ZEISS Corporate governance

In its day-to-day operations, ZEISS pursues aims and values that were set out by the founder of the Carl Zeiss Foundation. These include profitable growth, responsibilities toward employees, social and community engagement, and the promotion of science and education. The logical consequence of this approach is that sustainability must be firmly incorporated into corporate management. This includes the central Sustainability Department and its integration into the organizational structures, as well as a culture of compliance that is truly lived out.

At ZEISS, responsibility for sustainability ultimately lies with the Executive Board of Carl Zeiss AG. Its strategic and operational implementation is the responsibility of the Head of Sustainability, who regularly reports to the CEO and is a member of the Corporate Strategic Development management team.

Together with the Sustainability team, the Head of Sustainability is in charge of the ZEISS Group's central and cross-divisional sustainability program. As a supplement to the central Sustainability team, officers were appointed to look after sustainability management at each segment and at the Shared Production Unit. The sustainability officers at the units regularly meet with the Head of Sustainability to report on progress at the units and on ongoing initiatives.

The central team collaborates with internal process owners - for example, from the Environment and Energy Management, Supply Chain Management, and Compliance departments - to embed sustainability issues throughout the ZEISS Group.