SDG Reporting

As a driving force in the field of sanitary technology, Geberit provides solutions that ensure the maximum possible efficiency in water usage and, thus, sustainable building in cities and communities worldwide. Thanks to constant investment in research and development, the company is driving innovation in the sanitary industry. As a sound employer with attractive working conditions, the company is also a stabilising economic factor in many regions. Geberit is thus making a contribution to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focussing primarily on four of the 17 goals (Sustainable Development Goals, SDG). In addition, Geberit is consistently committed to climate change mitigation (SDG number 13), see CO₂ strategy.

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Modules in the Geberit sustainability strategy that are relevant to this goal: Water Eco-design & Sustainable Products		Relevance for Geberit The biggest environmental contribution made by Geberit products lies in the conservation of water, which is one of the pivotal aspects in the company’s contribution towards sustainable development. Innovative Geberit sanitary products reduce the amount of water consumed and help to systematically optimise the way in which water is used in buildings while maintaining the highest hygiene standards – including in terms of drinking water. Geberit’s contribution Geberit has a comprehensive range of products that facilitate sustainable sanitary solutions, and that contribute to increased quality of life with low water, resource and energy consumption and with environmentally friendly materials. Geberit’s water footprint shows that nearly 100% of the water consumption is attributable to the use of products by customers. This is where Geberit’s product portfolio comes into its own. The flushing cistern is the central element when it comes to water conservation. A model calculation shows that all Geberit dual-flush and flush-stop cisterns installed since 1998 saved around 3,590 million m³ of water in 2021 alone in comparison with traditional flushing systems. Water conservation is the result of a balanced overall system. Reducing the flush volume in the cistern while at the same time ensuring that the WC pan is optimally flushed out is just as important as correctly dimensioning the drainage system. Stagnation and dirt in the drinking water system are among the greatest risks that can adversely affect the quality of the water in domestic installations. Geberit offers various solutions (e.g. hygiene filters, sanitary flush units) for ensuring drinking water hygiene in a reliable and economical manner. Thanks to targeted investments in research and development in areas such as hydraulics and virtual engineering, Geberit is working on developing innovations for the future. Here, Geberit regards eco-design as the key to environmentally friendly products and as an integral part of the development process. Eco-design has been an integral part of the development process since 2007 and has already been adopted in more than 170 development projects. For many years, Geberit has been supporting the development of standards initiated by the sanitary industry aimed at helping products that use resources and water as sparingly as possible to be a success on the market. Geberit thus contributed to the launch of a new European water label for sanitary products from the European Bathroom Forum (EBF).
Promote sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Modules in the Geberit sustainability strategy that are relevant to this goal: Employees & Corporate Culture Health & Safety Social Responsibility		Relevance for Geberit Motivated and skilled employees are one of the key pillars on which Geberit’s long-term business success is built. Geberit has been committed to providing attractive jobs as an employer for almost 150 years and the company’s profitable growth allows it to continuously generate added value for regional economic areas, suppliers and business partners. In doing so, Geberit assumes social responsibility across the board. Geberit’s contribution As a profitable company, Geberit is an attractive employer for its 11,809 employees worldwide and paid out a total of CHF 812 million in salaries and social benefits in 2021. Geberit sets particular store on solid education and further training and on equal opportunities for all employees. In 2021, employees across the Group attended on average 11.3 hours of internal and external education and further training. At the end of 2021, Geberit employed 278 apprentices in commercial, industrial and technical professions. The aim is to impart all the skills that are required for apprentices to pursue their chosen careers in a professional, independent and responsible manner. The transfer rate to a permanent employment relationship was 85%. The occupational health and safety of employees has the highest priority at Geberit. Using 2015 as the reference year, the aim is to halve the frequency and severity of accidents by 2025. Geberit also offers its employees precautionary healthcare opportunities through various offers and activities. The economy benefits from Geberit’s leading role in the change towards a more sustainable sanitary industry: through the contribution to better sanitary standards, a durable, resource-efficient sanitary infrastructure, through know-how transfer in the sanitary industry, via impetus for the economy in regional economic areas, and through orders with suppliers. Geberit has also supported facilities for disabled persons for many years, where simple assembly and packaging work is carried out. In the reporting year, this work amounted to CHF 9.7 million and gave some 550 people meaningful work.