Social commitment

Daimler is a globally operating company, and we view this status as both an opportunity and an obligation to assume broad responsibility for society. Our objective here is to preserve an environment that helps foster dialogue and understanding in today’s globalized world in an atmosphere that allows us to create value for all of our stakeholders. To achieve this goal, we must, on the one hand, set clear Group-wide priorities, while at the same time responding in a flexible and sensitive way to special local and regional conditions. Because of the complex nature of this challenge, we focus on those activities where we can best put our knowledge and experience as a global automaker to work in a manner that will benefit society to the greatest extent possible. We work hard:

• To support the locations where we are active. We seek to promote a greater sense of community, which is why we cooperate closely with local authorities and nonprofit organizations. We also get involved in different kinds of projects, such as those for expanding childcare centers located near our plants. Daimler will therefore provide around 350 additional daycare slots in Germany for children under three by 2009.
• Together with our employees. Daimler knows it can count on the voluntary help of its employees in projects and programs like the “Day of Caring,” during which employees and managers helped renovate a youth center in Berlin, whereby Daimler Financial Services paid for all materials. The “Moved by Ideas” program, with which the Mercedes-Benz Bank supports and promotes voluntary social activities by its employees in Germany, carried out 16 charitable projects at various locations.
• In a social and humanitarian manner all over the world. Around the world – and even at home – there are people who suffer from poverty and illness, and who also often lack even the basic necessities of life. We try to help out where we can, and we’ve found we can be most effective in those communities where our production and service locations are situated and we are therefore familiar with the local situation. Our assistance takes the form of donations of both money and vehicles, and we also frequently participate in joint initiatives with partners from government, industry, and various associations.
  
  One of our main areas of activity involves the provision of immediate assistance in the event of natural or man-made disasters. Examples in 2007 included financial donations and the provision of vehicles following extensive flooding in Indonesia and Tabasco, Mexico, and a cyclone in Bangladesh. The sum of €130,000 – made up of € 80,000 from Daimler employees and a further € 50,000 from the company – was donated through the reconstruction foundation “Daimler hilft e.V.” to rebuild the School of Hope in Sri Lanka, which had been destroyed in the 2004 tsunami and was officially reopened in January 2007.
• To promote education and training beyond the confines of our plants. Our support for education and training primarily takes the form of public-private partnerships. In 2007, we further expanded our training network in selected regions and staged, among other things, Girls’ Days and special “Children’s University” events.
• To educate children about the dangers of road traffic. The MobileKids road safety initiative for children is based on the principle of learning through play. We established MobileKids in 2001 in cooperation with international road safety experts. The MobileKids program includes the 3D animated TV series “The Nimbols,” the online city “Mokitown,” and the MobileKids Tour. The latter is an entertaining roadshow whose patron is Helmut Rau, Minister of Education in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. During the 2007/08 school year, the Mobile- Kids Tour stopped at 50 schools in Baden-Württemberg to visit third- and fourth-grade students.
• For intercultural dialogue. As an internationally operating company, Daimler appreciates the importance of open relationships free of prejudices across all language and cultural barriers. It’s also true that such relationships are crucial to our business success. We therefore support projects that stimulate interest for other countries and establish a sense of cultural understanding, especially among young people. One of these is the Mondialogo initiative, which runs an international competition for school and university students. Daimler is also active in programs that provide stipends and exchange programs for gifted students.
• To promote science and scientific exchange. It is very important to us to promote the transfer of knowledge between universities, research institutes, and industrial companies as a means of stimulating innovation. For many years, we have been one of the biggest supporters of the Donors’ Association of German Science, in which we maintain our own special Daimler Fund, which is used to endow, among other things, the German Future Prize, one of the most important scientific awards in Germany. Since 1986, we have also maintained the Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz Foundation to provide an interdisciplinary forum for addressing issues related to the interaction between mankind, the environment, and technology.
• To promote culture and the arts. Art and culture are an important part of social life. That’s why Daimler actively supports the fine arts, theater, music, literature, and film, and also organizes its own art and cultural events. Among other things, Daimler maintains one of the oldest and most im portant corporate art collections in Germany. We also present awards to up-and-coming artists and sponsor and otherwise financially support a variety of ensembles and cultural events, such as the Junge Musikpodium Dresden, the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart, the Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, and the New Pop Festival in Rastatt.
• To promote sports and physical fitness. Sports are not only good for one’s health; they also have a unique ability to bring people of the most diverse backgrounds together in friendly competition. Daimler therefore promotes athletic activities and projects on both the professional and private levels. The Group’s initiatives here include a Soccer Integra tion Award jointly presented by Mercedes-Benz and the German Football Association (DFB), a longstanding partnership with the International Olympic Committee, and support for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.
• In various foundations. In order to ensure that our funding is used for clearly defined long-term purposes, we have established our own foundations in several countries. These foundations support diverse activities ranging from research and education to the promotion of culture, health, and international understanding. In several countries, our foundations serve as the centers for all activities related to social commitment (see table on p. 66).

In 2007, we decided to reorganize our marketing practices to ensure a greater degree of social responsibility. Specifically, this means that instead of offering gifts to guests at vehicle presentations around the world, we will now donate the money we usually spend on such presents (approximately € 90,000) to non-profit organizations. The donation for 2008 will be given to education projects for SOS Children’s Villages in France, the U.S., Austria, and Germany.