PDF Publication Title: [Sustainability Report 2022]
PDF Publication Title: []
PDF Publication Title: [Sustainability Report 2023]
Sustainability Report 2023
Sustainability Report 2023
Our approach to sustainability
As a global manufacturer and provider of indoor climate solutions, Zehnder Group operates within an industry with a significant environmental impact. At the same time, Zehnder is contributing to sustainable living through its controlled ventilation systems equipped with integral heat recovery. A heat exchanger captures and transfers the heat from the outgoing indoor air to the incoming outdoor air, allowing the recovery of a significant amount of the heat that would otherwise be lost during ventilation.
We are striving to create a positive impact for the environment, society and our employees in our day-to-day operations. We aim to reduce our carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions1 and waste and to close the loop of our products’ life cycles. In doing so, we examine the entire value chain, spanning from raw material acquisition and product development through procurement, production and operation to disposal. Step by step, we are involving our stakeholders more closely, particularly our suppliers and customers and building partnerships with peers and actors from other industries. This helps us to develop a common understanding of the opportunities and challenges that present themselves, which allows us to implement effective sustainability measures.
In the 2023 reporting period, we continued our work in the focus topics already defined, while strengthening the foundation of our sustainability strategy. We affirmed our material topics based on the principle of double materiality, conducted an in-depth human rights risk assessment and further developed our guidelines and activities relevant to combating corruption.
As a publicly listed, yet family-controlled company, fostering a positive corporate culture is especially important to us. Internally, we are committed to raising awareness of our sustainability ambitions among our employees, inspiring them to contribute themselves.
Our sustainability goals and strategy are guided by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), which Zehnder Group committed to in 2022. We actively contribute to initiatives such as the UNGC Ambition Accelerator and UNGC Gender Equality and Human Rights programmes. These principles govern our material sustainability topics and are reflected in essential instruments such as the Zehnder Group’s Code of Conduct, our Supplier Code of Conduct and our company values of customer focus, respect, trust, curiosity and openness.
1 We always refer to CO2e, including all relevant greenhouse gases (GHG) as per GHG Protocol: Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PCFs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
Our approach to reporting
With this Sustainability Report we continue increasing transparency for our stakeholders regarding Zehnder Group’s sustainability strategy, reporting our progress as well as the challenges we face. To meet the increasing requirements, our annual Sustainability Report is a work in progress. We report with reference to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and comply with the requirements of the Swiss Code of Obligations. We are gradually working towards implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) in the next report and adhering to the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) as of the business year 2025 (reported in 2026).
This Sustainability Report comprises the reporting period from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, following the same reporting period as the financial report. Its contents have been compiled based on the material sustainability topics. The report covers the entirety of our business segments and consolidated companies in line with Zehnder Group’s Annual Report 2023 (see Overview of companies in Zehnder Group’s Annual Report 2023). The report includes a limited assurance by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG for selected key performance indicators (KPIs).
The report is structured as follows: the chapters on Governance and Strategy give a general introduction, followed by the focus topics of Environmental matters, Employee related issues, Social issues, Combating corruption and Respect for human rights. The focus topics are based on the five topics identified for non-financial reporting according to the Swiss Code of Obligations. The material topics within the focus topics were identified in line with the principle of double materiality. For each focus topic the main risks related to the respective matters are described in “Impacts, risks and opportunities”. The “Management approach” explains how Zehnder is addressing these risks and which policies are adopted. “Implementation and outlook” contains the measures taken to implement these policies and Zehnder’s evaluation of the efficacy of these measures, including the main KPIs. Adjustments and deviations based on new data are indicated in the relevant sections. Figures that were not available or published last year are labelled as “n/a”.
The indices section contains the GRI content index, a Reconciliation table with the Swiss Code of Obligations as well as a List of abbreviations.
The key financial figures were already established as part of Zehnder’s 2023 Annual Report and are available on the Zehnder website.
Further information
Contact
Zehnder Group AG
Investor Relations
Moortalstrasse 1
5722 Graenichen (CH)
Phone +41 62 855 15 21
investor-relations@zehndergroup.com
www.zehndergroup.com
Publication date: 28 February 2024
The next Sustainability Report for the 2024 financial year is planned for the first quarter of 2025.
Additional information on our commitment to sustainability is available on our Sustainability website.