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation. Modules in the Geberit sustainability strategy that are relevant to this goal: Resources & Circular Economy Energy & CO₂ Green Production Eco-design & Sustainable Products		Relevance for Geberit An efficient, innovative and sustainable industry requires a modern infrastructure that is fit for the future, plus innovations along the entire value chain. Geberit regularly upgrades its own infrastructure and facilities, and invests consistently in research and development. Geberit’s contribution Thanks to the Geberit Production System (GPS), all Geberit production sites have a modern and future-oriented foundation. Continuous improvements are made by means of “lean manufacturing” and the shift in production philosophy from the workshop principle of step-by-step manufacturing to a comprehensive system of continuous flow production. The Geberit Group has a Group certificate in accordance with ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety) that is valid until 2024. In addition, five German plants are certified in accordance with ISO 50001 (energy) and nine sales companies in accordance with ISO 9001 (quality). Since the acquisition of the energy intensive ceramics business in 2015, ten tunnel kilns for ceramic production have been retrofitted with state-of-the-art burner technology. Each kiln can bring about energy savings of over 20%. Eco-efficiency (environmental impact per currency-adjusted net sales) has been improved by 40.9% since 2015. Approximately CHF 75 million is invested in research and development every year. This helps to consolidate Geberit’s position as market leader and set trends in the industry with sanitary products. The investment is also further proof that Geberit is committed to the development of water-saving and sustainable products within the framework of eco-design. In addition to traditional product development, investments are made in ten relevant fields of competence for sanitary technology as the basis for future innovations: hydraulics, materials technology, hygiene, surface technology, electronics, sound insulation, statics, fire protection, process engineering and virtual engineering. The focus is on the collaboration between the various areas and the continuous testing of new, integrated product and system solutions, materials and concepts.
Make cities and communities safe, resilient and sustainable. Modules in the Geberit sustainability strategy that are relevant to this goal: Sustainable Building Resources & Circular Economy		Relevance for Geberit The sustainable development of cities and areas relies on buildings that are sustainably planned, constructed, operated and dismantled. With a wide range of products, Geberit provides sustainable solutions for sanitary systems and water management in buildings. At the same time, Geberit is thus developing a sustainable market segment that is geared towards sustainable building. Geberit’s contribution With its wide range of products in front of and behind the wall, Geberit spans the entire flow of water within a building and helps to optimise significant aspects of the system as a whole, such as water and energy consumption or sound insulation. In addition to their quality and high degree of water and resource efficiency, Geberit products also impress with their good environmental compatibility and recyclability. Geberit products have a very long industrial service life, as many of them will be installed in buildings for decades. In addition, Geberit products are in some instances backwards-compatible, can be cleaned and maintained easily, and spare parts are available for up to 25 years for a significant proportion of the product range. This supports the circular economy approach in buildings. Construction processes are complex and require a healthy working relationship between the various parties involved. With this in mind, Geberit has been passing on valuable expertise and training customers and partners for many years. In 2021, around 36,000 sanitary engineers and plumbers received education and further training on products, tools and software tools at 30 Geberit Information Centres. Geberit invests in digital tools such as the interdisciplinary planning method BIM (Building Information Modelling), with the aim of optimising the entire planning and building process. BIM facilitates an efficient exchange of information between architects, sanitary engineers and building owners, thus enabling sanitary systems in buildings to be holistically planned, simulated in the respective context and implemented as a complete solution. This is also entirely in keeping with the spirit of sustainability. More and more buildings are being constructed and certified in accordance with sustainability standards such as LEED, BREEAM, DGNB or Minergie. Geberit also offers comprehensive expertise and system solutions in the areas of sanitary technology and water management. This combination impresses investors, project developers, owners and tenants alike. In particular, Geberit offers numerous products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) in accordance with the European standard EN 15804, which can also be used directly for sustainable building standards. This means that products with an EPD now account for 23% of Group sales.

