Sustainability report 2019

57 Local community involvement Our Neighbours achievements AAK: a catalyst for change in society Though we are a global company, AAK contributes to the development of the local communities in which we operate by creating jobs, paying taxes and doing busi- ness with local enterprises. However, it takes more than that to truly become part of the communities in which we operate. We are very aware of the impact we have on a community when we enter, operate in or leave an area, which is why local community engagement is so important. In 2019, we enacted the new AAK Community Engagement Guidelines which emphasize the ways in which we can strive to create a win-win situation for ERWK WKH ORFDO FRPPXQLW\ DQG IRU $$. )RU H[DPSOH Sustainability brings people together and has become more and more relevant as a valuable focus area for employer branding. In 2019, AAK engaged in a variety RI ORFDO DFWLYLWLHV WR UDLVH WKH VXVWDLQDELOLW\ SUR¿OH of the company but also contributed to sustainable development in different ways. The public and potential employees show great interest in our sustainability work and we try our best to share information on what we do and how we can contribute. In society, people are the greatest catalysts for the changes that support a more sustainable future. At AAK, there are plenty of talented people focused on leading positive change and inspiring others. By having engaged employees as drivers for change, we see a great potential to contribute as a global company. In the picture to the left are AAK colleagues working at a local harbor event in Aarhus, Denmark. At this event, they presented AAK as an employer, raised awareness about our shea production, our progress on the Kolo Nafaso program, and how we support the Sustainable Development Goals. by engaging in activities that are closely linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals or participating in SDUWQHUVKLSV WKDW FDQ EHQH¿W IURP RXU LQGXVWU\ NQRZ ledge and internal competencies. Examples of AAK’s community engagement initiatives include giving employees time off to participate in local DFWLYLWLHV DQG SURYLGLQJ ¿QDQFLDO VXSSRUW IRU ORFDO DLG organizations. Overall, AAK’s community engagement helps secure a social license to operate, which is essential to become an important player in local life and to succeed at a global level. 57