Protection of bodies of water: We are aware that a large proportion of the waste in our waters consists of plastic and that several million new tons pollute our world’s waters every year. As a company, we want to take responsibility for this problem and promote initiatives that counteract the negative effects of our products.
- Environmental and climate protection: With our Blue Plan sustainability strategy, we at Greiner take our responsibility seriously and are adopting key measures to systematically reduce our environmental footprint. At the same time, we want to serve as a role model for others and make further contributions by supporting projects run by external partners in the area of environmental and climate protection.
- Diversity & inclusion: Because strong social cohesion depends largely on diversity and equal opportunities, we support projects that result in lasting and tangible positive change and promote the future viability of society.
We support selected projects that fit the above-mentioned priorities and meet clearly defined criteria.
Transparency
Donations and sponsorships are granted exclusively to projects and events that are organized by natural persons, legal entities and associations and that are transparent. The sponsorship and the donation must be clearly and verifiably used for the intended purpose. It is essential that the sponsorship itself and the consideration agreed beforehand are documented.
Independence
Support is provided exclusively to organizations that are independent. The independence of the organizations from outside influence is another requirement for our undertaking to provide donations and sponsorship. Greiner AG remains independent and neutral both in the selection of its cooperation partners and in the nature of the support.
Sustainability
Only activities and projects that have a sustainable impact on society and the environment and that are characterized by action that preserves resources are supported. Greiner stands for sustainable actions in its environment across all of our divisions and sites. We therefore support requests that have a sustainable character, i.e. that also create long-term added value and contribute to the environmental and social benefit of society.
- Political parties and their supporting organizations (e.g. foundations / political academies)
- Public officials
- Alternative religious movements and organizations
- Projects that are associated with high risks (e.g. pose a threat to people, animals, the environment)
- Projects where the use of funds is not transparent or not clear
- Organizations and projects that are in conflict with the values and principles (Compliance Policies) of Greiner AG
- Individual athletes
- School events, such as graduation parties or balls
- Private events
- Commercial projects
Request process for donations and sponsorships
In the interests of equal treatment and transparency, the award criteria are set out in these guidelines. Support for selected projects is independent and voluntary. Whether a donation or sponsorship is made is decided by those responsible at Greiner AG on a case-by-case basis.
Requests for donations and sponsorship can be made only in writing using our form and must be received at least eight weeks before the scheduled date.
In the interests of equal treatment and transparency, the award criteria are listed in a company-specific guideline. Selected projects are supported independently and voluntarily. Whether a donation or sponsorship is approved depends on tax regulations and is decided by an internal company committee.
Each request is answered within eight weeks and documented accordingly. Recipients have no legal claim to receive sponsorship or a donation. Furthermore, once a donation or sponsorship has been made, there is no entitlement to a repeated or extended sponsorship.
A written contract or agreement based on the sample contract provided by Greiner shall be concluded for each form of support.
The conditions set out in the contract are fulfilled by Greiner. The sponsorship or donation recipient has no further claims against Greiner.
Strategic partnerships
The member states of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. The underlying vision was an economic, social and environmental transformation of the world. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are also the benchmark for us when it comes to social commitment. For this reason, we have established a development partnership in each of our divisions to help achieve the UN goals. In addition to our global partnerships, we support national and regional initiatives in the areas of sustainability, education and diversity where we can forge a connection to our core business.
As a packaging company, Greiner Packaging is aware of its responsibility to nature and society and is resolutely committed to actively reducing marine pollution caused by plastic waste, one of the most pressing ecological challenges of our time. For this reason, the division has been cooperating since 2019 with the social enterprise Plastic Bank, which is dedicated to this fight. The ambitious goal of Plastic Bank is to collect plastic waste in coastal regions, thereby keeping it out of the oceans. Sustainable, inclusive. and circular recycling communities are being created in many developing countries.
As a medical technology company, Greiner Bio-One supports organizations that are committed to human health. Since 2021, this has included the association Geben für Leben. The association looks for stem cell donors throughout Austria for people suffering from leukemia or other life-threatening blood diseases. Through the stem cell typing campaign, life-saving donors can be matched with people suffering from leukemia or other life-threatening diseases for the purposes of treatment.
NEVEON and Viva con Agua are united by the desire to overcome global challenges through sustainable solutions. Since May 2021, NEVEON has been supporting selected projects of this non-profit association and international network, which campaigns for clean drinking water and basic sanitation worldwide. The aim is to improve people’s lives and bring about lasting change.
We are a founding member of the MINTality Foundation to support strategic initiatives that promote women in technical professions/studies. The aim is to awaken interest in educational paths and careers in STEM subjects (“MINT” in German), i.e. mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, engineering and technology, in a practical way and without posing any barriers to entry. This is aimed firstly at countering the shortage of specialist staff and secondly at improving women’s earnings prospects.
We have been a partner of Teach For Austria since the 2016/2017 school year and have actively supported the expansion of the program to Upper Austria. The main aim of this education initiative is to promote the potential of children from low-income families. The Fellow Program therefore brings selected career changers to kindergartens, secondary schools and polytechnic schools with special needs in the area of social pedagogy. We are also regularly involved as a guest fellow at Teach For Austria.
We have been a partner of the Jane Goodall Institute Austria since 2022 and also support the youth network Roots & Shoots. The stated goal of Roots & Shoots is to motivate and support young people to determine their own future and play an active role in world affairs.
We have been a proud leading partner of LASK Frauen since 2021 in our efforts to increase the visibility of women’s soccer in Austria and set an example for equal rights in sports. With this sponsorship, we are making a contribution to giving the up-and-coming LASK women’s team a proper stage and supporting equal opportunities in top-class sport.