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Modules in the Geberit sustainability strategy that are relevant to this goal: Water Eco-design & Sustainable Products		Relevance for Geberit The biggest environmental contribution made by Geberit products lies in the conservation of water, which is one of the pivotal aspects in the company’s contribution towards sustainable development. Innovative Geberit sanitary products reduce the amount of water consumed and help to systematically optimise the way in which water is used in buildings while maintaining the highest hygiene standards – including in terms of drinking water. Geberit’s contribution Geberit has a comprehensive range of products that facilitate sustainable sanitary solutions, and that contribute to increased quality of life with low water, resource and energy consumption and with environmentally friendly materials. Geberit’s water footprint shows that nearly 100% of the water consumption is attributable to the use of products by customers. This is where Geberit’s product portfolio comes into its own. The flushing cistern is the central element when it comes to water conservation. A model calculation shows that all Geberit dual-flush and flush-stop cisterns installed since 1998 saved around 3,590 million m³ of water in 2021 alone in comparison with traditional flushing systems. Water conservation is the result of a balanced overall system. Reducing the flush volume in the cistern while at the same time ensuring that the WC pan is optimally flushed out is just as important as correctly dimensioning the drainage system. Stagnation and dirt in the drinking water system are among the greatest risks that can adversely affect the quality of the water in domestic installations. Geberit offers various solutions (e.g. hygiene filters, sanitary flush units) for ensuring drinking water hygiene in a reliable and economical manner. Thanks to targeted investments in research and development in areas such as hydraulics and virtual engineering, Geberit is working on developing innovations for the future. Here, Geberit regards eco-design as the key to environmentally friendly products and as an integral part of the development process. Eco-design has been an integral part of the development process since 2007 and has already been adopted in more than 170 development projects. For many years, Geberit has been supporting the development of standards initiated by the sanitary industry aimed at helping products that use resources and water as sparingly as possible to be a success on the market. Geberit thus contributed to the launch of a new European water label for sanitary products from the European Bathroom Forum (EBF).
Promote sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all. Modules in the Geberit sustainability strategy that are relevant to this goal: Employees & Corporate Culture Health & Safety Social Responsibility		Relevance for Geberit Motivated and skilled employees are one of the key pillars on which Geberit’s long-term business success is built. Geberit has been committed to providing attractive jobs as an employer for almost 150 years and the company’s profitable growth allows it to continuously generate added value for regional economic areas, suppliers and business partners. In doing so, Geberit assumes social responsibility across the board. Geberit’s contribution As a profitable company, Geberit is an attractive employer for its 11,809 employees worldwide and paid out a total of CHF 812 million in salaries and social benefits in 2021. Geberit sets particular store on solid education and further training and on equal opportunities for all employees. In 2021, employees across the Group attended on average 11.3 hours of internal and external education and further training. At the end of 2021, Geberit employed 278 apprentices in commercial, industrial and technical professions. The aim is to impart all the skills that are required for apprentices to pursue their chosen careers in a professional, independent and responsible manner. The transfer rate to a permanent employment relationship was 85%. The occupational health and safety of employees has the highest priority at Geberit. Using 2015 as the reference year, the aim is to halve the frequency and severity of accidents by 2025. Geberit also offers its employees precautionary healthcare opportunities through various offers and activities. The economy benefits from Geberit’s leading role in the change towards a more sustainable sanitary industry: through the contribution to better sanitary standards, a durable, resource-efficient sanitary infrastructure, through know-how transfer in the sanitary industry, via impetus for the economy in regional economic areas, and through orders with suppliers. Geberit has also supported facilities for disabled persons for many years, where simple assembly and packaging work is carried out. In the reporting year, this work amounted to CHF 9.7 million and gave some 550 people meaningful work.