Glossary

be green-Team
Bertelsmann’s “be green” team is a cross-divisional and international working group in which environmental experts at Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and all of its corporate divisions regularly meet to discuss environmental issues and the company’s commitment to the environment, and to coordinate shared approaches and positions.

Bertelsmann „be green“-Team
Environment
Bertelsmann Essentials
The Bertelsmann Essentials contain Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA's goals and basic values for all employees, executives and shareholders. They reflect the current common understanding of our corporate culture, and are subject to continual review, revision and improvement. The four Essentials are partnership, entrepreneurship, creativity and citizenship.

Bertelsmann Essentials
Bertelsmann representative offices
Bertelsmann has Representative/Liaison Offices in Brussels and Berlin for political communications. The aim is to cultivate a dialog with political decision-makers in the German government and at the European level, and to provide them with expert dialog partners, up-to-date positions and figures, and further information in the field of media policy. In addition, both offices have become established as international centers for communication and encounters, and for showcasing Bertelsmann’s creative diversity.
Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA
Bertelsmann is an international media company that operates in television (RTL Group), books (Random House), magazine publishing (Gruner + Jahr) and media services (Arvato) in more than 50 countries around the world. Bertelsmann's claim is to inspire people around the world with first-class media and communications offerings --entertainment, information and services -- and to thereby become market leaders in their respective fields. The basis of Bertelsmann's success is a corporate culture based on partnership, entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and social responsibility. The company aims to bring creative, seminal ideas to market and to create value.

www.bertelsmann.com
Bertelsmann Stiftung
The Bertelsmann Stiftung foundation is dedicated to serving the common good. It is involved in education, economics, social affairs, and health. It also promotes international understanding and peaceful cultural exchange. Its social commitment aims to encourage all citizens to work for the common good. Founded in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn, the nonprofit foundation owns the majority of shares in Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA. The Bertelsmann Stiftung is independent of the company and of any political affiliation.

www.bertelsmann-stiftung.com
Bertelsmann University
Bertelsmann University is the cross-divisional education platform for the Group’s executive management. In close cooperation with renowned external partners, including the Harvard Business School in Boston, and INSEAD in Fontainebleau, the University offers programs catering to the requirements of specific target groups. With these offerings, it serves to stimulate the strategic development of the Group and promote the personal development of executives.

www.bertelsmann-university.com

Carbon footprint
The carbon footprint of an organization, product or service is the total amount of greenhouse gases it generates. It is an assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions over the entire value chain – from raw materials and production to transport, retail, usage and disposal. The assessment is calculated primarily from the use of raw materials, auxiliary materials and consumables, energy consumption and transport. The resulting environmental damage potential is given in CO2 equivalents. The carbon footprints of a range of products and services can be compared to allow for choosing the most climate-friendly alternatives.
Chain of custody (CoC)
In the timber industry, chain of custody (CoC) denotes the supply chain of forest products and their monitoring. Certifications by the FSC or PEFC ensure uninterrupted tracking from the forest to the consumer. The FSC or PEFC label guarantees that a product has come from sustainably managed forests and that no wood has been used from unknown sources, let alone from controversial sources such as illegally exploited forests.
Citizenship
The concept of citizenship is often confused with the concept of corporate responsibility (CR.) At Bertelsmann, citizenship is one of the four core values that guide the company’s conduct, the Bertelsmann Essentials.
Code of Conduct
Global companies in particular develop basic behavioral guidelines for their responsible conduct and compile them into a code of conduct. The Bertelsmann Code of Conduct, which came into force in October 2008, contains 20 rules for corporate social responsibility, workplace conduct, financial transactions and reporting, as well as for dealing with media and technology.

