Examples for corporate citizenship
As an international construction group, HOCHTIEF designs living spaces all over the world and therefore interacts closely with the people with whom and for whom we work. We are part of society and, as a corporate citizen, take responsibility for the community wherever we do business and carry out projects. HOCHTIEF and its employees act on this mission through monetary donations and donations in kind, by contributing their expertise, and volunteering.
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Thiess helps Mongolian herders to access water
Herders in one of Mongolia’s sparsely populated areas can now easily access water thanks to a partnership between Thiess, Oyu Tolgoi, local government agencies and the community. Traditionally, the herders in this region have used small, hand-made buckets to raise water from wells by hand for their animals and homes. As one of the key contractors at Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project in the Mongolian territory of Khanbogd Soum, Thiess installed solar-powered pumps on 10 strategically located wells that are vital sources of water for the region’s pasture land and remote households. The new solar-powered pumps are making the task less labour intensive and provide a long-term, eco-friendly solution for the local community.
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Garden partner of German-Polish Gardens
HOCHTIEF Polska is one of the “garden partners” in the creation of the German-Polish Gardens in Warsaw. Not only is the company getting involved financially, employees are also doing gardening work on a regular basis. They have planted flower bulbs, for instance, and done some clearing up. In 2018, Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited the gardens and planted a European hornbeam. The gardens are part of Skaryszewski Park in the Praga-South City district, and are being laid out between the north shore of the Kamionkowskie Lake and Emil Wedel Alley. The City of Warsaw and the German Embassy there are jointly organizing the project together with German and Polish partners. The aim of this initiative is to provide people with a green, quiet and friendly place for contemplation and recreation Apart from shared planting activities, talks and workshops are also part of the revitalization program.
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Illuminating futures, one light at a time
As part of the Graduate Program induction, EIC Activities hosted a session for the current cohort of 220 graduates, introducing the concept of social innovation. The session also demonstrated how working as a team, to put an innovative idea into action, can help to tackle a global challenge and make an important difference. The graduates were introduced to SolarBuddy, a registered Australian charity which aims to help improve - by 2030 – the educational opportunities of 6 million children living in energy poverty throughout the South Pacific, South East Asia and Africa. The charity helps by providing children with a SolarBuddy solar light to study with after dusk. The CEO of SolarBuddy, Simon Dobble, spoke to the graduates about energy poverty and renewable energy, and joined the graduates in building 220 SolarBuddy lights which have been distributed to a community living in the Asia Pacific region.
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High School Students Paint Aboriginal Murals on Mining Haul Truck
Thiess, in collaboration with Fortescue Metals Group, welcomed ten art students from Roebourne District High School to Fortescue’s Solomon operation to complete an Indigenous mural on the rear tray of an autonomous haul truck. Measuring 2.9 meters high and over 8 meters wide on each side, the mural extends to both sides of the tray and depicts Roebourne’s Mount Welcome lookout and the rivers and streams running through the Western Australian town. Thiess General Manager in Australia & Pacific, Spencer Jose said: “We’re proud to be partnering with Fortescue and the local community to deliver this incredible piece of moveable art. The murals on the truck work together to represent the past, present and future generations of Roebourne. This innovative initiative is enhancing student’s studies, allowing them to apply their research, technical skills and creative ideas to a real-life project.” The painted haul truck re-entered operations in August 2017.
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Teddy bears for young patients
HOCHTIEF company Turner Construction’s community management also looks after the youngest members of the community: the construction team at the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in the state of New York donated more than 200 teddy bears for young patients on the occasion of the hospital’s completion. The bears—wearing T-shirts with the words “A Bear Hug for You” on them—are a surefire way of cheering the children up.
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Fast help after the hurricanes
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma that swept across the US states of Texas and Florida in late summer 2017 had fatal consequences: Dozens of people were killed, residential districts flooded, and houses damaged. Keeping the people supplied with drinking water, food and gasoline proved difficult. HOCHTIEF’s American subsidiary Turner Construction Company, which has branches in these states, provided swift help without red tape. The company quickly set up an emergency fund of over 100,000 US dollars to assist affected employees and their families in order to obtain the most urgently needed food and materials. Parallel to this, the company lent its support to organizations such as the Greater Houston Community Foundation and the Saint Bernard Project, both of which are helping hurricane victims in different ways such as helping to rebuild their houses and with stress and trauma management.
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Cash and material donations for mother-and-child homes
Employees at HOCHTIEF Infrastructure Austria have made a huge effort for a good cause by putting up boxes in their offices and construction sites to collect cash and material donations. The money raised by the employees was doubled by management and rounded up, raising a grand total of 4,000 euros as well as numerous material donations. The recipients of the donations—two mother-and-child homes run by Caritas in Vienna—were chosen by the employees themselves on the basis of an in-house vote. These facilities provide shelter to homeless mothers and their children. The donations raised were handed over to the mother-and-child homes just in time for Christmas, and the recipients were delighted. Part of the material donations were quickly wrapped up by the Caritas team so that each child received a little gift for Christmas. At Haus Luise, a twelve-member Caritas team provides care around the clock for the 20 mothers and their 34 children currently living there. Haus Immanuel has 19 residential units for homeless mothers.