"More value - less impact" - that's the name of the Sika sustainability strategy. With the aim of “enhancing utility and reducing impacts”, Sika pursues six strategic target areas, focusing on sustainable solutions, climate performance, community engagement, energy, waste/water, and occupational safety.
Through its products, systems, and solutions, Sika strives to create long-term benefits and added value for all its stakeholders, and to significantly reduce resource consumption and the impacts associated with production processes.
Sustainable Solutions
We are leading the industry by pioneering a comprehensive portfolio of customer focused solutions, combining both higher performance and improved sustainability.
Target 2023 (baseline 2019)
All new product developments with "Sustainable Solutions".
Climate Performance
We run our business in a responsible way and mitigate climate change and its impacts.
Target 2023 (baseline 2019)
15% reduction of CO2-emissions per ton sold.
Community Engagement
We build trust and create value - with customers, communities, and with society.
Target 2023 (baseline 2019)
- 10,000 working days of volunteering work
- 50% more projects
- 50% more direct beneficiaries
Energy
We manage resources and costs carefully.
Target 2023 (Baseline 2019)
- 15% less energy consumption per ton sold
- Maximize shares of renewable energy
Waste/Water
We increase material and water efficiency.
Target 2023 (baseline 2019)
- 15% less waste generation per ton sold
- 25% higher recycling rate of total waste
- 15% less water consumption per ton sold
Occupational Safety
Sika employees leave the workplace healthy.
Target 2023 (Baseline 2019)
- 50% less accidents
- 0 fatalities
"As a global company, Sika is committed to sustainable development. The company honors its responsibilities by offering sustainable solutions for energy-efficient construction and innovative vehicles. Furthermore, it implements numerous projects and measures aimed at boosting the Group's economic, and environmental sustainability. " Thomas Hasler, CEO Sika AG
Target Areas
TARGET 2023: All new product developments with "Sustainable Solutions"
Innovation drives growth and sustainability
Since the early days of Sika, continuous innovation has been the key driver of the company's successful growth strategy. Sika innovates to reduce the environmental footprint, to increase the efficiency of products and solutions along the entire value chain, and thus responds to the market demand for sustainable solutions.
Implementing life-cycle thinking into practice from product development to application at customer’s site marks Sika's aim to move away from being a mere product supplier to a provider of innovative solutions which enhance the efficiency, durability, and aesthetic appeal of buildings, infrastructure, and installations. Integrated concepts and solutions address the entire life cycle of a built structure, from initial construction and maintenance through refurbishment or expansion to deconstruction. Sika’s sustainable solutions include a product portfolio which is supplemented by services, tools, and reference projects to quantify the sustainability performance. Quantifiable data on solutions provide evidence about the promised value.
Increasing customer benefit and reducing environmental impact
The contribution of Sika’s solutions with regard to sustainability megatrends is evaluated from a life-cycle perspective along the value chain. The sustainability profile of products, systems, and services is closely linked to their excellent performance. Sika stands for products which are technically superior, user-friendly, and sustainable during their life span from application to deconstruction. Sika’s products are designed for long-term use, providing more value and causing less impact than comparable alternative products over their life cycle.
TARGET 2023: 12% reduction of CO2-emissions per ton sold (baseline 2019)
Efficiency
Availability and efficient use of energy and resources are crucial to sustainable development. Therefore, Sika sees it as a global and local responsibility to minimize the impact on climate change by reducing energy consumption, with the positive effect of lowering costs and increasing competitiveness.
Low-carbon economy
The transition to a low-carbon economy catalyzes at Sika the development of new technologies and operational practices. The target to reduce CO2 -emissions by 12% per ton sold now will lead innovation and transformation tomorrow.
TARGET 2023: 10,000 working days of volunteering work per year; 50% more projects, 50% more direct beneficiaries (baseline 2019)
Sika wants to sustain local communities in order to help people to help themselves. Fields of activities are:
- buildings and infrastructure for social and ecological projects or
- education, preferably in connection with construction-related professions or
- ecological water projects correlating indirectly with Sika's field of waterproofing activities
The main goals, among others, are to support communities in infrastructure development for social projects, to promote trainings in construction professions and trades, and to provide emergency aid to disaster-stricken regions.
TARGET 2023: 12% less energy consumption per ton sold; maximum share of renewable electricity rate (baseline 2019)
Efficient use of energy
Apart from raw materials, energy is the main resource input for Sika’s operations and thus a relevant cost factor. Therefore, the efficient use of energy is highly important for the company. CO2 emissions are a consequence of fossil fuel consumption, which can be limited by increasing energy efficiency. The CO2 footprint of purchased electricity depends on the power production in each country and cannot be influenced easily.
For self-produced electricity, Sika seeks to use low-CO2 energy sources where possible, for example natural gas instead of oil. Sika is committed to reducing the use of nonrenewable energy, thus minimizing negative impacts on climate change, reducing costs, and increasing competitiveness.
TARGET 2023: 15% less waste gerneration per ton sold; 25% higher recycling rate of total waste; 15% less water consumption per ton sold (baseline 2019)
Waste – raw materials waste
Efficient use of input materials is important for all Sika companies. Sika’s production processes are material intensive, using high volumes of resources like sand, cement, fillers, organic raw materials, and packaging and transportation materials. The major commercial impact of input materials makes their efficient use and reuse a mandatory element at Sika. Efficient production means reducing and reusing production scrap and packaging materials as well as improving packaging design, resulting in higher productivity and lower material use.
