Environmental Policies and Guidelines

Values & Principles (V&P), reflect Sika’s corporate culture through the following principles:

• “Customer First”
• “Courage for Innovation”
• “Manage for Results”
• “Sustainability and Integrity”
• “Empowerment and Respect.”

A detailed guidance of how to implement the V&P in the daily business is provided to employees in the Sika’s Code of Conduct (CoC). All employees joining Sika pledge with their signature to uphold the V&P and the Code of Conduct. Every two years, Sika’s Senior Manager Group, including General Managers (GMs), are asked to renew their commitment to the Values & Principles and Code of Conduct, to be role models through living up to their commitment, and to ensure that their local employees are trained regularly about both the V&P and the CoC.

The “Sustainability and Integrity” principle asks each employee to “operate with a strong focus on safety, quality, environment, fair treatment, social involvement, responsible growth, and value creation,” highlighting that “sustainability is a key component of our drive for innovation.” It also stipulates that for both buildings and motor vehicles, Sika aspires “to enhance durability and improve both energy and material efficiency” while making “every effort to contribute to reducing resource consumption both within our own company as well as for our partners who trust in our products.”

The Sika Code of Conduct (CoC), solidifies Sika’s commitment to environmental protection and overall sustainability.

Section 10 is entitled, “Protect Health, Safety and the Environment.” This section highlights how each Sika employee carries a responsibility to comply with safety standards, environmental laws, and internal guidelines. Importantly, this section requires employees to “promote the sustainable use of resources and engage in sustainable business practices, by minimizing Sika’s environmental impact (air, waste, water, energy consumption, and biodiversity), contributing to a circular economy, and prioritizing environmentally friendly technologies.”

Section 11 further stipulates that Sika employees must “ensure compliance of suppliers, service providers, agents and distributors with these rules” and refers to the Supplier Code of Conduct (SCoC).

The Supplier Code of Conduct (SCoC), sets clear rules and guidelines regarding environmental standards that must be implemented by all Sika suppliers.

Section 10 of the SCoC, which is entitled “Protection of Environment and Health, Commitment to Sustainable Development,” requires all suppliers to “maintain a recognized management system identical or similar to ISO 14000 ff. and ISO 45001”, thus “ensuring continuous monitoring and improvement of its operational impact on environment, health and safety.” Further, suppliers are required to ensure “the safe management of waste, air emissions and wastewater discharges” along their own supply chain.

To conserve energy, the SCoC asks suppliers to strive “for increased resource efficieny, by means of energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies to reduce the use of finite resources, energy consumption, waste, wastewater, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and any other negative impact on biodiversity, the environment, health or safety.” By signing the SCoC, suppliers grant Sika the right to assess compliance with these requirements through questionnaires or audits.

The Sustainability & Operations (S&O) Reporting Handbook serves as a reference guide for non-financial reporting at local level. It is directed towards controlling, finance, sustainability, EHS and operations teams across the Group. It provides guidance, and is the binding reference, for all S&O reporting issues in Sika Group.