[Foreign language] Representatives of shareholders, dear representatives of the media, distinguished guests. My name is Simone Bagel-Trah. For the Articles of Association, I have been appointed the Chairperson of the AGM and would like to open this year's regular AGM of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and would like to welcome you on behalf of the Supervisory Board, the Shareholder Committee, and the Management Board. We invited you to this AGM with our announcements in the Federal Law Gazette dated 11th of March 2025. Before we proceed, allow me to make a personal remark. Whenever I refer to shareholders, their representatives, or advisors, please regard this as a unisex term. This is simply for better comprehensibility. The convocation was also disseminated on our website on a European level. The required notifications, in particular those to credit institutes and shareholder associations, to be forwarded to our shareholders have been done in due time. Confirmation of the publication of the convocation in the Federal Law Gazette, that also includes our agenda and the proposed resolution, is also available to our acting notary, Dr. Hauschild. I would like to welcome Dr. Hauschild. I would therefore like to confirm that the convocation to this AGM, in line with the Articles of Association and the law, has been done in due time and form. There are no counter motions or alternative candidates proposed that require approval. The acting members of the Supervisory Board of our company are all in attendance, as well as the members of our Management Board. Regarding the composition of our executive and supervisory bodies, there have been some changes since our last AGM, or they are pending. On the Supervisory Board, Mrs. Andrea Piechotka, as a representative of the trade unions, has resigned from her mandate in the Supervisory Board effective as of 31st of December 2024. The local court in Düsseldorf appointed Natalie Mühlenfeld to succeed Mrs. Piechotka effective as of 31st of January 2025. We would like to use this opportunity to thank Mrs. Piechotka for more than 20 years of confidential and constructive cooperation. She was instrumental in the introduction of CareFlex at Henkel, the first company nursing care insurance in Germany. There are also some changes to our Shareholder Committee. Mr. James Rowan resigned from his mandate effective as of the closing of this year's AGM. He had been a member of the Shareholder Committee since 16th of April 2021. We would like to thank Mr. Rowan for the excellent and constructive cooperation over the last few years. Therefore, there are by-elections, and in line with agenda item 7, we propose Sabrina Sousson, former Chief Executive Officer and Chairwoman of Suez, is proposed to the AGM as a new member in the Shareholder Committee. We're very pleased that Mrs. Sousson is an excellent candidate with excellent expertise in the management and leadership of internationally operating companies. She also provides valuable expertise that is relevant to Henkel in the field of innovation, transformation, and technologies in areas such as mobility, energy, and sustainability. Mrs. Sousson was born in France in 1969, and she has degrees in business administration and mechanical and aerospace engineering. With her experience and her international profile, and she has until recently been a member of the board of Boeing in the U.S., she is an excellent addition to the competence profile of the Shareholder Committee. Dear shareholders, she would like to introduce herself with a short video message, and she's also here. Welcome, Mrs. Sousson. [Foreign language] Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Sabrina Sousson, and I have been proposed as a candidate to the Shareholder Committee to the AGM of Henkel AG & Co. KGaA. First of all, I would like to introduce myself. I was born in France and attended the Grande École in Poitiers, where I studied aerospace and mechanical engineering. Then I obtained an MBA in business in Poitiers, and technology, in combination with the challenges of customers and markets, have always been close to my heart. My first employment was with Renault in Paris, where I started in engine development. My next step was a career at Siemens, where I worked in different areas for 22 years. First of all, at Siemens Automobile Technology in Toulouse, and later on in Regensburg, where I met my husband and my daughter was born. During that period, I also acquired German citizenship. I started a new chapter at Siemens Gebäudetechnik in Switzerland, and then I returned to Germany as CEO of Siemens Mobility. My responsibility was to restructure the train business. After many years of a commuter, I returned to Switzerland and became CEO of Dormakaba, an internationally operating company for locking and security technology. I returned to Paris, where I became Chairwoman and CEO of the Suez Group, and also was responsible for the restructuring. My professional career always involved a great deal of traveling, and I visited many different countries. I have always been interested in and curious about new challenges, people, and different cultures. Whether it was in a management and operating function as a member of the Supervisory Board, as an independent advisor, for instance, the advisor to the Lord Mayor of Changchun in China, or also the advisor to the Technical Symposium of the University. My family is a good counterweight, as well as nature and exercise. My