Governance-Compliance
Commission on Concentration in the Media (KEK)
The Commission on Concentration in the Media (KEK) is an independent body founded in 1999. In accordance with the 1987 German Interstate Broadcasting Treaty (RStV), it verifies whether commercial television meets the requirements that ensure plurality of opinion. The KEK can intervene if it finds a company has attained a dominating influence on public opinion through new programs or through a change in the distribution of its ownership. The KEK is composed of six experts from broadcasting and business law as well as six representatives from the State Media Authorities.
Communication on Progress
Members of the United Nations Global Compact (GC) are obliged to inform the GC Secretariat annually of their progress in implementing the ten principles of the Compact (Communication on Progress, CoP). The company can integrate this information into their (annual) sustainability or CR reports and link them to the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative.
Content responsibility
Content responsibility means a company taking responsibility for the content it produces or disseminates, either itself or as a third party. This responsibility includes ensuring, for example, that a company does not disseminate any anti-democratic material, or content that could be harmful to young people or offensive to human dignity.
Corporate citizenship
Originating in North America, the concept of corporate citizenship (CC) describes the role of business as a good citizen. Good corporate citizens get involved voluntarily to advance the common good of society, for example through corporate volunteering. CC actions take their cue from the needs of a given community and therefore do not necessarily have anything in common with a company’s core business. The concept of corporate responsibility is therefore more far-reaching.
Corporate culture
The term corporate culture describes the commonly held beliefs, values and attitudes of a company’s shareholders, management and employees. The current common understanding of Bertelsmann’s corporate culture is reflected, for example, in the Bertelsmann Essentials.
Corporate governance
Corporate Governance is generally understood as the entirety of laws and practices by which a company regulates corporate leadership and monitoring.
Corporate Governance is complex and encompasses mandatory as well as voluntary measures: the compliance with the law and internal just as external guidelines, the adherence to approved standards and recommendations as well as the development of and abidance to corporate principles. Another aspect of Corporate Governance is the formulation and implementation of management and controlling structures.

Corporate governance
Corporate responsibility
Corporate responsibility (CR) covers all aspects of a company or group’s responsible conduct towards employees, society, the environment, customers, suppliers, competitors and public authorities. A company’s individual CR profile is defined by any voluntary social, environmental and community efforts along the value chain that go beyond statutory requirements, such as measures taken in the supply chain or in corporate volunteering. These efforts are aimed at specific challenges faced by the company, its ability to exert influence, and its potential for the future. In order to achieve the license to operate by demonstrating responsible behavior, major companies in particular regularly compile sustainability or CR reports.
Corporate volunteering
Corporate volunteering describes the voluntary use of employees’ time or
expertise for charitable purposes - for example, companies may release their
employees for a limited period of time (such as one day a year) so they can
support a local social initiative. Corporate volunteering is an expression of corporate citizenship, and is increasingly seen as a measure of human resource development.
Creativity
Creativity describes the ability to think creatively. Creativity is one of the core values of Bertelsmann, the Bertelsmann Essentials.

Diversity
This refers to a company’s appreciation for the beneficial contribution that the diversity of its employees makes to the company and its staff. This extends not only to obviously visible differences such as ethnicity, gender, age and physical disability, but also to subjective differences such as sexual, ideological or religious orientation and lifestyle. Diversity is seen as an opportunity and a challenge to improve the performance of each individual and thereby to contribute significantly to the company's success.

Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS)
The EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme) was developed in 1993 by the European Community as a voluntary tool for companies seeking to improve their environmental performance. Its legal basis is Directive (EC) No. 761/2001. Since 2001, the requirements for establishing an environmental management system and associated processes correspond to the ISO 14001 standards. EMAS, however, contains elements that go beyond ISO 14001. These include guidelines for environmental auditing, the requirement for a continuous improvement in environmental performance, and the publication of an environmental statement.
Editor-in-chief principle
At Bertelsmann the editor-in-chief principle describes the autonomy of a media’s editorial team to independently research, evaluate and disseminate its own content. The choice and form of content and the way it is offered to customers is not decided by a central authority, but by the respective program managers, for example the publishing director or editor-in-chief of a print magazine. There are no central directives about what content or opinions to disseminate; instead there is media diversity.
Elemental chlorine-free (ECF)
„The labelling elemental chlorine free (ECF) is used for cellulose, that is in fact not bleached with chlorine gas but with chlorine compounds such as chlorine dioxide (ClO2) and sodium hypochlorite (Na OCI). The ECF technology reduces the accumulation of polluting organochlorine compounds during the production of cellulose. In contrast to the TCF method (total chlorine free) organochlo-rine compounds are not completely avoided. In Germany, as a result of the revision of the German DIN standard 730 (defining chlorine-free paper), both bleaching methods were equated under the name “chlorine free“.
Entrepreneurial spirit / entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is one of the core values of Bertelsmann, the Bertelsmann Essentials.
Environmental management system
Environmental management aims to eliminate or minimize the environmental damage caused by an organization. It basically follows the principle of planning, executing, controlling and optimizing. If goals, targets, responsibilities, structures and processes are systematically defined for this purpose, this is referred to as an environmental management system. Recommendations on how to establish and maintain such a system are contained in the international environmental management standard ISO 14001 and European EMAS regulation.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international umbrella organization founded in 1993 to promote sustainable forest management. It stems from an initiative by human rights and environmental organizations, trading companies and manufacturers. Forest owners, retailers and forest-product processors who wish to use the FSC label must follow the ten international FSC principles and prove their adherence to 56 criteria. These criteria are designed to prevent uncontrolled logging, pollution and the violation of human rights. If a product bears the FSC label, consumers can be sure that the forest and the entire chain of custody of the products derived from it are fully certified.

