Wacker Chemie AG’s sustainability report explains how the Group balances economic interests with environmental and social responsibility. In 1989, WACKER was among the first companies to report on its environmental performance. We were also among the first to enhance our environmental reports with social and health information, creating our first sustainability report in 2002.
The present report, which builds on WACKER’s 2007–2008 sustainability report, is available in English, German and Chinese. The facts and figures given in this report refer to fiscal years 2009 and 2010. Unless otherwise stated, our statements apply to all business divisions and sites around the world, as well as to every subsidiary in which WACKER is the majority shareholder. The information on our Group structure and financial position was taken from WACKER’s 2009 and 2010 annual reports. To be as up to date as possible, we have included an Outlook section in each chapter that addresses current issues as of 2011 (editorial deadline: June 1, 2011).
This report offers an honest and comprehensive account of sustainability at WACKER for the benefit of our customers, business partners, suppliers, shareholders, analysts, non-governmental organizations and the authorities, as well as our employees and neighbors at our various sites. We established the main contents through ongoing dialog with our stakeholders and a survey carried out in fall 2010. This international stakeholder survey asked 203 respondents what sustainability topics are most relevant and how well WACKER handles them.
Our reporting is based on criteria recommended by future (a “self-help” initiative run by various German companies) and IÖW (the German institute for Ecological Economy Research) as well as the international Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 guidelines. An index at the back of the report refers to the pages that contain information on the individual GRI indicators. The extent to which we have applied the GRI Reporting Framework in this report is indicated by a self-declared level, based on our own assessment (Application Level A). This assessment has been reviewed and verified by the GRI.
Our website provides further information on the topics discussed in this report. Information on WACKER’s sustainability efforts is also available at www.wacker.com/sustainability
Our next sustainability report is scheduled for 2013.