2. Strategy and Analysis

For the statement of Christian Buhl (CEO), see CEO statement on sustainability.

For Geberit, sustainability means bringing about a sustained improvement in the quality of people’s lives through innovative sanitary products and thereby generating long-term added value for customers, society and investors. This means striking a balance in decision-making processes between economic, environmental and social aspects. One focal point of Geberit involves identifying important technological and social trends in good time in dialogue with stakeholders and developing suitable products and services for customers that also provide added value for other stakeholders. The long-term orientation minimises risks for business development that are not only of a purely financial nature but arise from social developments and environmental challenges, such as climate change and water scarcity. Geberit has a decades-long commitment to sustainability and is a leader in this area, setting standards for customers, employees, suppliers and other partners. Various awards and rankings serve to confirm Geberit’s role as a leader in sustainability in various stakeholder groups’ perceptions.

Supplementary to the established Sustainability strategy based on the GRI Standards, the Materiality analysis carried out prioritises the key topics for Geberit and simultaneously highlights the areas in which added value for stakeholders is created: resource-efficient and sustainable systems for water management in buildings, water-saving and sustainable products, environmentally friendly and resource-efficient production, procurement and logistics with high environmental and ethical standards as well as good and safe working conditions for the 11,630 employees worldwide. Social responsibility is realised among other things within the scope of global social projects relating to the core competencies of water and sanitary facilities, and is intensified through memberships such as that with the non-profit organisation Swiss Water Partnership aimed at promoting international dialogue on water. There is also a long-term partnership with the Swiss development organisation Helvetas.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) define concrete targets for 17 different themes, which the states are required to implement by 2030. Integration of the economy plays a pivotal role in implementing these targets and indicators. As a result, major opportunities with growth potential are also arising for companies geared towards sustainable products and services – such as Geberit. In accordance with theexternal Stakeholder Panel which was conducted for the fourth time in September 2018, Geberit sees its contribution above all in four UN Sustainable Development Goals. The contributions to goal number 6 “Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”, number 8 “Promote sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all”, number 9 “Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation” and number 11 “Make cities safe, resilient and sustainable” are included in the SDG Reporting. The major economic, social and environmental effects of Geberit’s operations also lie in these four areas.

Geberit combats risks posed by increasing regulation and changing framework conditions with an effective compliance system that focuses on compliance in the six key topic areas of antitrust legislation, corruption, product liability, data protection, employee rights and environmental protection.