www.fsc.org
Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Fernsehen
Commercial German broadcasters founded the Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Fernsehen (FSF) in 1993 as an organization for the voluntary self-regulation of television to make sure that TV programs are more in line with the laws to protect minors. To do so, broadcasters can, for example, have their programs and films reviewed by the FSF, and affix age advisories accordingly. Since 2003, the FSF has operated as a state-approved self-regulating body according to the German Interstate Treaty governing the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV). The decision on whether to broadcast a TV program and at what time largely depends on how much sex and violence it portrays.

Global Reporting Initiative
Founded in 1987 with the support of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is a non-governmental organization that aims to promote global standards for corporate sustainability reporting. GRI published its first Sustainability Reporting Guidelines in 2000. In 2006 it released the third revised and expanded version of GRI Guidelines. The set of indicators developed by GRI is now used by many companies in their reports to inform the general public about their social, ecological and social commitment. GRI has developed specific reporting indicators (Sector Supplements) for some industries, with one planned for the media sector. Bertelsmann is participating in the international working group responsible for the Media Sector Supplement.
Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut is Germany’s cultural institution with operations around the world. With roughly 150 institutes worldwide, it promotes the study of German abroad as well as within Germany, and encourages international cultural exchange. The Goethe-Institut also communicates a comprehensive picture of Germany by providing information on its culture, society and politics. It has played a central role in the cultural and educational policies of Germany for over 50 years.

www.goethe.de
Gütersloh
Gütersloh is a German city with a population of about 100,000 in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located southwest of the Teutoburg Forest, in East Westphalia. The nearest major city in the area is Bielefeld, about 20 km away. Bertelsmann has had its headquarters in Gütersloh since the company was founded in 1835.

City of Gütersloh

Intellectual property
Intellectual property is another term for the rights to intangible goods, mainly intellectual creations such as ideas, texts or pieces of music that are protected by trademarks, patents, trade secrets or copyright. Holders of such intellectual property are therefore usually the creator of a copyrighted work, e.g., the author of a book. The rights to use such a work can be transferred to another person or company by licensing.
ISO 14001
The international environmental management standard ISO 14001 specifies requirements for a globally recognized environmental management system and is part of a family of standards that also includes standards for life cycle assessments and environmental indicators. ISO 14001 was published in 1996 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a revised version was followed in November 2004. Since then, many companies and organizations worldwide have established an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001 and allow their environmental performance to be verified annually by an external and independent agency.

www.iso.org

Media diversity
The term media diversity has two meanings: it can either refer to the quantity of various media products -- i.e., the number of television channels, print products, websites, etc. - as well as the existence of media that report differently. In this sense, media diversity is often equated with diversity of opinion.
Media literacy
Media literacy describes a person’s ability to understand media and their content and to use them according to his or her goals and needs. Media literacy enables people to become responsible recipients. For example, this means being familiar with the various genres of media, being able to select content based on its intended use (information, entertainment, etc.), to regard content critically, and/or to create media yourself.
Media policy
Discourse and actions by which the state creates a regulatory framework for journalistic media, can be grouped under the term media policy. This includes laws, regulations and directives that define the latitude the media are given. The role of the state's media policy is to enable and protect its citizens’ freedom of expression and freedom of information. In terms of content, media policy consists of cultural, economic and technology policies, and it is becoming more and more an international affair as a result of the increasing convergence of digital markets.
Media quality
A certain standard of quality is needed for the media to fulfill their mandates in society (such as facilitating opinion building). Therefore, media companies often specify parameters by which they can measure the quality of their products and services. These include, for example, accurate and independent research of content and responsibility to media users. This is the only way to ensure the subsequent quality control that is essential for safeguarding high-quality offerings in the long term.
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals, eight global development goals to be achieved by 2015, were presented at the UN conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2001. They serve the implementation of the Millennium Declaration adopted in September 2000 by 189 member states of the United Nations.
The Millennium Development Goals include combating extreme poverty and hunger, reducing child mortality, guaranteeing basic education and ensuring environmental sustainability.