Water - an undervalued resource
Sika takes measures to use water economically by reducing consumption, treating water, and using lower-grade water qualities especially in geographies with water scarcity. Efficient production projects have been implemented using closed-loop cooling, cooling towers, and switching from public to groundwater in order to reduce the amount of processed drinking water used in production. With these measures, the reuse of treated wastewater, and the collection of rainwater at various production sites, Sika reduced its water consumption on a large scale over the past years.
TARGET 2023: 50% less accidents; 0 fatalities (baseline 2019)
Safe and effective equipment, organization, and work processes
Health, safety, and well-being of all employees and partners are essential for the success of Sika's business, and are core concerns throughout the organization. This requires focus and a systematic approach: Management commitment, risk analysis, health and safety standards, employee involvement, and training and education are key components of Sika’s health and safety framework.
Health and safety culture
Sika strives to live up to its commitments regarding health and safety: “Nothing we do is worth getting hurt for”. The company has implemented management systems according to ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 in all major sites. A strong safety culture is embedded in every Sika site.
Discover Which Topics Really Matter
Matreriality Assessment: The materiality analysis assesses the importance of sustainability topics for the company and its external stakeholders. It identifies the most relevant economic, environmental, and social aspects that are consistent with the business strategy, and defines the content of the sustainability strategy according to the GRI-Standards. In terms of sustainability reporting, the aspects deemed as material (or relevant) are those that have a significant impact on the economic, social, and environmental performance of the company, or that may substantially influence stakeholders’ perceptions and decisions. Accordingly, the materiality analysis is two-fold, as it takes into account the standpoint of the company and its stakeholders.
Climate Performance
Sika runs its business in a responsible way and mitigate climate change and its impacts. The company is encouraged by the initiative "Climate Neutral Now", launched by UN Climate Change, to take action to help achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century, as enshrined in the Paris Agreement.
Management and Organization
The Sustainability Strategy is implemented and anchored locally by the line organization. A particular degree of responsibility lies with the General Managers, Target Market Managers, R&D Managers, and Operations Managers, who drive the development and implementation of local action plans. The existing network of local and regional EHS and sustainability resources supports Sika companies in ideation, planning, and implementation of higher-level regional measures. In 2019, a world-wide EHS network was established, including regional and area representatives.
In 2020, a network of four Regional Sustainability Managers, coordinated by the Global Sustainability team, has been set up with the objective to strengthen the rollout of the Sustainability Strategy at regional and local levels.
Partnerships and Cooperations
Sika commits itself to genuinely sustainable added value along the entire value chain. The company is committed to aligning its operations and strategies with the universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption established by the United Nations Global Compact Initiative.
Sika is a member of manifold industry associations and initiatives on local, national, and multi-national level, for example the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, Responsible Care, Carbon Disclosure Project, Green Building Councils Network and Sustainable Construction Switzerland.
The company holds a position on the board or actively participates in projects or committees of manifold associations. Here are some examples:
| Associations / Organizations | Acronym |
|---|---|
| American Chemistry Council | ACC |
| Adhesive and Sealant Council | ASC |
| Carbon Disclosure Project - CDP | CDP |
| Concrete Society | CS |
| Responsible Care | Responsible Care |
| Together for Sustainability | TfS |
| Transparency International | Transparency International |
| UN Environment Program | UNEP |
| UN Global Compact | UN GC |
| U.S. Green Building Council | USGBC |
| Vinyl Foundation | Vinyl Foundation |
| World Business Council of Sustainable Development | WBCSD |
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards
Sika’s sustainability strategy is closely linked to the corporate strategy and encompasses six targets that cover the economic, environmental and social dimensions. Included among the tactics employed to globally implement the sustainability strategy were the “More Value – Less Impact” campaign, and the introduction at a local level of the target and reporting system in line with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards.
Advisory Board
Sika has installed a Sika Sustainability Advisory Board (SAB) which became operational in 2016. The SAB has been established to support a business model based on sustainability. An independent expert opinion aims to provide Sika management with further impulses regarding the direction and implementation of Sika’s sustainability strategy.
The SAB reviews the Sika sustainability practices step by step and issues recommendations, which are reviewed continuously. This leads to an adaptation of the measuring and reporting structure. As a consequence, Sika refines the training and education structure as well as the target setting principles for sustainability.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Among others, both the construction and the automotive industry highly influence these goals:
- 3 (Good health and well-being)
- 4 (Quality education and lifelong learning)
- 6 (Clean water and sanitation)́́
- 8 (Decent work and economic growth)
- 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure)
- 11 (Sustainable cities and communities)
- 12 (Responsible consumption and production)
- 13 (Climate Action)
ESG Glossary and ESG Key Indicators
Sustainable Development at Sika means integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into the strategic planning and into the business. To grasp the dimensions of ESG and their priorities for Sika, this ESG glossary contains a list of important terms that are crucial for Sika. Furthermore, Sika has summarized the ESG key indicators in an overview.
S&P ESG Evaluation confirms Sika's strong sustainability position
Sika scored 74 in the S&P Global Rating ESG Evaluation. This score reflects S&P Global Ratings' view that Sika enables sustainability, delivering environmental benefits to customers. The report mentions Sika’s culture which fosters an innovative ecosystem with flat hierarchical structures.
Sika Sustainability Academy
As a global company, Sika is committed to sustainable development. Sustainability is an important business pillar, and a component of the company's innovation drive. The Sika Sustainability Academy provides the necessary skills, methods and practical examples to individuals and teams throughout the Sika Group to develop, coordinate, and implement local activities and projects to achieve the goals of the Sika Sustainability Strategy 2023. Participants are certified as local Sustainability Champions. Those experts rely on methods and ways to initiate, manage and drive sustainability projects and engage people in their organizations.