Latest news with #LaurenvonStackelberg
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lego drops diversity terminology after slew of ‘inclusive' characters
Lego has dropped diversity and inclusion terminology from a yearly report, despite recently introducing a slew of 'inclusive' mini-figures into its play sets. Words such as 'diversity', 'LGBTQ+' or 'people of colour' were absent from the Danish toy-maker's 2024 annual sustainability report, but had featured heavily in its 2023 document. The phrase 'diversity and inclusion' was mentioned three times in the previous report, including in the chief executive's introduction, but is missing from the latest update. In December, the company announced it would release sunflower-badge-wearing toy figures to indicate they had hidden disabilities such as autism or dementia. Lauren von Stackelberg, Lego's chief diversity and inclusion officer, said at the time the company hoped that 'modelling a world in which all kinds of people are celebrated will help us embrace diversity, value inclusivity and remove stigma'. It followed years of attempts to make its brick universe more diverse, which included introducing toys with different skin tones or from different cultures. Other figures had missing limbs, or medical conditions such as Down's syndrome or vitiligo. Iben Schmidt, a Danish journalist, said she had spoken to a 'number of experts' regarding Lego's apparent change in approach, 'and they find it difficult to see it as anything other than trying to be in line with the new course from the Trump administration'. 'Just a year ago, [Lego] was not shy about talking about their work with diversity and showing that they were very inclusive,' she said. 'Words like LGBTQ, 'people of colour', 'woman', 'diversity' had completely disappeared in their sustainability report for 2024.' The 2024 report does address gender balance at the director level, aiming for a 57 per cent male and 43 per cent female split by 2025, but stressed that 'appointments are made on merit'. Lego's shift in tone comes as Donald Trump's crackdown on diversity programmes appeared to have hit Europe, with several companies across the EU reportedly receiving letters from US officials saying the rollback also applies to firms looking to do business with the US. It is not clear whether Lego has received such contact from the US. Lego said in a statement: 'Every year we review and adapt our reporting to ensure it complies with latest requirements and reflects our plans and results.'We also regularly update our policies. We believe that the different backgrounds, perspectives, skills and experiences of our colleagues are our strength and contribute to our ambition to reach children around the world with Lego play experiences.'We want to attract, retain and develop the best talent and have always worked to provide equal opportunities for all our colleagues. We are fully committed to our diversity and inclusion initiatives and to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for everyone.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
11-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Lego drops diversity terminology after slew of ‘inclusive' characters
Lego has dropped diversity and inclusion terminology from a yearly report, despite recently introducing a slew of 'inclusive' mini-figures into its play sets. Words such as 'diversity', 'LGBTQ+' or 'people of colour' were absent from the Danish toy-maker's 2024 annual sustainability report, but had featured heavily in its 2023 document. The phrase 'diversity and inclusion' was mentioned three times in the previous report, including in the chief executive's introduction, but is missing from the latest update. In December, the company announced it would release sunflower-badge-wearing toy figures to indicate they had hidden disabilities such as autism or dementia. Lauren von Stackelberg, Lego's chief diversity and inclusion officer, said at the time the company hoped that 'modelling a world in which all kinds of people are celebrated will help us embrace diversity, value inclusivity and remove stigma'. It followed years of attempts to make its brick universe more diverse, which included introducing toys with different skin tones or from different cultures. Other figures had missing limbs, or medical conditions such as Down's syndrome or vitiligo. 'Trying to be in line with Trump' Iben Schmidt, a Danish journalist, said she had spoken to a 'number of experts' regarding Lego's apparent change in approach, 'and they find it difficult to see it as anything other than trying to be in line with the new course from the Trump administration'. 'Just a year ago, [Lego] was not shy about talking about their work with diversity and showing that they were very inclusive,' she said. 'Words like LGBTQ, 'people of colour', 'woman', 'diversity' had completely disappeared in their sustainability report for 2024.' The 2024 report does address gender balance at the director level, aiming for a 57 per cent male and 43 per cent female split by 2025, but stressed that 'appointments are made on merit'. Lego's shift in tone comes as Donald Trump's crackdown on diversity programmes appeared to have hit Europe, with several companies across the EU reportedly receiving letters from US officials saying the rollback also applies to firms looking to do business with the US. It is not clear whether Lego has received such contact from the US. Lego said in a statement: 'Every year we review and adapt our reporting to ensure it complies with latest requirements and reflects our plans and results. 'We also regularly update our policies. We believe that the different backgrounds, perspectives, skills and experiences of our colleagues are our strength and contribute to our ambition to reach children around the world with Lego play experiences. 'We want to attract, retain and develop the best talent and have always worked to provide equal opportunities for all our colleagues. We are fully committed to our diversity and inclusion initiatives and to creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for everyone.'
The Guardian
11-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Lego drops diversity terms from its annual sustainability report
Lego has cut diversity terminology from its annual sustainability report despite trumpeting the recent addition of 'diverse' characters to make its toys more 'inclusive'. Most recently the world's biggest toymaker introduced sets featuring characters with sunflower lanyards, which are worn to indicate a hidden disability. At the time its chief diversity and inclusion officer, Lauren von Stackelberg, said that the company was 'embedding diversity and inclusion in everything we do'. As part of this mission, Lego has added characters of different skin tones and cultures, as well as physical and non-visible disabilities to its playsets. Figures with limb differences, Down's syndrome, anxiety and vitiligo have all been warmly received by children. However, despite these efforts, Lego's 2024 sustainability statement contains no mention of terms such as 'diversity', 'LGBTQ+' and 'people of colour' all of which appeared in 2023. The previous document also mentioned 'diversity and inclusion' in three places, including in the opening remarks by chief executive Niels Christiansen, but the phrase is absent from the latest release. The 2024 report does discuss gender breakdown at director level, and outlines a target split for 2025 of 57% male/43% female (building on 2024 levels of 57.9%/41.9%). But for the first time it also makes a point of saying 'appointments are made on merit', echoing language used by the US government. The shift in tone from the Danish company is seemingly the latest example of the Trump administration's crackdown on diversity initiatives having an effect in Europe. Several companies across the EU have reportedly received letters from US representatives telling them that the rollback applies to firms around the world looking to do business with the States. Asked about the altered language, Lego insisted that it remained fully committed to its diversity and inclusion initiatives. The diversity page on the Lego Group's website is also still live. A Lego spokesperson said: 'Every year we review and adapt our reporting to ensure it complies with latest requirements and reflects our plans and results. The 2024 sustainability statement does not represent a change in our ongoing approach to diversity and inclusion.' Louise Eldridge, head of good work at campaign group ShareAction said that removing references to diversity and inclusion from company reports sends a 'concerning signal to investors'. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion She aded: 'Removing unfair barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups from competing on a level playing field is a good thing for workers and for businesses. 'At this critical juncture, companies must make it clear to investors and their customers that they remain committed to tackling unfairness and inequity in the workplace. Now is not the time to step back.'