www.un.org/millenniumgoals

Partnership
Partnership is one of the core values of Bertelsmann, the Bertelsmann Essentials.
Plan International
Plan International, one of the world’s oldest children's relief organizations, operates in 48 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, regardless of religion and politics. Plan International finances long-term, child-centered self-help projects, mainly through sponsorships, individual donations and public funds. There is a particular focus on girls, to ensure that they are given the same opportunities as boys. Plan Deutschland has 280,000 sponsors and reaches over two million people in the program areas. The German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) has awarded Plan Deutschland the DZI donation seal of approval.
Press freedom
Press freedom is an essential part of the freedom of expression guaranteed under Article 5 of the German Constitution. Freedom of the press in the broader sense means the right of the media (press, radio, online media, etc.) to freely exercise their profession, especially the uncensored publication of information and opinions. Freedom of the press is intended to ensure the public’s freedom to form its own opinions within a democracy. International sources for the right to press freedom include Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations.
Presserat / Press Council
The German Press Council is an institution founded in 1956 by publishers and journalists for the voluntary self-regulation of the press. Its basis for examining complaints, which can be submitted by every citizen and institution, is the 1973 Press Code. If the Press Council determines there has been a breach of this code, it can publicly rebuke the media company concerned. In addition, the Press Council is committed to unfettered access to sources of news, and seeks to counter developments that might endanger the freedom of information and formation of opinions among the public. It also publishes recommendations and guidelines for journalistic work.
Profit participation certificates
Investor relations at Bertelsmann

www.bertelsmann.com
Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC)
The Program for Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) was originally an initiative by forest owners and representatives of the timber industry in six European countries. In 1999 they founded the Pan European Forest Certification System, which became the present international PEFC system following the initiation of the first non-European members in 2003. Like the FSC, the PEFC provides a framework that determines standards for sustainable forest management. In addition to certification of individuals and groups, the PEFC also provides certification for regions. Products bearing the PEFC label guarantee a continuous chain of custody.

www.pefc.org

Reading Aloud Day
Germany’s national Reading Aloud Day, an initiative by the Stiftung Lesen Reading Foundation, the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT and the passenger and logistics company DEUTSCHE BAHN AG, has been held annually in November since 2003. On this day, anyone who enjoys reading aloud is called on to read to children, for example in schools, kindergartens, libraries or bookstores. Reading Aloud Day is aimed at inspiring both young and old to read and read aloud, while also raising public awareness of the importance of promoting literacy.

Bertelsmann has participated in Reading Aloud Day since 2005

www.wirlesenvor.de
Reading promotion
Reading promotion encompasses all actions that aim to impart reading skills, and interest and enjoyment in reading and literature. Reading is considered "the" most important cultural skill. Even in the age of digital media, reading is and will continue to be an essential basic skill that enables competent use of media. Bertelsmann and its corporate divisions support many literacy promotion projects around the world.

Promotion of media literacy
Representative/liaison offices
Many companies have representative offices in the capitals of their home countries or at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels. A representative office can fulfill various functions. In general, it serves as both a platform for discussions between the respective companies and policy-makers as well as for publicity in the form of events or exhibitions of the company’s products.

Bertelsmann representative offices
Resource efficiency
Resources are supplies and commodities needed for the production or provision of goods and services. They include natural resources such as energy, water and raw materials. The fewer resources used in the manufacture of a product, the more resource-efficient its production. For example, if the energy consumption per unit of production output falls, the energy efficiency increases – and vice versa.

SOS Children's Villages
"A loving home for every child!" Since its foundation in 1949, SOS Children's Villages has subscribed to the vision of Hermann Gmeiner (1919-1986) – a legacy that lives on and is also an appeal to work for children who have lost their family through poverty, war or violence. Today, SOS Children's Villages helps 1.2 million children, adolescents and families in 132 countries through more than 2,000 facilities ranging from SOS Children's Villages to schools, training, and social centers to development programs to help families whose livelihoods are threatened.
Stakeholder
Stakeholders are individuals or groups who can influence the objectives of an organization or who are affected by the achievement of its objectives. Stakeholders formulate their interests and make sure their requirements are acknowledged by the organization. A company’s stakeholders typically include its owners (shareholders), employees, customers and suppliers, as well as journalists, residents, investors and policymakers, or the state and the general public.