generation was fortunate enough to live in a peaceful Europe for decades. The internationalization and improvement of living conditions in a stable environment and many more aspects is something we have taken for granted. However, today we had to learn that things have changed, and this is a great challenge for people and companies alike. We have to create the future with courage and confidence. I should like to thank you for the confidence entrusted in me. This confidence is also an obligation for me, the obligation and the pleasure to embark on the successful path of Henkel together with you. Thank you very much. [Foreign language] The CV of Mrs. Sousson has also been attached to the convocation. Regarding the Management Board, there have not been any changes since our last AGM. So much on the current and upcoming changes. Before we proceed, I would like to welcome Mrs. Schlotter and Dr. Bartels, who are attending in their capacity as auditors of PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft. Before we discuss the agenda, I would like to express my gratitude to the employees who have been involved in the planning and organization of this year's annual general meeting. I would like to make a few procedural announcements. We have the procedural information on this AGM that contains the details, the procedural details of this AGM. This information has been available since the convocation on our website. Please comply with the information, and I would like to summarize the most important points, and my instructions as Chairwoman of this AGM shall prevail versus the information in the procedural information. The attendance area is the first floor of the Stadthalle that is accessible to all shareholders. Votes can only be cast in this meeting room, and the same applies to any request for the floor and any questions. We have audio and video transmission into the rooms on the first floor of Stadthalle. We also have audio transmissions to some ancillary rooms of the attendance area. You are leaving this meeting, this AGM, once you pass the exit checkpoints. This AGM is a non-smoking meeting. Therefore, smoking is only allowed outside of the meeting rooms, and please consume any food and beverage in the restaurant area. I kindly ask you to switch off your mobile phones as long as you're in this meeting room. Please do not use the phone. We have changed our voting procedure. This year, we no longer have voting cards, but will apply employed tablets and have a digital voting process. Therefore, you did not receive a voting card block as a holder of ordinary shares and no attendance block as a holder of preferred shares. Instead, the upper third of your admission card had been detached to record your attendance, and this is also confirmation of your attendance. Please keep it for the whole duration of this AGM. This part of your admission card also contains a QR code, which can be allocated to your ordinary and preferred shares. With the QR code that is printed upon your admission cards, it is useful to exercise your voting rights. If you have several admission cards, please check whether you have presented all these admission cards at the check-in desk so that all of them can be fully accounted for. If you have not done so, please present all your admission cards at the latest until we start with the voting process. As we will use the subtraction process to determine the vote, we will keep a very strict entrance and exit control, and I would like to ask you for your cooperation. Please do not leave the meeting before reporting to the checkout desks and submitting all your admission cards. Those who leave the meeting without registering or reporting will be considered as in attendance. Therefore, their votes will also be accounted for and will be regarded as affirmative votes in the sense of the administration, unless another voting procedure will be required. If you want to leave this meeting, you may also issue a proxy to a third person, and you can actually ask the assistants at the checkout desk or the speaker's desk who will provide the corresponding form to you. Please fill in this form and hand over your admission card to your proxy holder. When leaving the attendance area, please present this form. You will also, when checking out, receive a ticket for the public transport and access data to access the Henkel Investor portal, where you can confirm that your votes have been accounted for. You will also receive confirmation of your attendance at the checkout desk. If you leave this meeting as holder of ordinary shares, you can also issue proxy rights to representatives of the company until the conclusion of Mr. Knobel's presentation, and you can also issue instructions. This can be done electronically at the terminals at the checkout desks, and you can also do that in writing on the back of your admission card. Please hand over your admission card at the checkout desk. Please issue instructions for every agenda item. If you do not do this, the proxy holders of the company will abstain from voting on the corresponding agenda item. In case you have several admission cards, this information will apply to all your admission cards. I would also like to highlight Section 135, Subsection 5 of the Stock Corporation Act, according to which intermediaries, voting advisors and persons who are able to exercise voting rights on behalf of shareholders during the AGM are able to sub-proxy their voting rights to their employees if this