A Strategic Focus

Community is One of Our Core Company Values

Our corporate citizenship and philanthropy strategy stems from both our mission of making our world more productive - both on-the-job and through philanthropic activities - and our vision to be the best-performing industrial gases and engineering company in the world.

Priority 1: DEEPEN

Deepen our impact from Corporate Philanthropy by supporting priority focus areas, including education.

Community need is a primary driver of community engagement.

Projects are dictated by the needs of local communities combined with the desire and ability of local project teams to help address these needs. Linde community engagement is a proactive outreach to help build community resilience. In order to facilitate needs assessment, the company has conducted training on incorporating community needs assessments when determining projects, and guidance for needs assessment is included in the community engagement reporting tool.

Sites are encouraged to build strong relationships with local communities. In order to identify and meet local needs, community engagement is frequently conducted with partners, including local government agencies, suppliers, customers and community groups. These partnerships help deepen and extend the ability to help build resilient communities.

How is this priority aligned with our business?
How this priority contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals...

These efforts contribute to UN SDG 4 (Target 4.4): By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship. In 2023, 138 community engagement projects specifically addressed UN SDG 4.

Snapshot of Activity...

More than half of community engagement projects (53%) and more than two thirds of Global Giving funding (68%) are in the priority focus areas of education, diversity and environment. Global Giving supported approximately 1,300 organizations serving our communities around the globe. Approximately $3.7 million from our Global Giving Program went to educational support, and approximately 22% of our Global Giving support was directed to STEM education. Our Skills Pipeline Workforce Development Program provides opportunities within the community to gain skills in areas with recognized labor shortages, such as welding, advanced manufacturing, production technology and professional truck driving training.

See the latest Sustainable Development Report in our Reporting Center for more information on inputs, as well as outcomes and impacts. 

Priority 2: ENGAGE

Engage employees through opportunities that provide social and environmental impact.

Community engagement is considered a leadership activity and is initiated by volunteers. It is also a way to increase awareness of community needs.

Linde often incorporates community engagement at company-sponsored meetings and conferences, and the company uses these events to develop employee skills and company networks; the company has done so formally since 2012. With the support and participation of business leaders, these events continue to spur additional community engagement participation in locations around the globe.

Environmental engagement offers opportunities for employees to make a difference and is very much aligned with Linde’s focus areas.

How is this priority aligned with our business?
  • Environmental responsibility is a key priority for the company. In addition to several climate change targets, the SD 2028 targets include a target for increased philanthropic spend in the area of environment.
  • Employee teams report that community engagement has promoted positive employee engagement.
How this priority contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals…

These efforts contribute to UN SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. In 2023, 34 community engagement projects specifically addressed UN SDG 15.

Snapshot of Activity…

A hallmark of engagement at Linde has been the annual Earth Week celebration. In place formally since 2012, Earth Week is an opportunity for employees and teams around the world to engage in personal and corporate acts of environmental responsibility, mirroring the culture at Linde every day. Projects often involve community activities, including tree planting, roadside clean-ups and school educational events. Employees also share individual environmentally-friendly acts. Linde's Global Giving Program then "matches" each act with a donation.

During Earth Week and other community engagement efforts, Linde employees planted approximately 50,000 trees in 2023. Teams also actively worked to protect ecosystems in our communities. These activities help the environment and build camaraderie internally: In 2023, for 98 percent of projects, employee teams reported that activities promoted positive employee engagement.

Employees also direct much of the spending from Linde's Global Giving Program. Through matching gifts and employee volunteer grants, the Global Giving Program helps employees benefit charities in their communities. About 13 percent of the Global Giving Program is employee-directed.

See the latest Sustainable Development Report in our Reporting Center for more information on inputs, as well as outcomes and impacts.

Priority 3: DRIVE

Drive impact through community engagement.

Driving impact through community engagement is the third main strategic objective.

Along with employee-led efforts, Linde's corporate-led community engagement efforts work to confirm its mission and align with business drivers through strategic initiatives, especially in the STEM fields. These programs directly help to increase the number of skilled men and women in the workforce. In addition, both illustrate that the Linde Community Engagement Program and Linde's Global Giving Program work hand in hand.

How is this priority aligned with our business?
  • The skills gap comprises problems for many stakeholders, including: lack of preparedness for the underemployed and unemployed for workers; disconnects between training and industry expectations for colleges; and increased cost or project delays due to training or retraining for industry
  • Education - especially STEM education - and diversity are critical to a robust, talented pipeline
How this priority contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals…

These efforts contribute to UN SDG 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Since 2021, Linde’s Global Giving Program has invested in the company’s Skills Pipeline Program. To date, program graduates’ lifetime earning potential has increased by $20million.

Snapshot of Activity..

The Skills Pipeline Program offers a multi-faceted approach to workforce development, including community awareness campaigns, scholarships to provide training for skilled workers, professional development opportunities, support to increase the skills of incumbent workers and instructorships for teachers.

Programs have been offered in areas such as welding, advanced manufacturing, and professional truck driving. In certain programs, students also earn college credit, allowing students to stack credits transferable to degree programs, in addition to gaining industry-relevant credentials and exposure to potential employment opportunities.

Program graduates include soldiers transitioning from service in the Army and several first-generation community college students. Some of these Skills Pipeline Program graduates have found a place in industry post-transition, and some are working for Linde businesses, demonstrating the ability of programs such as these to address the skilled-crafts gap that exists in industry.

See the latest Sustainable Development Report in our Reporting Center for more information on inputs, as well as outcomes and impacts.