The 17 United Nations SDGs are at the heart of the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" and
define the world we want. Fulfilling these ambitions will require effort from all sectors in society — and
business has a very important role to play in the process. These goals provide a framework for countries, but also for companies to evaluate their potential to engage in practices that profit both humanity and investors.
We embrace that framework not just because it appeals to our aspirations as global citizens, but because it is fully aligned with our approach to researching, developing and commercializing innovation.
At Oerlikon, we affirm both the ideals and the necessities of each of the 17 United Nations SDGs.
Given the nature of our processes and operations, we can have a greater impact on some SDGs compared to others. For example, there is potential for us to further reduce our energy consumption
whereas our wastewater output is already minimized.
We have therefore prioritized our corporate SDGs in line with where we can generate the greatest public good and make the greatest difference both in our practices and in our impact on the planet and its people, whether globally or in the communities in which we work. These areas of focus encompass climate and energy, the circular economy, innovation, employment practices and innovation, health and safety, community engagement, governance and responsible sourcing and human rights.
We have performed a materiality analysis by identifying and assessing potential ESG issues that
could affect our stakeholders and business, and we have prioritized eight issues that are most important to us and our stakeholders (see materiality matrix below) – and where we can make the most difference in terms of sustainability.
To enable us to report on our sustainability impacts in a consistent and credible way, we have opted to prepare our Sustainability Report according to the internationally recognized GRI standards. Disclosing our impacts in this way will enhance Oerlikon’s comparability, transparency and accountability for all our stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, policymakers, capital markets and civil society.