is explicitly permitted. In order to make it possible for shareholders to follow the presentations also on the annual financial statements, this will be broadcast. There will be a live stream of Mr. Knobel's presentation. Shareholders who are not in attendance may exercise their voting rights through issuing proxies, which will be possible until the conclusion of Mr. Knobel's presentation. I would like to ask our technical support to deactivate this option without me announcing it. Any public transmission or broadcasting of parts of this AGM will not be recorded, and private audio and video recordings of this AGM are not permitted. We are currently preparing the directory of attendance, which will be updated on a regular level. I will also announce the current attendance, and you can see the current attendance directory at the incoming terminal, at the information desk. After the presentation of our CEO, we will open a general debate on all agenda items. Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to speak on agenda items following Mr. Knobel's presentation, please submit your request for the floor at the speaker's desk. Please provide your name and the number of your admission card, as well as the agenda items on which you wish to speak. The speaker's desk is on the right-hand side of the stage. If you would like to file procedural motions or counter-motions, please do so in writing and submit it at the speaker's desk. You can actually have one of the assistants at the speaker's desk record your motions, which makes it easier for us to consider what to do with this motion and to decide whether or not the person presenting the motion will receive the floor. The motion will be regarded as made once it has been presented orally. After the conclusion of the general debate, we will have one voting process on all the proposals of the administrations. I will also highlight some details later, and they are also contained in the procedural information that is available on the website. So much on the formalities. Ladies and gentlemen, we will now proceed with our agenda. It has 10 agenda items. You will see the information on the agenda items and the proposed resolutions in the convocation. Once the wording of the agenda item has been published in the Federal Law Gazette and on our website, I take it that you are familiar with the agenda. We will have a general debate on all agenda items in one go, and therefore I call up all agenda items. Regarding agenda items one and two of the agenda, I would like to state that the following documentation has been available on our website since the convocation: the annual financial statement and the consolidated financial statement, the combined management report of the company and the group in line with the details of Articles 289A and 315A of the German Commercial Code, the proposal for the approval of the annual financial statement and the appropriation of the profit, and the report of the Supervisory Board for fiscal 2024. The sustainability report is also available on our website. It's a summary, and it's a non-financial report which had been compiled by applying the European Sustainability Reporting Standards. The documents made available to shareholders, like the remuneration report, are also available on our website. Aside from the usual regular agenda items, there are some special items, like the proposed resolution on the by-election to the Shareholder Committee, the proposed resolution on renewing the authorization to conduct virtual AGMs and amendment of the Articles of Association, and the proposed resolution on the cancellation of existing authorized capital and creation of new capital, that is the authorized capital 2025 against cash contributions with subscription rights. I will come back to these agenda items later. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Knobel will present his report on fiscal 2024 and also some other matters pertaining to the company. The most important focal points of Mr. Knobel's presentation have been published on our website, and like in previous years, his speech will still be available on our website. Mr. Knobel, you have the floor. [Foreign language] Meine sehr geehrten Damen und Herren, Ladies and gentlemen, dear shareholders and dear friends of our company. Welcome to our annual general meeting. I'm very pleased to welcome you today. Also, on behalf of the Board of Management and our employees, I'd also like to welcome all the shareholders who are following our annual general meeting online. Today is a special annual general meeting. We are celebrating an anniversary. Today marks the 40th annual general meeting of Henkel since our IPO in 1985. I'm therefore particularly pleased that you are here today. Last year, I assured you that we will keep our promises and that we will deliver what we announce. Once again, we demonstrated this impressively in the past financial year. We have consistently developed Henkel further in all areas based on our holistic growth agenda. We have reached all, or even exceeded, all important targets that we had set for ourselves, and we delivered strong sales growth in both business units. We achieved an exceptionally strong increase in profit. We raised our guidance twice in the course of 2024, and we achieved all the targets by the end of the year. This in a difficult environment that presents new surprises and challenges every day in a world that is increasingly affected by geopolitical tensions. Today, I