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation. Modules in the Geberit sustainability strategy that are relevant to this goal: Resources & Circular Economy Energy & CO₂ Green Production Eco-design & Sustainable Products		Relevance for Geberit An efficient, innovative and sustainable industry requires a modern infrastructure that is fit for the future, plus innovations along the entire value chain. Geberit regularly upgrades its own infrastructure and facilities, and invests consistently in research and development. Geberit’s contribution Thanks to the Geberit Production System (GPS), all Geberit production sites have a modern and future-oriented foundation. Continuous improvements are made by means of “lean manufacturing” and the shift in production philosophy from the workshop principle of step-by-step manufacturing to a comprehensive system of continuous flow production. The Geberit Group has a Group certificate in accordance with ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety) that is valid until 2024. In addition, five German plants are certified in accordance with ISO 50001 (energy) and nine sales companies in accordance with ISO 9001 (quality). Since the acquisition of the energy intensive ceramics business in 2015, ten tunnel kilns for ceramic production have been retrofitted with state-of-the-art burner technology. Each kiln can bring about energy savings of over 20%. Eco-efficiency (environmental impact per currency-adjusted net sales) has been improved by 40.9% since 2015. Approximately CHF 75 million is invested in research and development every year. This helps to consolidate Geberit’s position as market leader and set trends in the industry with sanitary products. The investment is also further proof that Geberit is committed to the development of water-saving and sustainable products within the framework of eco-design. In addition to traditional product development, investments are made in ten relevant fields of competence for sanitary technology as the basis for future innovations: hydraulics, materials technology, hygiene, surface technology, electronics, sound insulation, statics, fire protection, process engineering and virtual engineering. The focus is on the collaboration between the various areas and the continuous testing of new, integrated product and system solutions, materials and concepts.
Make cities and communities safe, resilient and sustainable. Modules in the Geberit sustainability strategy that are relevant to this goal: Sustainable Building Resources & Circular Economy		Relevance for Geberit The sustainable development of cities and areas relies on buildings that are sustainably planned, constructed, operated and dismantled. With a wide range of products, Geberit provides sustainable solutions for sanitary systems and water management in buildings. At the same time, Geberit is thus developing a sustainable market segment that is geared towards sustainable building. Geberit’s contribution With its wide range of products in front of and behind the wall, Geberit spans the entire flow of water within a building and helps to optimise significant aspects of the system as a whole, such as water and energy consumption or sound insulation. In addition to their quality and high degree of water and resource efficiency, Geberit products also impress with their good environmental compatibility and recyclability. Geberit products have a very long industrial service life, as many of them will be installed in buildings for decades. In addition, Geberit products are in some instances backwards-compatible, can be cleaned and maintained easily, and spare parts are available for up to 25 years for a significant proportion of the product range. This supports the circular economy approach in buildings. Construction processes are complex and require a healthy working relationship between the various parties involved. With this in mind, Geberit has been passing on valuable expertise and training customers and partners for many years. In 2021, around 36,000 sanitary engineers and plumbers received education and further training on products, tools and software tools at 30 Geberit Information Centres. Geberit invests in digital tools such as the interdisciplinary planning method BIM (Building Information Modelling), with the aim of optimising the entire planning and building process. BIM facilitates an efficient exchange of information between architects, sanitary engineers and building owners, thus enabling sanitary systems in buildings to be holistically planned, simulated in the respective context and implemented as a complete solution. This is also entirely in keeping with the spirit of sustainability. More and more buildings are being constructed and certified in accordance with sustainability standards such as LEED, BREEAM, DGNB or Minergie. Geberit also offers comprehensive expertise and system solutions in the areas of sanitary technology and water management. This combination impresses investors, project developers, owners and tenants alike. In particular, Geberit offers numerous products with Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) in accordance with the European standard EN 15804, which can also be used directly for sustainable building standards. This means that products with an EPD now account for 23% of Group sales.

SDG Reporting

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