Elementary students excited to conserve the environment with Henkel's Sustainability Ambassadors

What better way to instill sustainability value in the community than introducing simple daily actions that are helpful for conserving the environment? To spread the message of sustainability to young children, employees of PT Henkel Indonesien (Henkel Indonesia) visited two elementary public schools in South Tangerang City, Banten to teach second, third and fourth grade students sustainable habits they can practise in their daily lives.  

About 120 primary students of SDN Pondok Jaya 02 and SDN Pondok Pucung 05 participated in the Henkel Sustainability Ambassador School Outreach program, which was launched in Indonesia in 2014. The students were taught by employees of Henkel Indonesia, who are certified Sustainability Ambassadors. Through fun and interactive activities which included a video and coloring activities, the children learnt to be mindful of water and electricity consumption in their homes. The lessons also exposed them to the concept of ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’, with examples such as switching off the light when they leave the room and turning off the tap when they do not need it.

Mr. H.M Masyhud from the South Tangerang Education Agency said, “We commend Henkel for its efforts in promoting sustainability to the community, especially students at schools. In schools, children can learn many things that can shape a better future. We believe that teaching sustainability from an early age is instrumental to that endeavor.”

Henkel’s commitment to sustainability goes back to its 142 years of history, from devising efficient production processes, reducing energy use and to creating sustainable packaging. Committed to leadership in sustainability, globally Henkel has trained more than 50,000 employees as Sustainability Ambassadors and has reached over 137,000 schoolchildren in 53 countries. In Indonesia, Henkel has taught more than 1000 school children since 2014.

“Every individual including young children can make a difference and contribute to a more sustainable future through their daily actions,” said Lucky Lee, President of Henkel Indonesia. “Our employees play an important role in implementing our sustainability strategy at the workplace and in local communities. With their strong support, we want to continue our cooperation with schools near our office and plants in Indonesia.”

Corporate citizenship has been an integral part of Henkel’s culture since it was founded by Fritz Henkel in 1876. The company has just commemorated the International Volunteer Day on December 5, 2018 that highlights the large impact of individual contributions in voluntary social projects. Under its dedicated program called the MIT initiative (“Make an Impact on Tomorrow”), Henkel has been supporting its employees and retired workers in their voluntary engagement for more than 20 years. In total, the company has supported over 14,000 charitable projects in more than 100 countries through the “Fritz Henkel Stiftung” foundation.