would like to explain in more detail how we have successfully navigated Henkel through this challenging environment and what key role Henkel employees are playing with their pioneering spirit and their novelty strengths. I'll illustrate this using the example of three innovation stories. This shows impressively how we bring our company, corporate purpose, to life every day, pioneers at heart, for the good of generations. More on this in a moment. First of all, let me take a look at the 2024 financial year, the economic environment, and our expectations for fiscal 2025. We published our business results at the beginning of March. I will therefore focus on the key figures. Past year was once again characterized by major challenges, geopolitical tensions, military conflicts in various regions of the world, economic uncertainties, and continued strained supply chains, to name but a few of the most important factors. We generated sales of EUR 21.6 billion in 2024. This corresponds to strong organic sales growth of 2.6%, adjusted for acquisitions, divestments, and currency effects. Adjusted operating profit rose by around 21% to EUR 3.1 billion. Our profitability has therefore improved exceptionally well. This growth of the gross margin, in simple terms, the percentage of sales retained out of the cost of sales of our products, reached its highest level in more than 30 years. This enables us to invest more in our businesses and brands, in innovations, and in advertising. Adjusted return on sales rose to 14.3%, which is an increase by 2.4 percentage points. We also achieved a very strong increase in adjusted earnings per preferred share by 25% at constant exchange rates to EUR 5.36. Free cash flow amounted to around EUR 2.4 billion, which is an excellent result. Our net financial position, in other words, our net debt, stood at minus EUR 93 million at the end of the year. This means that Henkel is practically debt-free, which reflects the company's very sound financial position, especially in these challenging times. A sound balance sheet is a major advantage, and it gives us room for a maneuver and room to drive further development, also for acquisitions to strengthen our portfolio in both units. In summary, 2024 was a very successful year. The excellent results show that our strategy is working and delivering tangible progress. None of this would have been possible without our 47,000 colleagues worldwide. I therefore like to thank all Henkel employees for their outstanding achievements, thanks to their teamwork and outstanding commitment. We were once again able to successfully navigate our company through a difficult year. Thank you very much for that. [Foreign language] Liebe Aktionärinnen und Aktionäre, wir haben eine sehr erfolgreiche... Dear shareholders, we have delivered a very successful business and earnings performance and have a very strong financial foundation. Based on this, we are today proposing a dividend of EUR 2.04 per preferred share and EUR 2.02 per ordinary share. This is an increase of more than 10% compared to the previous year and corresponds to a payout ratio of around 38%. Dividend is therefore at the upper end of our target range of 30-40% of the adjusted net profit for the year. In addition to the dividend, the share price is, of course, also an important aspect to consider. Including the reinvestment of the dividend, the total return on the preferred share amounted to 19.2% last year. For ordinary shares, the return was 17.7%. This meant that Henkel preferred shares outperformed the DAX and the STOXX Europe 600 in 2024, as well as the average of our competitors in the industrial consumer goods sectors. However, it was also clear that the share price performance of Henkel has not been satisfactory so far this year. Last year, we demonstrated that we can deliver more. That is why we continue to work every day to lead the company successfully into the future, and this will also be reflected in the share price. I remain firmly convinced of that. Our confidence in our financial strength and the future potential of our business is also reflected in our new share buyback program. It has a volume of up to EUR 1 billion. I have already referred to the outlook for 2025, so what exactly do we expect? First, let's take a look at the economic environment. In recent weeks and months, we have all followed the announcement of massive tariff increases by the U.S. government and the countermeasures taken by important trading partners, which have disturbed the capital markets. Overall, the direct impact of higher tariffs is manageable for our company. This is because we generally produce most of the goods in the country or region where we sell them. We call this approach in the region for the region. Nevertheless, significant higher tariffs and restrictions on global trade will also lead to higher costs for us. It's also clear that a dispute on global tariffs and trade conflicts will certainly have a negative impact on global economic growth. We will therefore monitor further developments very closely and assess the impact this will have on our company. We continue to expect moderate growth in global economic output in 2025. This applies both to industrial demand and consumer demand in key areas of Henkel's consumer goods business. Based on these assumptions, we reiterate our outlook for the year, which we published at the beginning of the year. We are aiming for organic sales growth of between 1.5% and 3.5% for