Sustainability Report 2019/2020

Creating tomorrow’s solutions

Analysis of Material Sustainability Topics

For years, WACKER has regularly surveyed its stakeholders as part of its sustainability reporting. For cost and efficiency reasons, we conducted our first-ever indirect stakeholder survey in 2020. This involved WACKER employees estimating which topics are of significance to those stakeholders with whom they are in close contact. Groups taken into consideration ranged from employees, customers, suppliers, analysts, investors and journalists to scientists, neighbors, politicians, associations and NGOs.

Aside from relevance to the stakeholders, the survey also investigated the influence of each topic on WACKER and the effects of WACKER’s business activities on the topics.

Materiality of Our Sustainability Concerns

The top five concerns:

  • Product safety
  • Safety of production plants
  • Compliance
  • Transport and storage safety
  • Occupational safety and employee health

Concerns that survey respondents felt had the greatest impact on WACKER:

  • Competitiveness and value trends
  • Safety of production plants
  • Energy efficiency
  • Product safety
  • Occupational safety and employee health

Concerns over which respondents felt WACKER has the greatest influence:

  • Product safety
  • Occupational safety and employee health
  • Safety of production plants
  • Energy efficiency
  • Emissions

Potential of Our Sustainability Performance

Respondents saw these areas as having the greatest potential for improvement:

  • Competitiveness and value trends
  • Sustainable products and innovations
  • Resource consumption
  • Good management
  • Environmental standards within the supply chain

Materiality Matrix Showing Results of the 2020 Stakeholder Survey

Materiality Analysis (Results of the Stakeholder Survey Held in 2018) (graphic)
Relevance to WACKER
  • Medium
  • High
  • Very high
Relevance to stakeholders
  • Medium
  • High
  • Very high
Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Relations with stakeholders

Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Compliance

Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Data protection

Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Fair business practices

Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Governance

Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Human rights

Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Risk management

Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Work in industrial associations / lobbying

Corporate Management & Economic Aspects

Competitiveness & value trends

Product Stewardship

Sustainable products & innovations

Product Stewardship

Product safety

Product Stewardship

Transport & storage safety

Environment

Waste & disposal

Environment

Biodiversity

Environment

Emissions

Environment

Energy efficiency

Environment

Resource consumption

Environment

Safety of production plants

Environment

Water use and wastewater

Employees & Society

Occupational safety & employee health

Employees & Society

Basic and advanced training

Employees & Society

Employee codetermination

Product Stewardship

Good management

Employees & Society

Employee engagement and social responsibility

Employees & Society

Attracting and retaining employees

Employees & Society

Job creation and retention

Employees & Society

Diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity

Supply Chain

Labor and social standards within the supply chain

Supply Chain

Transparency within the supply chain

Supply Chain

Environmental standards within the supply chain

Relevant topics*

Highly relevant topics

* Defined as material by the CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR-RUG)

Relevance

CSR-RUG

Action areas

Stakeholder Survey Participants

Opinions in the 2020 stakeholder survey were expressed by 111 Group employees. Conducted indirectly online, the survey incorporated experts on the following stakeholders: analysts, customers, suppliers, employees and politicians, as well as representatives from authorities and NGOs. Participants included Group coordinators for the following important sustainability topics:

  • Environment
  • Safety
  • Sustainability
  • Energy management
  • Health
  • Product safety
  • Hazardous goods
  • Export controls
  • Personnel
  • Compliance management

German CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR-RUG)

In this sustainability report, we cover issues that are deemed material under Germany’s CSR Directive Implementation Act. These included 13 of the 30 concerns we asked about in our 2020 stakeholder survey. Our reporting on the issue of human rights is required by law. The current report also contains topics that are not defined as material by the CSR Directive Implementation Act, but that we have included to help ensure content continuity.

Relevant Issues in Accordance with the csr Directive Implementation Act (csr-rug)

 

 

 

Material Issues Pursuant to CSR-RUG

 

Aspect Pursuant to CSR-RUG

 

Occupational safety and employee health

 

Personnel matters

Job creation and retention

 

Personnel matters

Competitiveness and value trends

 

Personnel matters

Production plant safety

 

Personnel and environmental matters

Relations with stakeholders

 

Personnel, environmental and social matters

Waste and disposal

 

Environmental matters

Emissions

 

Environmental matters

Energy efficiency

 

Environmental matters

Sustainable products and innovations

 

Environmental matters

Product safety

 

Environmental matters

Resource consumption

 

Environmental matters

Transport and storage safety

 

Environmental matters

Compliance

 

Combating corruption and bribery

As part of our materiality analysis, we took account in this report of the statutory definition of materiality pursuant to Sections 315 b, 315 c and 289 b through 289 e of the German Commercial Code (HGB). For major non-financial issues, we ensure that the relevant stakeholders are involved. The corresponding Executive Board committees deal with all key topics.