Materna joins the UN Global Compact

In many family-run businesses, sustainability is firmly embedded in their DNA – and Materna is no exception. Thinking in terms of generations rather than quarters is crucial and has always shaped Materna’s strategy.

The UN Global Compact was originally launched in 2000 by Kofi Annan. Its aim is to mobilise businesses around the world to operate sustainably and to provide global support. Alongside Materna, this includes over 17,000 companies and organisations from more than 170 countries. The principles of the UN Global Compact relate to human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and the fight against corruption.

A key component of the UN Global Compact is the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a company, Materna wishes to make a significant contribution to the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and has therefore selected six of these goals that are particularly relevant to us.

We want to make a genuine and substantial contribution here, one that is in line with our business purpose and our values as a family-run business. Our sustainability goals have therefore been chosen so that we can bring them to life in our day-to-day work. We take into account where there are already concrete links within the company, what options we actually have, and what opportunities this presents for our further business development.

Materna has selected these six sustainability goals, or SDGs:

1. Quality Education (SDG 4): Supporting young talent in IT and continuous investment in training and further education have always been firmly embedded at Materna. This is achieved, for example, through high-quality training programmes in innovative technologies, excellent apprenticeships, specialised trainee programmes, work placements, the employment and training of working students, nationwide university partnerships, the annual Graduate Award for innovation in the public sector, our general responsibility as an employer, and long-term career prospects for all staff.
2. Gender equality (SDG 5): Diversity – or diversity in practice – is already an integral part of Materna’s culture today. Materna is proud to employ staff from a total of 44 different nations across four continents. They are a key factor in the company’s success in a globalised economy. Mixed-gender teams, equal pay for men and women, the take-up of parental leave – including by fathers – and part-time working arrangements for all genders are valuable elements of what we offer. Furthermore, Materna is a signatory to the Diversity Charter and will make its commitment to diversity even more visible in future.
3. Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8): As a family-run business, ‘thinking in terms of generations rather than quarters’ is a firm principle. Responsibility as an employer, together with the safety and appreciation of its own staff, form the foundation of the company’s culture.
4. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9): Digitalisation and innovative IT solutions for customers ranging from SMEs to large corporations have been among Materna’s core competencies for over 40 years. Materna provides reliable and robust IT architectures and sustainable processes, and implements future-proof digitalisation solutions.
5. Sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11): The implementation of digitalisation solutions for public administration is one of the company’s key pillars. Through its projects, Materna has been actively contributing for over four decades to enabling towns and local authorities to become more sustainable and more resilient in responding to crisis situations with the help of IT solutions.
6. Climate Action (SDG 13): In addition to sustainability from an economic and social perspective, Materna also views sustainable business practices in an environmental sense and is committed to its own sustainability programme. This includes reducing its own carbon footprint as well as measures and projects aimed at climate action.

Further information on the Global Compact Network Germany is available here: www.globalcompact.de/ueber-uns.