Henkel. When we announced our outlook for the year, we already mentioned that we expect a stronger development in the second half of the year compared to the first half. We anticipate a further increase in the adjusted return on sales, expecting a figure in the range of 14.0%-15.5% for adjusted earnings per preferred share at constant exchange rates. We expect an increase in the low to high single digit percentage range. Now, that brings me to the end of my comments on the 2024 financial figures and the outlook for 2025. What were the drivers behind the positive developments in the past year, and how are we preparing for the future? The successful transformation of the company plays a key role in this context. We're striving for profitable, holistic growth, and to achieve this, we must continuously change and develop. That's exactly what we're doing across all areas. Probably the biggest change in Henkel's recent history is the merger of our consumer goods business to establish the Henkel Consumer Brands business unit. I've spoken about this in detail in previous years. Consumer Brands business unit has been operating since the beginning of 2023, and successfully so. Positive development continued in the 2024 financial year. Consumer Brands achieved sales of EUR 10.5 billion, with strong organic sales growth of 3%. The adjusted return on sales reached 13.6%, which is an increase of 3 percentage points compared to the previous year. We've almost made significantly faster and better progress with the integration than initially planned with the merger of the teams, the restructuring of the portfolio, and the savings planned. We completed the first phase of the integration in 2024. This mainly involved merging the sales and marketing teams. In the second phase, which has been running since 2023, the focus has been on optimizing our production networks and supply chains, and we now want to achieve the savings target by the end of 2025. It is one year ahead of plan. Of course, it is not just about cutting costs. The merger is aiming at creating a platform for future profitable growth. We are therefore consistently focusing the business unit on strong brands and businesses with a higher growth margin. We have executed comprehensive portfolio measures for that purpose. Since the start of the integration, we have sold or discontinued brands and businesses with a total sales volume of slightly more than EUR 1 billion. With this, the announced portfolio optimization program has been completed. The focus on high growth and profitable brands and businesses is also reflected in the results. The top 10 brands in the Consumer Brands segment achieved very strong organic growth combined with a positive volume development. These brands already account for more than half of Consumer Brands' sales. At the same time, we can see that a change in our portfolio is having a very positive effect on the growth margin of the business unit, which enables us to invest more in our brands and businesses, in innovations and new products, in sustainability, and in digitalization. This is how we create momentum for future growth. Innovation is the perfect keyword. After all, innovative products are a key success factor in the highly competitive consumer goods market. This is the only way we can offset ourselves from our competitors. Around 1,000 research and development experts in the Consumer Brands business unit work intensively on innovations that offer consumers real added value for large and well-known brands such as Persil, Pril, Schwarzkopf, Syoss, and many others. In 2024, we also successfully launched numerous new products and innovations in the market. One example is Perwoll. I'm sure you all know this iconic brand in the detergent segment, and hopefully, you use it regularly. We've developed a completely new formula for this product. What makes this formula so special and why it also contributes to greater sustainability is best explained by one of our colleagues, two of our colleagues. [Foreign language] Was mich antreibt, ist, dass wir innovativ. What drives me is that we develop innovative and sustainable products that our consumers are committed to not only today, but also fulfills their needs of tomorrow. My name is Jan Kruse, and I'm globally responsible for fabric care in consumer brands. Perwoll's unique Renew Technology is able to bring back even dull and faded clothes in just 10 washes. Imagine your often-washed fabric clothes regain luminosity with smooth fibers and pills removed. My name is Aitana Salom, and I work as an international marketing manager for fabric care. [Foreign language] Wir haben Perwoll in den letzten 15 Jahren. In the past 15 years, we've continued to develop Perwoll from a pure detergent to a colorant that keeps your clothes longer new. With this new technology, we bring color and radiation back to fibers so that the clothes smell good and look good. We want to encourage our consumers to take a conscious approach towards fashion while helping them to enjoy their favorite clothes for longer. For us, innovation doesn't simply mean creating something completely new; it also means to improve our products so that they continue to play a role in our consumers' lives in the future. Is it new? No. It's washed with Perwoll. [Foreign language] Of course, innovations are also crucial to our success in the hair business within the business unit. This includes, for example, the new Cream Supreme colorant from Schwarzkopf. Concerns