The Group sources direct materials, packaging, and trading goods both locally and internationally. To optimize its global supplier network, Sika prioritizes collaboration with local suppliers whenever possible. This approach helps reduce lead time, minimize risks, lower transportation costs, and enhance availability and quality control.
Responsible Procurement Strategy
Sika's values emphasize respecting and upholding universal human and workers' rights, adhering to fundamental environmental, health, and safety standards, and investing in sustainable development and corporate responsibility. Sustainability is a core element of Sika’s strategy, with procurement playing a key role in selecting vendors who meet the international standards related to the environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. Sika’s Supply Chain Due Diligence (SCDD) approach is seamlessly integrated into Sika Procurements key activities and commitments and is in alignment with the OECD guidelines and applicable international regulations. This process includes key pillars such as supplier risk identification, evaluation, risk mitigation, and ongoing supplier development and improvement.
Check out the message from Marcos Vazquez, Head of Procurement & Supply Chain Sika Group
Since February 2020, Sika has been an active member of ‘Together for Sustainability’ (TfS) initiative, a member-driven initiative of 50+ chemical companies, working to deliver the de facto global standard for environmental, social, and governance performance of the chemical supply chains. The program is based on the UN Global Compact and Responsible Care® principles. TfS aims to standardize supplier evaluations and audits on a global scale by creating and implementing a comprehensive supplier engagement program to evaluate and enhance sustainable sourcing practices.
With this membership, Sika sets clear targets for compliance with sustainability and quality standards in procurement and within the supply chain. The TfS program is based on the UN Global Compact and Responsible Care® principles and allows Sika to assess and evaluate the performance of its suppliers in various aspects. This includes environmental, labor and human rights, ethical and sustainable procurement performance to achieve measurable improvements and its own sustainability performance.
The Sika Supplier Code of Conduct is an integral element when qualifying Sika’s suppliers and sets out the company’s expectations for its supplier network, reflecting the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact initiative, the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the global chemical industry’s Responsible Care® program, and the Conflict Minerals Regulations. It is the expectation of Sika that the supplier network embraces the same set of values and commit to Sika’s zero tolerance policy regarding the respect of basic human rights including child labor, forced labor modern slavery and the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Sika thereby ensures that suppliers are informed of Sika’s ethical, environmental, and social expectations and guidelines and that they conduct their processes and enforce the same standards and commitments to their respective supply chains. As a minimum obligation, Sika requires that all suppliers sign and agree to meet the standards set out in the Sika Supplier Code of Conduct.
Emission reduction
The pillar of responsible sourcing in procurement, makes sustainability a key topic in the upstream value chain. As part of procurement’s supplier engagement approach, supplier sustainability meetings are regularly organized between Sika's procurement professionals and suppliers across all regions and procurement categories, focusing on:
- Climate-related strategies and targets
- Carbon footprint impact at the raw material level
- Effective reduction levers
These meetings create a platform to address emissions reduction while advancing collaborations. They aim to introduce lower carbon raw materials and products, aligning with Sika's strategy and commitment to achieving net zero.
Emission transparency
Collecting supplier-specific data is critical to ensuring accuracy, consistency, and reliability, particularly at the raw material level. This data enables Sika to identify and implement lower-carbon raw material alternatives. As a result, the company can quantify and transparently track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions at the supplier level. By focusing on transparency, Sika ensures collaboration with suppliers to boost data collection. This cooperative approach not only promotes accountability but also facilitates innovation in emission reduction strategies, enhancing sustainability efforts across the supply chain.
Supplier audits
Sika runs a global supplier audit program, aligned to Sika’s strategic approach to supplier evaluation, using a digital tool to streamline audits led by trained auditors. Suppliers are selected based on performance and risk, and the tool ensures accurate data collection and reporting. Audit results help rank suppliers and identify areas for improvement, with corrective actions supporting continuous development.
To become an active supplier, meeting Sika’s standards for quality, sustainability, and technical requirements is essential. Audit results are confidential and securely stored. Sika additionally conducts third party TfS Sustainability Audits to complement the program.
Supplier assessments
Sika utilizes the TfS Assessment framework to evaluate the sustainability performance of its suppliers across key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. By participating in TfS assessments, the company gains valuable insights into the sustainability practices of its supply chain, identifying potential risks and areas for improvement. This process enables Sika to foster stronger partnerships with responsible suppliers, ensure compliance with international sustainability standards, and enhance its own ESG performance. To become a qualified supplier and align to global ESG standards, consider completing the EcoVadis Questionnaire available for registration here: Sika Ecovadis
Supplier Training & Development is a critical pillar in the responsible sourcing process, as it plays a vital role in improving sustainability practices across the supply chain. Training equips suppliers with the knowledge and tools necessary to adopt best practices and meet sustainability targets and expectations. By fostering engagement, it promotes sustainable and collaborative relationships, ensuring high standards of sustainability throughout the value chain. This proactive approach helps mitigate and prevent risks associated with non-compliance, environmental or social harm, and potential business vulnerabilities. Moreover, supplier training & development emphasizes that sustainable improvement is an ongoing journey, requiring continuous learning, commitment, and collaboration to achieve lasting results.
TfS Academy: The TfS Academy is a tailored learning and development platform specifically designed to help upskill procurement teams and their suppliers on sustainability-related topics: health and safety, environment, sustainable procurement, labor and human rights, management, and governance.
TfS PCF Guideline: The TfS PCF Guideline is a global guidance for calculating Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) in the chemical industry and beyond. It provides specific calculation instructions for emissions from “cradle-to-gate” for chemical materials. It harmonizes PCF calculation approaches across the industry and is applicable to most chemical products.
TfS PCF Data Model: The Data Model is a detailed and technical document that describes the data aspect model according to which PCF data shall be exchanged compliant to the Product Carbon Footprint Guideline for the Chemical Industry of Together for Sustainability.