Piepenbrock introduces its new sustainability claim “For today. For tomorrow. For generations.” This reorientation replaces the slogan “Piepenbrock Goes Green”, established in 2010, which at the time served as a framework for the company’s sustainability commitment. The corporate group hereby consolidates its existing initiatives under a more precise communicative leitmotif and sharpens its public profile regarding sustainable corporate governance.
Already in the foreword of the first sustainability report, which covered the reporting year 2010, the fundamental philosophy of the family business was set out. At that time, managing partners Arnulf and Olaf Piepenbrock formulated the aspiration to take responsibility towards employees, customers, society, and the environment in the here and now, in order to create positive foundations for the future. They emphasised the necessity of forward-looking action to secure livelihoods for future generations. This intergenerational idea forms the basis of the current claim, which bundles all of the company's sustainability activities.
Further Development of the Understanding of Sustainability
Arnulf Piepenbrock explains the motivation behind the reorientation. He describes how the company's understanding of sustainability has evolved evolutionarily over the years: from an initially strong focus on environmental aspects to a comprehensive approach that integrates ecological, social, and economic responsibility. The new claim is intended to reflect the company's values, its character as a family business, and its sustainable entrepreneurial actions, serving as a guiding principle for employees and customers alike.
Olaf Piepenbrock adds that family businesses think in generations, not in quarterly cycles. This aspect should explicitly be incorporated into the new communication to clarify what the company stands for. Sustainability is thus understood not as a temporary project, but as a continuous process.
Transparency and Measurability Through Sustainability Report
The new claim correlates with the objectives of Piepenbrock's recently published 2025 sustainability report. In it, the company discloses goals, measures, and key figures, structured along the strategic fields of action “A Low-Carbon Future”, “People at the Centre”, and “Responsible Corporate Governance”. The report is based on the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). For the 2025 reporting year, the organisational scope of the key figures was specified, and the data basis for improving data quality and comparability was optimised.
Independent evaluations, such as the Platinum award in the EcoVadis rating, confirm the embedding of sustainability management within the organisation. At the same time, the report demonstrates how Piepenbrock integrates sustainability into its service offerings, for example, through the use of EU Ecolabel-certified products from its subsidiary Planol. This creates a basis for exchange with customers, employees, and partners, making both progress achieved and areas requiring action transparent.
