WACKER REPORTS ON PROGRESS OF ITS SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES

Munich, July 31, 2019 – Today, Wacker Chemie AG published its Sustainability Report for 2017 and 2018. Sustainability is a core element of its business model and one of its five strategic goals. Through responsible stewardship, WACKER contributes to at least seven of the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Reasons for again publishing WACKER’s report exclusively as an online version include minimizing resource consumption and thus serving the interests of environmental protection. The Sustainability Report complies with the Core option defined in the GRI standards and takes account of other indicators that relate to WACKER’s main sustainability issues.

In 2018, WACKER conducted a global survey to identify which sustainability topics its main target groups and top management consider to be material for WACKER. The company used the results to determine the contents of its Sustainability Report and to review and update its sustainability strategy. The five top issues for WACKER and its main target groups were the safety of production plants, product safety, competitiveness, value trends, sound corporate governance and compliance.

During the reporting period, WACKER extended its long-term goals regarding CO2 emissions and energy consumption to the whole WACKER Group. By 2030, the company wants to reduce its specific CO2 emissions by a third, with 2012 as the base year, and its specific energy consumption by half, with 2007 as the base year. WACKER’s divisions have the goal of cutting their specific energy consumption by 1.5 percent each annually.

Carbon Footprint Over a Product’s Entire Life Cycle

The Group’s corporate carbon footprint report is a tool for improving climate protection. It covers three scopes: in addition to direct emissions (Scope 1, e.g. production facilities and power plants) and indirect emissions (Scope 2, procured energy), the company reports on any WACKER-relevant indirect Scope 3 emissions. These occur upstream and downstream along the supply chain, such as by transporting raw materials or by disposing of products at the end of their life cycle.

More and more of the company’s customers in the construction, paint, adhesive, textile and paper industries, among others, value the use of renewable raw materials. Since this reporting period, WACKER has been using renewable resources to manufacture, for example, commercial quantities of dispersions based on vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer.

Its Sustainability Report also addresses the company’s water consumption. Through wastewater-treatment improvements at its Burghausen site, WACKER achieved a reduction of around 6 percent in chemical oxygen demand (COD) and of 14 percent in halogenated organic hydrocarbons (AOX) in 2018.

Sustainability Performance of Suppliers

Sustainability in the supply chain is a WACKER priority. In the report, the company presents the results achieved by its suppliers and by WACKER itself in TfS (Together for Sustainability) audits and in EcoVadis assessments.

Survey of Employees from 67 Countries

2018 was the first time that WACKER conducted a global employee survey at all of its sites. The evaluation shows that WACKER employees identify with their employer to a large degree – both in Germany and around the world. 85 percent of those surveyed in Germany and 86 percent at sites elsewhere are proud to work for WACKER. 88 percent and 86 percent, respectively, would recommend WACKER as an employer.

People from 67 different nations work for WACKER. Diversity management at WACKER focuses on all dimensions of diversity, and especially on inclusion. A feature article on this topic is also available as an easy-to-read, barrier-free version.

Accessible in English and German at www.wacker.com/sustainabilityreport, the report offers easy navigation and interactive functions, such as key-figure comparisons and download options. The report is also available as a PDF file.

Företaget i överblick: WACKER är en globalt verksam kemikoncern med cirka 14.500 anställda och en årsomsättning på cirka 4,98 miljarder € (2018). WACKER har 24 produktionsanläggningar, 22 technical competence centers och 50 försäljningskontor över hela världen.

WACKER SILICONES Silikonoljor, silikonemulsioner, silikongummi och silikonhartser, silaner, pyrogena kiselsyror, termoplastiska silikonelastomerer

WACKER POLYMERS Polyvinylacetat och vinylacetat ko/ter-polymerer i form av dispersionspulver, dispersioner och fasthartser

WACKER BIOSOLUTIONS Bioteknologiska produkter såsom cyklodextriner, cysteiner och biologiska produkter liksom finkemikalier och PVAc fasta hartser

WACKER POLYSILICON Polysilicium för halvledar- och fotovoltaikindustrin