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Economic sustainability

AEB’s economic sustainability measures are focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals 8, 16, and 17. Sustainable growth, regulatory compliance, and sustainability partnerships are front and center here.

Sustainable growth

Growth at AEB means only accepting success we can afford. We take growth literally. It takes time. It happens organically. And we are willing to forgo short-term profit if it makes us stronger in the long term. We also look closely at the security and attractiveness of our employees’ jobs. The following are some of the actions that have helped fuel our sustainable growth:

We manage AEB as an employee-owned company, allowing us to pursue long-term goals without the influence of markets or investors focused on short-term profits
We practice a corporate culture that aligns with a strategy of sustainable growth
We maintain a trusting and constructive partnership between management and employee representatives
We have established a Company Council responsible for designing the modalities of work and working life and developing corporate principles and values

Regulatory compliance

We hold ourselves as a company, our employees, and our business partners to the same standard of legal compliance and adherence to the principles of environmental, social, and ethical conduct. A sampling of some of our compliance initiatives:

Introduced a whistleblower system
Instituted a company-wide Code of Conduct that instructs how we work at AEB and how we interact with our external partners
Established a comprehensive purchasing policy to reflect our commitment to compliance and sustainability

Our Global Trade Compliance and Customs Management software products also contribute to this goal by making it easier for our customers to comply with the laws and regulations governing global trade.

Reaching goals through partnerships

AEB has been active in recent years building networks, finding common cause, leveraging synergies, and advancing issues of sustainability through its many partnerships. Some examples:

Resource sharing: AEB is partnering with local companies to reduce consumption and share resources such as our in-house “Kantino” cafeteria.
Food Policy Council – CityRegion Stuttgart: The Council is committed to creating a platform for regionally produced food in Stuttgart and the surrounding area, including fair conditions for producers, businesses, and consumers.
Partnership with Gryn: We’ve joined forces with this startup to market software that helps companies measure and reduce their carbon footprint in transport logistics.

A look at some of our programs and initiatives

Waste not weeks
Under the motto waste-not-weeks, we organized a "circular month" with various formats and campaigns to conserve natural resources, reduce waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Vocational training in Uganda
Only 5% of those who graduate from public school in Uganda go on to a university, and only 15% attend a vocational school. So it’s not surprising that experts estimate youth unemployment to be around 80%. We’ve partnered with Adept to provide financial support and share technological expertise with St. Bruno Secondary School in Masaka’s heavily impoverished northern district of Ssaza.
Vehicle fleet
We’ve had a company car policy for over ten years designed to reduce emissions from our vehicle fleet. Our company headquarters and AEB offices offer free electric and hybrid vehicle charging. We even add our own self-generated solar electricity to the energy mix used to charge the cars.
Sustainable cuisine
More creativity, less meat – and where we do use meat, we source it directly from the farm. AEB’s on-site “Kantino” cafeteria in Stuttgart also buys locally and has policies in place to ensure that as little food as possible is thrown away.
Suppliers and partners
Sustainability is a key criterion in the selection of partners and suppliers and in our procurement processes.
Public transit and bikes for lease
We subsidize the use of public transit for the sustainable mobility of our workforce. We also give employees the option to lease bicycles under the “JobRad” program.
More moor
AEB’s support for the Pfrunger-Burgweiler Ried nature reserve has helped restore an additional 15 hectares of moorland and sequester significant amounts of CO2.
Local sharing economy
AEB’s Stuttgart HQ is part of a growing hyperlocal community of companies with a big potential for sharing and collaboration. The first step has been to open up AEB’s “Kantino” to allow employees of neighboring businesses to take away meals from the cafeteria’s delicious and varied menu.
Educational equity with KinderHelden
The nonprofit “KinderHelden” offers mentoring to children that have had a difficult start in life, and we support them through volunteering and financial assistance.
AEB Inclusive Language Guideline
An interdisciplinary working group has been partnering with an external consultant to develop a “Guide to Inclusive and Gender-Neutral Language” for AEB. The guide for external communications in German is complete, and the English version is in progress.
New Stiftung project “I will survive”
The “I will survive” project from EYD Social, a manufacturer of humanitarian fashion, supports young women in India who have survived human trafficking and exploitation, offering a broad program of support and education to give them a realistic chance of shaping an independent future for themselves. The AEB-Stiftung has initially pledged to support the “I will survive” project for three years.
Green dreams
AEB ranks hotels based on eco-friendliness and always refers employees traveling for business to the greenest option available.
100% green energy
All our offices in Germany use green energy from regenerative sources.
Green data centers
The key component of the sustainable energy concept of our data centers is a water storage tank: The water cools the server rooms by absorbing waste heat and is then circulated through the company headquarters for heating purposes. The cool night air in the summer cools the sprinkler tank, which then helps keep the data center and the whole building cooler during the day. A photovoltaic system supplies both data centers with electricity during daytime hours.
Focus on sustainable commuting
October 2023 was Mobility Month at AEB, and the focus was on sustainable commuting. Commuting accounts for 10% of AEB’s carbon footprint. Employees could take advantage of a one-time €49 travel allowance plus a variety of other activities and offers for commuting alternatives. All aboard!
AEB’s first Sustainability Report
AEB is not yet required to report on the company’s sustainability but decided to voluntarily publish its first report anyway. Various guidelines were studied, and the specifications were then tailored to AEB and implemented. This has helped us establish the foundations and processes for our first mandatory report on fiscal year 2024.
More EV charging stations
AEB has greatly expanded its charging infrastructure for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles: As of August 2023, it now includes 20 wall-mounted charging stations with 40 charging ports in the parking garage under AEB headquarters. This reflects the general trend in orders for company cars away from combustion engines and toward EVs.
School and sanctuary in the slum
The residents of “Cracolândia” – the notorious neighborhood in São Paulo that is one of the world’s largest open-air drug markets – endure conditions that are unimaginable for us. The AEB-Stiftung has partnered with educare, providing funding and employee volunteers to build and run a preschool. Children here find not only a place of learning but a sanctuary and afterschool partner.
A home for bees
Our bee colonies in the garden of AEB headquarters make a small contribution to biodiversity. Bees are essential for the pollination of flowers, trees, and shrubs, which would not exist without these insects.