Social dialog
Stiftung Lesen Reading Foundation
The goal of the Stiftung Lesen Reading Foundation is to instill the joy of reading in order to teach reading skills. Since 1988, Stiftung Lesen has developed numerous projects designed to enhance reading in the media culture. The non-profit organization works with many media partners, cultural sponsors and businesses. Traditionally, Stiftung Lesen is under the patronage of the German President. The foundation's work includes the promotion of books, magazines and newspapers in all sectors of the population, as well as preserving and cultivating a contemporary culture of reading and language, not least in the new media. Bertelsmann has supported Stiftung Lesen since its inception and is a member of its board of trustees.

www.stiftung-lesen.de
Supply chain
Supply chain describes the upstream and downstream stations of a production process, from origin to final product. For example, the printing industry supply chain encompasses forestry operations, pulp and paper companies, and ink and coating manufacturers. Transport is also a component of the supply chain.
Sustainability
Sustainability means the long-term balancing of economic, social and ecological interests and considerations. The term “sustainability” originated in the forestry industry, which early on defined the model of sustainable forest management. The concept of sustainable development significantly influenced the final report of the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987, also known as the Brundtland Report. It defines sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable forestry
The principle of sustainable forest management dates back to the Saxon mining administrator Hans Carl von Carlowitz (1645 -1714), who in his day fought to ensure that no more wood should be felled than could be re-planted. In April 2007, the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) adopted an agreement "to sustainably manage all types of forests in the world" as a mandatory global objective to improve and preserve the economic, social and environmental values of all types of forests for the benefit of present and future generations. The agreement includes objectives and actions to be implemented by member states by 2015 to reverse global forest loss through protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and to increase the area of protected forests.

Totally Chlorine Free (TCF)
The term TCF (totally chlorine free) was coined following the introduction of chlorine-free pulp bleaching in the late 1980s. Until then chlorine was used in pulp bleaching to convert the lignin contained in wood to make it water-soluble. This allowed it to be separated from the cellulose by leaching, the only way to get white paper. In the TCF process, environmentally harmful chlorine gas and compounds are replaced in the bleaching process by oxygen compounds such as ozone (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and oxygen (O2). In Europe, particularly in Scandinavia and the German-speaking countries, TCF pulp has already achieved a large market share and is regarded as premium quality among cellulose produced in an environmentally friendly way. Outside Europe, ECF technology is often used. In Germany, as a result of the revision of the German DIN standard 730 (defining chlorine-free paper), both bleaching processes are equated under the name “chlorine free.”

United Nations Global Compact
The Global Compact is an initiative founded in 1999 by Kofi Annan, then Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Global Compact aims to bring together representatives from the private sector, UN agencies, employees and civic organizations to promote universal social and environmental principles. It also has ten principles, which member companies commit to and promote worldwide. Their focus is on asserting human rights and labor standards, protecting the environment and preventing corruption. By agreeing to sign the Global Compact, companies commit to presenting an annual communication on progress (COP), i.e., a report on their progress in implementing the principles. In mid-2009 there were more than 5,000 companies from about 130 member countries in the Global Compact. Bertelsmann joined the Global Compact in October 2008.
University / Bertelsmann University
Bertelsmann University is the cross-divisional education platform for the Group’s executive management. In close cooperation with renowned external partners, including the Harvard Business School in Boston, and INSEAD in Fontainebleau, the University offers programs catering to the requirements of specific target groups. With these offerings, it serves to stimulate the strategic development of the Group and promote the personal development of executives.
Unter den Linden 1 (UdL1)
Bertelsmann’s Representative/Liaison office in the German capital is located at Unter den Linden 1, or UdL1 for short. Opened in 2003 behind the reconstructed facade of the city’s Alte Kommandantur (old garrison headquarters), the building is now an institution in Berlin’s political and social landscape - whether for cultural events, as a meeting place for diplomats and policymakers, or as a central meeting ground for various Bertelsmann companies worldwide.

Work-life balance
A healthy work-life balance means the ability to reconcile family and work in such a way that a worker can devote themselves in equal measure to family life, caring for their children and dependents, and to their career. From an employer’s perspective, ensuring a healthy work-life balance entails the provision of family-friendly, flexible working hours or workplace childcare facilities. Providing a balance between the different spheres of life is regarded as an important socio-political challenge that must be faced by everyone involved - employers and employees.
World Book Day
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) declared April 23 World Book Day in 1995, as a worldwide celebration of books and reading. UNESCO got the idea from Catalonia, where roses and books are given as gifts on St. George’s Day. World Book Day has been celebrated in Germany since 1996. Many bookstores, publishers, schools and libraries organize a number of events around books and reading on this day.

www.welttag-des-buches.de