Analysis of Material Sustainability Topics
For years, WACKER has regularly surveyed its stakeholders as part of its sustainability reporting. For cost and efficiency reasons, we conducted our first-ever indirect stakeholder survey in 2020. This involved WACKER employees estimating which topics are of significance to those stakeholders with whom they are in close contact. Groups taken into consideration ranged from employees, customers, suppliers, analysts, investors and journalists to scientists, neighbors, politicians, associations and NGOs.
Aside from relevance to the stakeholders, the survey also investigated the influence of each topic on WACKER and the effects of WACKER’s business activities on the topics.
Materiality of Our Sustainability Concerns
The top five concerns:
- Product safety
- Safety of production plants
- Compliance
- Transport and storage safety
- Occupational safety and employee health
Concerns that survey respondents felt had the greatest impact on WACKER:
- Competitiveness and value trends
- Safety of production plants
- Energy efficiency
- Product safety
- Occupational safety and employee health
Concerns over which respondents felt WACKER has the greatest influence:
- Product safety
- Occupational safety and employee health
- Safety of production plants
- Energy efficiency
- Emissions
Potential of Our Sustainability Performance
Respondents saw these areas as having the greatest potential for improvement:
- Competitiveness and value trends
- Sustainable products and innovations
- Resource consumption
- Good management
- Environmental standards within the supply chain
Materiality Matrix Showing Results of the 2020 Stakeholder Survey
Stakeholder Survey Participants
Opinions in the 2020 stakeholder survey were expressed by 111 Group employees. Conducted indirectly online, the survey incorporated experts on the following stakeholders: analysts, customers, suppliers, employees and politicians, as well as representatives from authorities and NGOs. Participants included Group coordinators for the following important sustainability topics:
- Environment
- Safety
- Sustainability
- Energy management
- Health
- Product safety
- Hazardous goods
- Export controls
- Personnel
- Compliance management
German CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR-RUG)
In this sustainability report, we cover issues that are deemed material under Germany’s CSR Directive Implementation Act. These included 13 of the 30 concerns we asked about in our 2020 stakeholder survey. Our reporting on the issue of human rights is required by law. The current report also contains topics that are not defined as material by the CSR Directive Implementation Act, but that we have included to help ensure content continuity.
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Material Issues Pursuant to CSR-RUG |
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Aspect Pursuant to CSR-RUG |
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Occupational safety and employee health |
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Personnel matters |
Job creation and retention |
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Personnel matters |
Competitiveness and value trends |
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Personnel matters |
Production plant safety |
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Personnel and environmental matters |
Relations with stakeholders |
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Personnel, environmental and social matters |
Waste and disposal |
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Environmental matters |
Emissions |
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Environmental matters |
Energy efficiency |
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Environmental matters |
Sustainable products and innovations |
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Environmental matters |
Product safety |
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Environmental matters |
Resource consumption |
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Environmental matters |
Transport and storage safety |
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Environmental matters |
Compliance |
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Combating corruption and bribery |
As part of our materiality analysis, we took account in this report of the statutory definition of materiality pursuant to Sections 315 b, 315 c and 289 b through 289 e of the German Commercial Code (HGB). For major non-financial issues, we ensure that the relevant stakeholders are involved. The corresponding Executive Board committees deal with all key topics.