Tradition is a core value in a company such as ours that goes back a hundred years. Among the traditions of the WACKER Group has always been a sure instinct for issues that will be important in the future. Sustainability first hit the international headlines at the 1992 World Conference for Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The conference created a United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development which has subsequently carried out its mandate laying down global goals, promoting dialogue, and, since 2002, overseeing international, regional and local compliance with the Johannesburg “Plan of Implementation.” Sustainability has been a priority at WACKER ever since the publication of its first Environmental Report in 1989. The report gives its readership regular updates on the company's performance in regard to environmental protection, occupational health and safety, and transport. Globalization leads to increased international competition, bringing social and ecological problems in its wake. It was for this reason that WACKER signed up to the chemical industry’s Responsible Care® program, which commits the participating globally active companies to “sustainable” business processes. A commitment which WACKER has supported from the outset.

The Responsible Care ^® program serves as a global role model. Companies participating in this program seek continuous improvement in occupational safety and in environmental and health protection, independently of statutory legislation. These companies have volunteered to follow the basic principles and directives of their national associations and to provide regular updates. The program exemplifies how industry can take on responsibility for itself. One example of the collaboration between the state and industry is the Bavarian Environmental Pact, of which WACKER is a member.