GRI 102-43 Approaches to stakeholder engagement

In 2020, Geberit consulted an external Stakeholder Panel for the fifth time. Its mandate consisted of providing feedback on the materiality analysis, sustainability performance, sustainability strategy and sustainability communication as well as on relevant opportunities and risks associated with climate change. The results are presented in the Panel Statement. The external review and the recommendations contained therein are dealt with in detail in the response from Geberit to the Panel Statement. The next stakeholder panel is planned for 2022.

Based on the stakeholder analysis, Geberit identifies both potential for conflict and opportunities, and pursues a cooperative approach when it comes to discussing and further developing possible measures with the stakeholders concerned.

Engagement of stakeholders according to stakeholder group:

Customers:

• Technical advisors working in the field who are in daily contact with plumbers, sanitary engineers and architects.
• During the reporting year, around 36,000 professionals were trained on products, tools, software tools and installation skills at the 30 Geberit Information Centres in Europe and overseas and 29,000 people took part in a wide range of webinars and alternative training formats.
• Around 10,000 interested parties from more than 40 countries paid a virtual visit to the 300 m² hybrid booth at the Geberit Innovation Days. This “House of Geberit” replaced the trade fairs cancelled in the first half of 2021 due to COVID-19.
• Increased contacts over the phone and digital visit and meeting formats.
• Adaptation of the virtual showrooms launched in the previous year to other markets to provide a good overview of the wide range of products and market-specific innovations in the form of short videos, graphics and links. The virtual showrooms currently in place in 13 markets were visited by a total of 24,000 customers in the reporting year.
• Since the reporting year, a new web-based application has been available to sanitary engineers and plumbers. It can be used to plan and calculate prewall constructions (GIS and Duofix systems).
• More than 6,500 downloads of the Building Information Modelling plug-in (BIM) by planning and engineering companies.
• Expansion of the end user campaign under the title “Better bathrooms, better lives” to 15 markets.
• Further expansion and intensification of the social media presence. The communities total 347,000 followers on Facebook, 136,000 on Instagram, 77,000 on YouTube, just short of 94,000 on LinkedIn, 17,000 on Twitter as well as 5,700 on Pinterest.
• 4.1 million e-newsletters sent.

For details, see Business Report > Business and financial review > Financial Year 2021 > Customers.

Shareholders and analysts:

• Shareholders have statutory participatory rights.
• Regular telephone conferences, bilateral meetings, conferences and roadshows with the CEO, CFO and Head Corporate Communications and Investor Relations.

Media:

• Regular conference calls, bilateral meetings and interviews with the relevant media for Geberit.
• Sustainability topics and in particular Geberit’s performance in this area play an important role in the media activities of Geberit.

Employees and trade unions:

• Geberit Europe Forum with employee representatives from most European countries, during which a member of the Group Executive Board and the Head Corporate Human Resources meet with the delegates. In the reporting year, this included a presentation and discussion of the new CO₂ strategy, among other aspects.
• Training and feedback opportunities on topics regarding the Code of Conduct.
• Group-wide Geberit Integrity Line to enable all employees across the world to report irregularities anonymously in the corresponding language.
• Regular employee survey of all employees of the Geberit Group, with the most recent taking place in the reporting year.

Neighbours, municipalities and authorities:

• Consultation with and inclusion of the neighbours of production plants in larger construction projects.

Research institutes:

• Partner of the research platform NEST (Next Evolution in Sustainable Building Technologies) at EAWAG and Empa in Dübendorf (CH). In the Water Hub, systems are tested that use water and waste water as efficiently and diversely as possible.
• Cooperation on technological trends and developments directly related to sanitary technology with Empa Dübendorf, University of Applied Sciences OST Rapperswil, University of Zurich, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (all CH), as well as the Technical University Dresden and the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences (both DE) and others.
• Exchange with the University of Antwerp (BE) on the subject of eco-design and plastic in the circular economy.

Suppliers:

• Initial contact within the scope of the assessment procedure and implementation of the Code of Conduct for Suppliers, see Chapter 10.2 Operations > Procurement.
• Regular discussions between buyers and suppliers on site.
• On-site audits (quality, environment, occupational health and safety) carried out by Geberit and external partners.
• Integrity Line for suppliers for anonymously reporting irregularities in the procurement process or non-compliance with the Code of Conduct for Suppliers.
• Increased exchange on product data during the creation of environmental product declarations (EPDs), on sustainable product solutions and on possibilities of reducing CO₂ emissions in the supply chain.

Transport companies:

• Discussions with transport service providers based on the results of environmental monitoring.

Associations:

• Involvement in various associations and organisations with participation in corresponding management bodies and programmes, see GRI 102‑13.

Non-government organisations and the general public:

• Partnership with the Swiss development organisation Helvetas.
• Membership of the charitable organisation Swiss Water Partnership.

Feedback from stakeholder dialogues is incorporated into the Materiality analysis and into the Sustainability strategy.