“Taking responsibility is not just for the minority. It’s a duty shared by everyone.”

Julia Kikilis, Head of Press and Public Relations at Bastei Lübbe AG, discusses responsibility as a core approach, the special perspective of a publishing group, and the issue of technology.

SUSTAINABILITY IS AN INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR COMPANIES. WHAT IS BASTEI LÜBBE’S APPROACH TO IT?

Well, first of all, we fundamentally believe that responsibility only works when it’s an attitude shared by everyone. That means executives and managers as well as employees, business partners and suppliers. Like many other companies, we have put together a ‘Code of Conduct’ setting out our beliefs. We use this as a guide rail for our day-to-day activities.

WHAT FORMS DOES THE COMPANY’S COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY TAKE?

We are particularly focused on two main areas: people and the environment. The development and marketing of books and other media products is a ‘people business’. This means that people are at the heart of our commitment to sustainability – from equality and work-life balance initiatives to the nurturing of new talent. We invest in healthy and dedicated members of staff.

AND THE ENVIRONMENT?

Our second area of focus. It’s the core task of a publishing group to continually try to minimise the environmental impact of developing, producing and transporting books and other media – in terms of CO2 emissions and waste, for example. Thanks to digitalisation we have been able to take huge steps forward in this regard.

LOOKING A FEW YEARS INTO THE FUTURE: HOW MIGHT THIS FOCUS CHANGE?

Technology is changing our business and is sure to have an impact on what we can achieve in terms of sustainability. Take the hot topic of artificial intelligence, for example: AI presents both opportunities and challenges, and at the moment it’s impossible to predict what all the implications will be. We will closely monitor these developments and set an appropriate course at the right time.