Dr. Christian Haessler, Head of Global Sustainability of Covestro, shared his observations in sustainability and CSR during his keynote at the CommonWealth 2019 International CSR Forum today. Dr. Haessler will also be speaking at a sustainability luncheon co-hosted by European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan (ECCT) and The American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham) tomorrow. During his visit in Taiwan, he will also be addressing hundreds of senior students to encourage them to think and live more sustainably.
Covestro is a LEAD company of the United Nations Global Compact, as well as a nominee in the finals for the 2019 German President’s Award (German Future Prize) with the technology for using CO2 exhaust gas in plastics production to save crude oil .
Shaping our future cities with sustainability
According to United Nations, by 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. As a result, migration to urban areas is expected to have a strong impact on housing costs, energy consumption, transportation and other issues that we are tackling through the UN SDGs. As a leading producer of high-tech polymers, Covestro is committed to finding innovative material solutions to advance the livability of our cities, including urban infrastructure, efficient construction, sustainable power supply as well as the future of mobility.
Cultivating youth with global education programs
Youth have an important role in society today and tomorrow. Covestro has developed programs at global and regional levels for young people across all age groups. Since 2017, it has partnered with the United Nations for its “Young Champions of the Earth” competition, aimed at young people aged between 18 and 30 with a big idea for the world’s future.
The company also reaches thousands of children worldwide every year to teach science and sustainable development topics to future generations and drive climate action by educating kids. Its CSR activities in Taiwan include STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) programs with diversity and inclusion elements for hearing-impaired students and grandparents and grandchildren across Taiwan. It also partners with National Parks and Museums for its environmental protection program and has reached more than 34,000 children within 3 years.
“It is an honor to be invited by CommonWealth magazine, ECCT and AmCham to Taiwan,” said Dr. Christian Haessler, Head of Global Sustainability, Covestro. “Under the guidance of the UN SDGs, industries, academies and governments can tackle global challenges and make the world a brighter place together.”
“We are delighted to have Dr. Haessler as our guest to share Covestro’s CSR initiatives here with us in Taiwan,” said Freddie Höglund, CEO of ECCT. “European companies are world leaders when it comes to implementing CSR programmes, many times resulting in changes to how business is conducted, whether it be implementing environmentally friendly policies in their own companies or implementing sustainable solutions throughout their supply chains.”
“Covestro is an excellent example of a company that’s making a big impact with its CSR initiatives. CSR is most effective when a company’s projects align with its business expertise. That’s what Covestro is doing with its inspiring work in urban sustainability and cultivating youth with much-needed science education,” said William Foreman, President of AmCham.
During Dr. Haessler’s visit in Taiwan, he will also visit Taipei European School to encourge the students to think and live sustainbly.
“We are pleased to have Dr. Christian Haessler visit our school,” said David Gatley, CEO of Taipei European School. “It is important to help students grow up with the mindset of sustainability when they are young.”
The theme of the 2019 CommonWealth International CSR Forum is “Youth Empowerment”, and Covestro Taiwan has received the Corporate Social Responsibility Awards by the Magazine since 2017 for its progressive innovation in science education activities.
About Covestro:
With 2018 sales of EUR 14.6 billion, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Its business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, and electrical and electronics industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics, health and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 16,800 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2018.
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