Sustainable business practices

Corporate Social Responsibility

Materna takes sustainability issues into account and is gradually building on them through measures and internal processes.

Materna – a member of the UN Global Compact Network

Since 2021, Materna has been a participant in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) network. The UNGC is a voluntary initiative based on ten principles relating to the prevention of corruption, good working conditions, environmental protection and respect for human rights. We also take part annually in the rating process organised by the sustainability assessment platform EcoVadis, as recognised by the medal shown on the left. Further details and information on the methodology can be viewed here.

Employees

As an employer, we place great importance on family-friendly practices, diversity and flexible working arrangements. Fostering our employees’ talents and potential, enabling personal growth and development, and actively involving employees in matters relating to our corporate culture are key aspects of our organisation. An overview of all the benefits and opportunities Materna offers its employees can be found on the ‘Working at Materna – Be part of the Story’ page, in line with our motto ‘Balance, Grow, Care, Enjoy’.

It is important to us that our workforce reflects society and our industry. Women’s empowerment is one of our key focus areas in this regard. As #TeamMaterna, we raise the profile of women, support their leadership careers and encourage them to take on greater responsibility. Measures to this end form an integral part of our People & Culture management and are backed by the entire senior management team. They are supported by a network of staff within our WoMen Community.​

Materna is also a signatory to the Diversity Charter.​

At its Dortmund and Cologne sites, Materna has held the EU ‘Certified Cycle-Friendly Employer’ silver label since 2024 and 2025 respectively. We have achieved this thanks, amongst other things, to good cycling facilities at our Dortmund office, joint company-wide initiatives, additional services and bike repair facilities!

Employee representative bodies such as the works council, the youth and trainee representatives and the representatives for people with severe disabilities work in close collaboration with management to continuously promote equality, work-life balance, diversity and inclusion.

The Materna Code of Conduct sets out the principles of working together at Materna in a way that is easy for all staff to understand. 

Our occupational health and safety management system is based on ISO 45001 and is designed to ensure consistent prevention in the field of occupational health and safety.

Environment

As an IT service provider, we believe that the greatest contribution we can make to environmental protection is to conserve resources and reduce our CO₂ emissions to a minimum. Here is an overview of some of our environmental protection initiatives:

  • Purchasing green electricity for our sites and the operation of our in-house data centre
  • Annual CO₂ accounting and the implementation of measures to reduce emissions
  • Promotion of electric company cars and charging points for electric cars and e-bikes
  • Headquarters in Dortmund with Energy Efficiency Class 40 (KfW) and an in-house photovoltaic system, used, amongst other things, to charge the electric company car fleet
  • Option for staff to use bicycles, e-bikes and cargo bikes via the JobRad scheme
  • BahnCard Business for business travellers and a discounted Deutschlandticket for all employees
  • Environmental management system based on ISO 14001

Society

As a digitalisation partner, we take responsibility for the future and for society. Through our Future Makers, Change Makers and Local Makers programmes, we promote projects that strengthen participation, enable social engagement and support local initiatives. Together with our staff, we champion causes that empower people and communities in the long term. Our initiatives range from digital education to projects close to our employees’ hearts, right through to the promotion of regional activities. In this way, we make a difference where it matters most: for local people and for a future that is worth living and self-determined.

Please feel free to contact us

Antje Krämer
Spenden und Sponsoring

Pauline Theek
Teamleiterin Managementsysteme & Nachhaltigkeit