VAUDE is Germany’s most sustainable brand

Antje von Dewitz at the award cermony

On November 27, 2015 VAUDE received the highest honors at the prestigious German Sustainability Award and is elated with being named "Germany's Most Sustainable Brand."

With a radiating smile, Dr. Antje von Dewitz, VAUDE CEO, accepted the award from the hands of former ski jumping world champion Sven Hannawald. In addition to Queen Silvia of Sweden, numerous prominent guests representing a broad range of business and politics were present at the award ceremony in Düsseldorf. The German Sustainability Award, which ranks among the most prestigious awards of its kind in Europe, is awarded by the German Sustainability Award Foundation e.V. in cooperation with the federal government under the patronage of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

At the German Sustainability Award 2015, VAUDE has won 1^st place in the category "Germany's Most Sustainable Brand". VAUDE's years of consistently pursuing a sustainable corporate philosophy and passionately incorporating into all business segments has been honored at the highest level. "This is a wonderful recognition and at the same time, an incentive for us. As a strong outdoor brand, we want to continue promoting harmony between people and nature for business enterprises." said Antje von Dewitz, VAUDE CEO.
The jury, made up of renowned experts from business, politics, research and civil society praised both the consistent pursuit of sustainability as well as the continuous development. "At all levels of value creation, sustainability is placed in the foreground. VAUDE sets standards for sustainable products with programs such as the Green Shape label or its Fair Wear Foundation "Leader status" for fair working conditions. [...] Despite the small size of the company, the VAUDE brand is a strong, successful and trusted brand among all of its stakeholders." reported the jury's verdict.  

Successful sustainability brand positioning
For years, VAUDE has pursued a consistent sustainability approach, which is implemented and lived out in all divisions, proving that socially and environmentally responsible business practices can also be economically successful. "We are positioning ourselves clearly and comprehensively as a sustainable brand. We implement this everywhere, in product development as well as in logistics and human resources. The expense that this involves is enormous. But we are convinced that it makes sense and is worthwhile in the long term. The results can already be seen: public perception of our commitment is growing dramatically and the VAUDE brand stands for these values," said Antje von Dewitz, VAUDE CEO. This has been confirmed by numerous surveys and market research results in which VAUDE regularly takes first place when it comes to credibility, sustainability and ecology. Last but not least, the fact that sustainability can also be an economic success factor is confirmed by the company's sales performance, which has been above the industry average for years.

The German Sustainability Award
This award is an initiative of the Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis e.V. in cooperation with the federal government, municipal associations, business associations, civil society organizations and research institutions. Juries, renowned experts from business, politics, research and civil society - among others with Prof. Dr. Günther Bachmann, Prof. Dr. Stefan Schaltegger (Leuphana University), Transparency International Chairman Prof. Dr. Edda Müller and Prof. Dr. Dr. Axel Zweck, Director Future Technologies Consulting of the VDI technology Centre - select the winner. The German Sustainability Award is granted in eight categories. The aim of the award is to promote sustainable development in Germany and to help better anchor the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility in the public perception. The award is intended to show that sustainable action not only helps to solve social and environmental problems on a global or local scale, but can also increase profitability and competitiveness.

More information on the German Sustainability Award: www.nachhaltigkeitspreis.de

VAUDE Sustainability Report:

http://nachhaltigkeitsbericht.vaude.com/gri/index.php