Sustainability (long version 2025)

Sustainability strategy of the LEGIER MEDIENGRUPPE - long version 2025

Working document - structured, detailed presentation of the LEGIER MEDIENGRUPPE's ESG agenda (German). The basis is this internal presentation as well as publicly accessible content from the LEGIER websites and best practices of large companies (Microsoft, Google/Alphabet, Amazon, Siemens).

Executive Summary

LEGIER positions itself as a global media company with 115 daily newspapers, a strong digital focus and its own high-performance data center in Manama (Bahrain). This long version goes into more detail on objectives, key figures, processes and governance for the environment (E), social affairs (S) and corporate governance (G) - compatible with GRI, TCFD/IFRS-S2 and, in future, CSRD/ESRS.

Climate target picture: net zero (Scope 1+2) by 2027; structured reduction path Scope 3 by 2030/2035.

24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) for the DC Manama based on leading hyperscaler standards, plus PUE ≤ 1.25 by 2027.

Strict data protection, information security and civil liberties regime (Privacy-by-Design, DPIA, ISO 27001 roadmap).

LkSG-compliant supply chain with supplier code, audits, remedial mechanisms and risk scoring.

AI ethics governance (AI impact assessments, transparency, human oversight, audit trails).

Media ethics: Editorial independence, anti-disinformation, advertising transparency, accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA).

1) Context & scope

Business model: News production 24/7 in several languages; 115 daily newspapers; digital-first distribution.

Technology backbone: Own data center in Manama (IBM mainframes, HPC/AI workloads, security stack).

Scope: Publisher, digital platforms, data center, associated brands/products, supply chain.

2) Mission statement & principles

Independent journalism, separation of editorial and advertising, fact-checking, correction policy.

Human rights & diversity: zero tolerance of forced/child labor, discrimination, harassment; whistleblowing and remediation processes.

Data protection & civil liberties: Privacy-by-design, data minimization, pseudonymization, data subject rights.

Climate & environment: net-zero perspective, clear interim targets; prioritization of avoidance/reduction over compensation.

Integrity of value creation: supplier code of conduct, due diligence, audit rights, contractual anchoring.

Technology ethics & AI governance: deployment criteria, risk scoring, human oversight, documentation.

3) Governance & Compliance

ESG Committee at management level (Climate, Human Rights, Data/AI, People).

Policy library: Code of Conduct, Supplier Code, Environmental Policy, Human Rights Policy, Modern Slavery Statement, Responsible Disclosure, AI-Ethics.

Risk management: annual ESG risk inventory incl. supply chain; heat maps, thresholds, controls.

Reporting frequency: annual ESG report + carbon emissions report (GHG Protocol, location- and market-based).

4) Human rights & supply chain

Supplier Code of Conduct (labor/environmental standards, DEI, data protection, anti-corruption, audit rights).

Risk areas (media/IT): Cloud/DC services, hardware (server/GPU), content freelancers, logistics (paper).

KPIs: 100 % policy acceptance (Y1), ≥ 90 % audits of high-risk suppliers (Y2), 100 % remediation on time (Y3).

Complaint mechanisms: Anonymous, multilingual, documented remediation, median processing time < 14 days.

5) Data protection, information security & civil liberties

Privacy-by-design in all products (web/apps); regular DPIA for data-intensive use cases.

ISO 27001 roadmap (ISMS), pen tests, Red Team exercises, Responsible Disclosure Program.

Anchoring editorial independence technically (RBAC, dual control principle, logging, immutability protocols).

6) Environment & climate - data center & digital value creation

Target image & programs:

Net zero Scope 1+2 by 2027, renewable electricity 100 % (PPA/I-REC), PUE ≤ 1.25.

24/7 Carbon-Free Energy path (CFE) - hourly matching quota per grid area; energy shifting and flexibility.

Scope 3 management: hardware procurement (design for disassembly, refurbish), travel, distribution (digital).

Water: Site-specific water strategy (measurement, saving, re-use if necessary), especially for cooling.

Waste & cycle: Zero-waste program, certified e-waste recycling, material passes for racks.

Immediate program 12-24 months:

Baseline: Energy (kWh), PUE, GHG emissions (Scope 1-3), water, waste; audit of cooling (free/adiabatic/liquid cooling).

Procurement: 100 % green energy (PPA/I-REC), on-site PV feasibility; load shifting to net-zero time slots.

Efficiency: Hot/cold aisle containment, firmware/BIOS optimization, workload orchestration according to CO₂ intensity.

Hardware strategy: service life extension, reparability, refurbish rates, certified e-waste.

Travel/Events: Avoid/Reduce/Compensate; high-quality residual compensation only as a last resort.

7) Product & AI ethics (media)

AI Governance Board (editorial, tech, legal, compliance); AI impact assessments before go-live.

Transparency: Labeling of AI-generated content; explainability of recommender systems.

Anti-disinformation: fact-checking processes, source transparency, public register of corrections.

Advertising transparency: clear ad labels; protection of editorial independence from advertising interests.

8) Employees, diversity & work culture

DEI goals: Representation in tech/editorial; Equal Pay audits; leadership training included.

Health & safety: ergonomics, mental health (24/7 shifts), travel safety.

Further training: mandatory training (compliance, human rights, data protection, AI ethics).

9) Stakeholder dialog & social contribution

Stakeholder map: Readers, employees, suppliers, regulators, civil society, research.

Materiality (double materiality): Media ethics/disinformation, data protection, DC energy/emissions, supply chain, people.

Programs: Media literacy workshops, open data/investigative partnerships, accessibility, community projects.

10) Targets & key figures (excerpt)

Electricity mix DC: 80 % EE (2026), 100 % (2027) - KPI: % renewable; additional hourly CFE quota.

PUE data center: ≤ 1.30 (2026), ≤ 1.25 (2027), ≤ 1.20 (2030).

Scope 1+2: -70 % compared to 2024 (2026), net zero (2027) - KPI: tCO₂e.

Scope 3: -20 % (2026), -35 % (2028), -50 % (2030) - KPI: tCO₂e.

Supplier code acceptance: 100 % (Y1); high-risk audits: 90 % (Y2).

Whistleblowing median: < 14 days (2027).

AI use cases with impact assessment: 100 %.

11) Reporting standard & assurance

GRI (core), TCFD/IFRS-S2 (climate risks), GHG Protocol; prospectively CSRD/ESRS (EU taxonomy).

External Limited Assurance (emissions, energy, water, waste), later Reasonable Assurance.

Annual publications: ESG report, carbon emissions report (methodology, baseline, progress).

12) Roadmap 0-24 months

0-6 months:

Emissions/energy/water/waste inventory; supplier list & risk scoring.

Publication: Code of Conduct, Supplier Code, Environmental Policy, Human Rights Policy, AI-Ethics (multilingual).

Establish ESG Committee; define Sustainability Owner & Workstreams.

DC immediate measures: Efficiency checks; evaluate PPA/I-REC options.

6-12 months:

Supplier audits & remediation plans; annual LkSG/compliance report.

Carbon plan (reduction path) + first emissions update; start water/waste programs.

AI impact assessments for productive AI functions (translation, recommendation, image/video).

12-24 months:

Prepare ISO 27001 certification; scale up training fleet.

Extended social impact programs; limited assurance; CSRD/ESRS preparation.

13) Media-specific features

Ombudsman & correction register; protection of sources & whistleblowers.

Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA): contrast, keyboard, screen reader, subtitle standards; multilingualism.

Digital climate impact: Web performance (core web vitals) as an emissions lever; efficient CDNs; caching.