The Hamburg-based ship managers E.R. Schiffahrt and E.R. Offshore have joined the United Nations Global Compact.

By signing up to the initiative, they pledge to align social, ecological and economic aspects and publish their activities in an annual progress report. This voluntary commitment to responsible corporate citizenship focuses on ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption. Some 5,300 firms from around the world have endorsed the initiative. The two companies from the Erck Rickmers Group are the first German shipping companies to adopt the policy framework.

Values and social standards are playing an ever greater role in shipping. “More than 90 per cent of all goods flows are transported by sea, making ships a symbol of globalised trade. Companies have to accept social responsibility at both national and international level to ensure that globalisation makes the world a fairer place and benefits everyone, wherever they live,” says Albert Schumacher, Chief Executive Officer of E.R. Schiffahrt.

UN Global Compact: an organisation with principles

The United Nations Global Compact is a strategic initiative for companies which pledge to align their business activities and strategies with ten universally recognised principles. The idea was launched at the 1999 meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos by the then UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. Approximately 5,300 firms have signed up to the UN Global Compact around the world. 140 of these member companies are in Germany.