about possible hair damage are the most common reason many people are reluctant to color their hair at home. This is why we have developed a new technology. It strengthens the hair structure through micro-connections that hold the hair fibers together more firmly. A protective layer is also formed that coats the hair and leads to significantly less hair breakage. We recently pooled our expertise in hair cosmetics in Hamburg in the new so-called House of Hair. On six floors and around 9,400 sq m, everything here revolves around hair coloration, styling, and care brands. More than 300 experts from various fields work together on innovations for hairdressers and consumers. Acquisitions are another way of strengthening our portfolio. At the beginning of 2024, for example, we acquired the well-known hair care brand Vidal Sassoon in China. The acquired brand perfectly complements our local retail portfolio in China. Vidal Sassoon's range includes shampoos, conditioners, as well as styling and hair care products in the premium segment. As you can see, after two years, our new Consumer Brands business unit is successfully established in the market with a clear positioning and focus on fast-growing and profitable brands, innovations, and a highly motivated team. Of course, we still have more work to do here, but after the significant progress we've made over the past two years, I'm firmly convinced that we are here on the right track. This brings me to our second business unit, Adhesive Technologies. Here, we also recorded very good development in the past financial year. As our shareholders, you know that we are by far the global leader in Adhesive's coatings and sealants. We offer around 20,000 different products and solutions to more than 100,000 customers worldwide across more than 800. [Foreign language] We're unique in the market for the breadth and depth of our portfolio, with our global footprint and the expertise of our teams. In the three business areas, mobility and electronics, packaging and consumer goods, and craftsmen, construction, and professional, we're focusing on key future trends. These include e-mobility and connectivity, and obviously, sustainability. This clear focus on the trends of tomorrow once again contributed to the successful development of Adhesive Technologies in 2024. Sales in the past year reached EUR 11 billion, representing a good organic sales growth of 2.4%. Adjusted return on sales rose by around 2 percentage points compared to the previous year, reaching 16.6%. This major increase was achieved through strong volume growth on the one hand and ongoing measures to reduce cost and increase efficiency on the other. In the past fiscal year, we also invested in acquisitions in Adhesive Technologies, further strengthening our portfolio. One example is the acquisition of Seal for Life Industries. That company offers protective coating and sealant solutions for Critical infrastructure. For example, these products are used for oil and gas pipelines, and with increasing energy transition, also for hydrogen infrastructure. This acquisition complements the acquisition of Critica Infrastructure in 2023. That was a company that's also specializing in the maintenance and repair of infrastructure. Now, with these acquisitions, we have perfectly complemented our existing portfolio, thus creating a platform for further growth in an attractive, promising field for business. Another important area for us is the automotive sector. Of the approximately EUR 11 billion in sales in Adhesive Technologies, we record around 20% with manufacturers from automotive. Of this, 20% is attributable to solutions for e-cars. Overall, the developments in the global automotive sector were not easy in 2024, particularly in Germany. Nevertheless, we were able to significantly outperform market growth. Firstly, because we're internationally positioned and our customers include almost all OEMs around the globe. Secondly, we have innovative solutions which enable us to win more new orders. That also contributed to this performance. Innovation is also a key success driver in this field of business, which is why we're investing very consistently here. Last year, for example, we opened our state-of-the-art battery test center at our HQ in Düsseldorf. It is directly connected to our largest innovation center worldwide, the Inspiration Center Düsseldorf, as it were, which I have already presented to you in detail. With the opening of the battery test center, we're significantly expanding our expertise in the field of e-mobility, reinforcing our position as a leading design and innovation partner for automotive OEMs and battery manufacturers. Batteries are the heart of every electric vehicle. Anyone who's ever thought about buying an electric car knows about the debate around range and charging times. With our solutions, we're making an important difference, a contribution to the future development of batteries. We're making batteries more powerful, safer, and more sustainable. Again, I'd like to let one of our colleagues speak about this. [Foreign language] Was uns antreibt, ist das, woran wir arbeiten. What's driving us is what we're working on with other industries. [Foreign language] Mein Name ist Frank Kerstan. My name is Frank Kerstan, and I'm the head of the European business of e-mobility in the Adhesive Technologies area of Henkel. Die Frage we're wondering about is how our Adhesive Technologies innovations can make batteries better and