Stakeholder engagement

The globally operating Group regularly engages in dialogue with various stakeholders to identify, at an early stage, possible conflict issues and opportunities for further development of the mutual relations. Important stakeholders are identified on the basis of their influence on the company or their impact on its economic, environmental or social performance. An external Stakeholder Panel reviews these assessments.

Significant stakeholder groups for the Geberit Group are customers, capital market investors, analysts, the media, employees and trade unions, neighbours, municipalities and authorities, research institutes, suppliers, transport companies, associations, non-government organisations and the general public.

Their concerns and suggestions are taken into consideration in the materiality analysis process. In the reporting year, all important stakeholder groups were involved in the new materiality analysis in accordance with the principle of double materiality (Materiality analysis).

Customers

Geberit representatives in 52 countries sell products to customers in 120 countries. Specialist wholesalers are the main buyers. Plumbers purchase Geberit products from wholesalers and sell these on to end customers, including the necessary assembly work. Architects and sanitary engineers as well as professional investors are also important target groups within the “go-to-market” model. Dialogue with the various target groups takes place as follows:

• Direct contact between the technical advisors working in the field and plumbers, sanitary engineers and architects.
• Training: In the reporting year, some 70,000 professionals were provided with education and further training on Geberit products, tools, software tools and installation skills at 30 Geberit Information Centres in Europe and overseas. Furthermore, some 23,000 people took part in a wide range of webinars and alternative training formats.
• Campaigns: The successful “Geberit On Tour” campaign was again carried out in several markets during the reporting year, where company representatives visited local and regional wholesalers, vocational schools and large DIY stores. This gave sanitary specialists and business partners the opportunity of finding out more about new products, testing them out in person and sharing experiences with experts.
• Attendance at trade fairs: Geberit was also present at selected regional and national trade fairs during the reporting year. Important presentations were made at Swissbau in Basel (CH), Nordbygg in Stockholm (SE), VSK in Utrecht (NL) and at the SHK in Essen (DE).
• Communication activities: These include in particular the further expansion and intensification of the social media presence as well as information in various newsletters.

For further information on involving customers, see Business Report > Business and financial review > Financial Year 2024 > Customers.

Shareholders, investors and analysts

Shareholders have legal and statutory participatory rights. Telephone conferences, bilateral meetings, capital market conferences and roadshows with the CEO, CFO and Head Corporate Communications and Investor Relations take place on a regular basis. Geberit is covered by numerous analysts. The company is very well positioned and represented on the capital market in the area of ESG.

Employees and trade unions

Geberit is an important employer at its production and sales sites. Furthermore, the company is an important training company for apprentices. The responsibility for all material aspects concerning labour practices, employment conditions and corporate culture at the Geberit Group lies with the Head Corporate Human Resources. The main instruments for dialogue with the employees are:

• 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.
• Training and feedback opportunities on topics regarding the Code of Conduct.
• The possibility of reporting irregularities anonymously in the corresponding language using the Group-wide Geberit Integrity Line. The Integrity Line is available to all employees worldwide.
• Regular employee surveys of all employees of the Geberit Group, most recently in 2021. The next global survey will be carried out in 2025. Until then, surveys will be carried out on a local basis.
• Geberit Intranet with current news articles and background stories as well as the opportunity to comment on articles.

For further information, see Business Report > Business and financial review > Financial Year 2024 > Employees.

Suppliers

By procuring goods and services, the company makes an impact on the social, environmental and economic aspects of the upstream supply chain.

Geberit’s suppliers are obligated to maintain comprehensive standards. The basis for the cooperation is the Code of Conduct for Suppliers, which is binding for all suppliers. The Code of Conduct comprises specific guidelines on quality and meeting environmental, labour law and social requirements and sets out compliance with human rights. Audits (carried out on site by representatives of the company as well as by external auditing companies) are used to ensure compliance with quality as well as environment, occupational safety and health standards and are discussed with the suppliers. Furthermore, exchanges on product data take place for creating environmental product declarations (EPDs), developing sustainable products and reducing CO₂ emissions.

For further information, see Procurement.

Transport companies

The environmental impact of intercompany and distribution logistics is an important factor for Geberit. As Geberit does not have a transport fleet of its own, the sanitary technology group has been working with selected transport companies on a long-term basis and is in close contact with them – including on environmental and social issues.

Partners agree to actively support Geberit in its efforts to use energy and packaging material efficiently and to reduce emissions. Furthermore, the partners support Geberit by providing the data needed for the environmental reporting. Developed in 2010 and continuously expanded since then, the logistics calculator facilitates the annual capture of data on the vehicle fleet composition, transportation performance and fuel consumption of all transport service providers, as well as the preparation of the eco-balance.

For further information, see Production and Logistics or Business Report > Business and financial review > Financial Year 2024 > Logistics.

Media

Geberit is of particular interest to national business media in its domestic market, Switzerland, and to local and regional media in the areas surrounding its sites. Furthermore, the trade press is a relevant target group for communication by the local sales companies on topics relating to sanitation and building technology. Sustainability topics and, in particular, the Swiss Group’s performance in this area play an important role in the media activities of Geberit.

Neighbours, municipalities and authorities

Geberit is an important employer for the communities around its sites. The sanitary technology specialist is also an important training company for apprentices. Furthermore, the company and this stakeholder group influence each other as follows:

• Consultation with and inclusion of the neighbours of production plants and logistics sites in larger construction projects.
• Influence on public infrastructure (sewage system, roads and traffic etc.).
• Influence on the standards for water hygiene, drainage and on the products through the regulatory specifications.

Research institutes

Geberit maintains relationships with various research institutes. On the one hand, this concerns cooperation on technological trends and developments directly related to sanitary technology. On the other, the company is also part of international engineer networks, which unite renowned European universities, corporate partners and engineering students. These include:

• Cooperation on technological trends and developments directly related to sanitary technology with University of Applied Sciences OST Rapperswil, University of Zurich, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland Brugg-Windisch, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (all CH), as well as the Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences and the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences (both DE) and others.
• Cooperation on further training modules in ceramics technology with Koblenz University of Applied Sciences (DE).
• Membership of the network UNITECH, which networks renowned European universities, corporate partners and engineering students.

Associations

Geberit is involved in various associations and organisations that make a contribution towards sustainable development. In addition, various Group companies are members of national associations on topics such as sustainable building, environmentally friendly production, energy, waste management and employee protection. The company is:

• Active member of TEPPFA, the European organisation for plastic pipes and fittings, where the topics of sustainability and circular economy are central.
• Member of Cerame-Unie, the European Ceramic Industry Association, since the acquisition of the ceramics business in 2015.
• Member of Swissmem, the Swiss association of mechanical and electrical engineering industries. Swissmem represents the interests of the mechanical, electrical and metal industries in dealings with business, politics and the general public, and promotes the competitiveness of its approximately 1,400 member companies with appropriate services. Sustainability is also an important topic.
• Member of SwissHoldings, a cross-industry business organisation for multinationals in Switzerland.
• Member of öbu, an association for sustainable operations for Swiss companies.

Non-government organisations and the general public

As a member of various organisations, Geberit is committed to sustainable development. These include:

• UN Global Compact: A formal member of the United Nations initiative that encourages companies to integrate sustainable and socially responsible practices in their strategies and activities; founding member of the local Swiss network.
• Transparency International: A global NGO committed to combating corruption.
• Swiss Water Partnership: A network of Swiss players in the water sector which supports sustainable water solutions at both a national and international level.