IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Behind the scenes
Faces and portraits
Last year, we published our Sustainability Report in a completely new structure, format and design. Launched in 2020, our Responsible Business Program (find out more in this article) served as a basis for the definition of (most) KPIs and the (following) data collection. This year, there will be an internal report focusing on data rather than design and a shortened external version. So, while we are waiting for the next report, Melissa Chavana, Camila Engel and Nicole Ochojski, who are responsible for the data collection, will give you a little glimpse behind the scenes on how the first reporting process with the new software WeSustain went last year, what they are working on right now and what you can expect to come up next.
Let’s start with a very important question: why do we even do such an extensive data collection? First of all, there is of course the growing interest in and also the need for more data: Internally, we at NKG want to monitor our sustainability strategy and our objectives. Externally, there are growing numbers of stakeholder requests and upcoming regulations. The group companies do already have lots of insightful numbers and exciting data to share – the new thing about the last report was gathering it all together in one system and establishing a database for the whole Neumann Kaffee Gruppe. So, this new database with KPIs from our group companies around the globe now enables a unique insight into where we stand as a group. This is relevant for various topics of the RBP, like for example diversity, health and safety, and environmental issues. Furthermore, with this overview, it is way easier to define focus areas for improvement, decide on specific objectives for the future and measures to reach them. We can also see, for example, where digitization still needs to be driven forward or processes can be enhanced to make work life a bit easier for all of us.
From the first data collection last year, there were many helpful learnings for the project team and everyone involved. “Finding a balance between the comparability of the data on the one hand and the individuality of our companies on the other was really a challenge,” says Nicole. “Not every company had to work on all of the KPIs, we, of course, differentiated by company type, size, etc.,” she explains. “Also, the understanding of what certain terms and KPIs mean and how they have to be filled out was an issue,” Camilla adds. The completely different contexts and environments our colleagues work in sometimes make it complicated to find common wording and understanding: “Here, we really learned a lot and are still trying to figure out how to do better,” she affirms.
“Collaborating with so many colleagues worldwide, learning from each other and getting to know the companies and their processes in more depth was the most interesting part of the data collection.”
“Change requires time and knowledge – with the data collection, we now have a great place to start our efforts.”
This is also valid for the processes: after talking to everyone for the first time, it becomes a lot easier to see potential where to save some time for the people in the companies and also the team collecting the data. Nicole concludes: “Overall, the data evaluation showed really exciting results, and we are very happy to now have a common status quo that we can use as our benchmark at NKG. And the companies can also benefit from the outcome – they now have data which they can use for their own communication purposes and the implementation of more targeted measures to reach their goals in the future.”
After the publication of the data, the team went through the results with each of the group companies and introduced them to their findings. One example for potential improvement is the focus area “Planet”: “Many companies already work on their environmental performance and have, for example, committed to specific measures like solar panels even before we talked to them to present the numbers,” says Melissa, “we now have the opportunity to measure this improvement and can track the development of the companies and the whole group.” A huge achievement based on the collected data was the calculation of our first groupwide Corporate Carbon Footprint. The footprint will serve as an important baseline for NKG’s future reduction targets. Right now, there is something else exciting coming up: NKG’s first water footprint! There already was a small section on water usage in the last report, but the approach this time is way more detailed. “Given the global water stress in different regions, calculating NKG’s water footprint will enable us to pinpoint areas of high water consumption and inefficient water management. This valuable insight will guide us in implementing targeted efforts for water conservation and efficiency improvements within our operations,” explains Melissa and adds: “By understanding our water footprint, we can proactively address water-related challenges and contribute to sustainable water management practices.”
NKG’s water footprint quantifies the water consumed in various activities associated with the production of goods and services, such as irrigation in coffee production, washing coffee beans in the mill, steam generation for coffee processing, and office consumption.
“By collecting relevant information and mapping our direct water consumption in 2022, our objective is to identify the hidden water resources required to support our daily business operations.”
It is quite easy to write about synergies, group feelings and close relationships – to really live this group identity and strengthen a feeling of belonging and connection is something incredibly more difficult. We at NG Comms are aware of this discrepancy between talking and writing about something and actually living it. Thus, communicating with all of you is one of our top priorities, especially through publications like our Connected.
In this issue, please join us in congratulating Alexandre Ferraz for his outstanding commitment to fairness, respect and team spirit in all parts of his life. Alexandre has been with NKG since 2008, when he joined the team at NKG Stockler, and took a big step in 2021 by relocating to Hamburg and joining the team at Bernhard Rothfos as a Senior Trader. He is celebrated by colleagues from all over the group!
NKG’s greatest strengths are the diversity of our businesses, our teams and our people. But what is it that makes each team work so well? What motivates them, what are their strengths and what are their challenges? To find out, we asked three colleagues from three very different working environments. Our Three by Three questions are answered this time by NKG colleagues from a farm, an exporting and an importing company.
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