how we can make a difference with regard to zero-emission automobility in the world. Bonding is extremely important because one of the major challenges is to get the important materials out of the batteries towards the end of their life. Last year, 17.9 billion battery cells were built into electric cars last year only. The debonding, that is, the disconnecting of adhesive bonds, makes it possible to reuse battery components. We don't just want zero-emission mobility, but also a future with a cycle economy. With our Adhesive Technologies, we're not just keeping pace, we're also setting the pace. That is it for the developments in our two areas of Consumer Brands and Adhesive Technologies. Let me stay with the topics of future technologies of innovation. After all, digitalization also plays a major role in our agenda for purposeful growth. The focus here is currently on the significant progress in the field of artificial intelligence, AI. At Henkel, AI has been an integral part of our digital strategy for a number of years. We use these technologies in many areas of our operations. For example, AI is used in process automation with our Adhesive Technologies research laboratories and the virtual connection of our global production sites. Also, in autonomous robots in our manufacturing facilities, and AI is used for chatbots on Henkel's brand websites, where virtual assistants answer customer inquiries. With the rapidly growing potential of AI applications, the responsible use of this technology is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, we're promoting the skills of our employees to use such technologies ideally and consciously in a deliberate way. For example, through e-learning, training, and workshops. In our digital unit called Henkel DX, we further optimize internal structures, strengthening our digital expertise in 2024 and fostering a culture of open innovation. Additionally, we're benefiting from our strategic partnerships with leading global digital companies such as SAP, Microsoft, and Adobe. These collaborations enable Henkel to integrate cutting-edge technologies into our digital platforms and projects. Another extremely important pillar of our growth agenda is sustainability. Commitment to sustainable action has long been part of our company values. Even in challenging times, we remain true to our fundamental values. With our spirit of pioneering and innovation, we're also contributing to society, and we're committed to a more sustainable world today and for generations to come. I am pleased to report to you on tangible progress in this area. For example, by the end of last year, we substantially reduced carbon emissions in our production almost by two-thirds compared to the baseline year 2017. When it comes to the energy purchase, as much as 47% was from renewables, that is almost half. We're also confirming our commitment to drive tangible change through our plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to a high degree. In actual terms, this means that we want to achieve net zero across our entire value chain by 2045. This ambitious plan and the associated targets are even more far-reaching than before. They include all operational processes at our locations, our sites worldwide, and they're covering a large part of our upstream and downstream value chain. The Science Based Targets Initiative thoroughly examined and validated our new targets in 2024. Not many peers, not many companies in our competitive environment can claim this. It is our contribution to limiting global warming to one and a half degrees Celsius, as agreed in the Paris Climate Agreement. Obviously, our products are also making an important contribution to sustainability. We want to foster sustainable consumption and continue promoting the circular economy. Our consumer goods products are naturally at the forefront of this. Here, we've continuously increased the share of recycled plastics or recycled in the packaging for various products continuously. For example, well-known brands such as Persil, Weisser Riese, Schauma, and Gliss in Europe, the proportion of recycled in these products now reaches at least 50%, and the bottle bodies are, of course, also excellently recyclable. In North America, the bottle bodies of our Dial brand liquid hand soap are already made from 100% recycled plastic. In Adhesive Technologies, in that business unit, innovation and solutions enable greater sustainability, especially in manufacturing processes of our industrial customers. Let me give you a hands-on example. A newly developed hot melt adhesive for the packaging industry under the Technomelt brand can reduce the processing temperature by up to 40 degrees. With this innovation, our customers can reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by up to a third while significantly reducing energy consumption in production. Furthermore, half of that adhesive consists of bio-based raw materials. This offers the opportunity to fully recycle the product packaging. However, sustainable and responsible action is not just about reducing greenhouse gases, using less energy and raw materials, or avoiding plastic waste. It also entails such topics as working conditions and promoting equal opportunities in the workplace. We launched a special innovation in this area last year too. As the first company listed on the DAX, Henkel introduced gender-neutral parental leave worldwide with full salary compensation. This underpins our commitment for