One of the leading areas in corporate sustainability outside of measures implemented to protect the environment is diversity management in companies. This field includes a broad range of matters often corresponding with long-term social and political issues present in the public discourse. In 2021, 90 percent of companies in Germany responded to a survey stating that hiring employees from culturally diverse backgrounds was a focal point in their company structure. Other leading types of corporate sustainability action were allocated to achieving a balanced gender ratio among staff and an open approach to LGBTQ topics. In 2022, when looking at the share of women working in leadership positions across various industries in Germany, healthcare had the highest percentage, followed by trade and publishing.
As consumers may become more aware of the link between their personal sustainable consumption and positive contributions to the environment, they look for brands and companies using sustainable methods in their product manufacturing, so as to support these practices financially and otherwise not perpetuate a negative cycle. Based on 2021 results of a survey conducted annually over the last several years, almost 41 percent of consumers in Germany agreed or mostly agreed that it was important to them to buy products from a label acting socially and ecologically responsible.