a more inclusive culture. We are particularly meeting the expectations of younger generations. For them, equal childcare is an increasingly important factor in family and career planning. I already highlighted this initiative at last year's annual general meeting to you. Back then, it was still being prepared. It is now been established worldwide, and it is very positive and open. For that purpose, we also asked a colleague to give you a first-hand insight of how we've implemented this in practice and what it means for employees. [Foreign language] Was mich antreibt, is that parental leave is valuable time for my family. We'd like to support our employees at Henkel to take the right decisions and have their family on board at the right points in time. My name is Viktoria Kuss, and I'm in charge of the global HR strategy at Henkel. I have a daughter, and she's one year old. It was a great experience, and I had a best time with them. [Foreign language] Wir haben eine geschlechterneutrale Elternzeit. We have a gender-neutral parental leave period now at Henkel because we want to support our employees in the first stage after birth. We want to support them emotionally and physically and sharing the household activities with them. [Foreign language] Gerade in dieser Zeit werden It's that period of time when valuable connections are made with our kids and with the first DAX company that globally introduced full salary compensation for gender-neutral parental leave at Henkel. We want to set a clear sign for more compatibility of work and family life and for equal opportunities in looking after the kids. Teaching her swimming, and now she was able to swim. [Foreign language] Aus der Tradition eines Familienunternehmens Based on the tradition of a family company, we want to provide a change towards a more inclusive society from the very inside. We planned families, and this eight weeks means a lot. [Foreign language] Unsere vielfältigen Maßnahmen und Initiativen zur besseren Our diverse measures and initiatives to improve the work-life balance of our employees is also reflected in concrete figures. By the end of 2024, around 42% of our management positions worldwide were held by women. We're quite proud of our teams around the globe. A company can only be successful if the people enjoy working for it and remain motivated to give their best. This is why it's so important for us to promote a culture of collaboration with the freedom to contribute new ideas, to constantly develop and learn. Characterized by respect and appreciation for each and every individual just as they are and irrespective of where they're from. That's what we believe in, and that's what we're sticking to. [Foreign language] Meine Damen und Herren, Ladies and gentlemen, this takes me to the end of my speech. Let me just sum up the most important messages. We're looking back on an excellent year 2024 with the right strategy. Our great results are proof of this. We have a strong portfolio. We're successful in innovative brands for consumers. We're offering solutions with cutting-edge technologies for our industrial clients around the world. We want to, and we will continue to develop Henkel with a clear focus on purposeful growth driven by innovation, sustainability, and digitalization with a great team and a strong culture for a successful future. Obviously, for you, to your benefit, the benefit of our shareholders. On this basis, we're looking at the future with confidence, even in these turbulent times. Today, we're confirming our outlook for 2025 with further sales and earnings increases. Finally, I'd like to say thank you. First and foremost, once again, I'd like to thank our employees worldwide. I'm quite proud to be part of this excellent Henkel team. I'd like to thank the entire Management board: Sylvie, Mark, Wolfgang, Marco. I'd like to thank you for your commitment, your experience, and your team spirit. We achieved a lot for Henkel in 2024. This was not always easy, and this year also entails new challenges. We have been successful as a team, and we will make this year a successful year for Henkel as well. I should also like to thank our company bodies, the Supervisory Board, and the Shareholders' Committee. I'd like to thank you for your experience, your expertise, and your advice, because without you, we would not have made so much progress in our transformation. Particularly, I would like to thank you, Dr. Bagel-Trah, for the excellent cooperation with you as Chairwoman of our corporate bodies, for your guidance, your questions, your advice. Above all, I'd like to thank you for your trust. I'm looking forward to the common path ahead of us. And finally, of course, I'd like to thank you, our shareholders. Your confidence in the future of Henkel is what drives us. Thank you for your attention. [Foreign language] Ja, lieber Herr Knobel, vielen Dank für Ihre Ausführungen. Thank you, Mr. Knobel, for your extensive report. Like in previous years, we will now stop the live stream of this AGM. I would like to say goodbye to those who were logged on and have been following up to this point and thank them for their interest. Ab jetzt können über das Internet keine Abstimmungen mehr. As of now, it will no longer be possible to cast postal votes or to issue instructions and proxies to proxy representatives of the company or third parties. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to address a few topics that we have been discussing since the last AGM on.