Actions

As part of our strategies and goals in the area of water and marine resources, we have defined the following ongoing measures:

Own operations

Compliance with all legislation at national and local level in relation to water use constitutes the basis for all actions to keep our impacts through water withdrawal, water consumption and water backflow as low as possible. Furthermore, environmental protection is regulated throughout the Group by WACKER standards containing specific requirements relating to water withdrawal and water backflow for all production sites and technical competence centers.

Each site has an obligation to organize environmental protection locally to ensure compliance with environmental regulations, the safe operation of plants and to carry out environmental monitoring. A standardized environmental management system enables us to record our corresponding water volumes at all our sites and to ensure that legal conditions, volume limits and WACKER’s environmental standards are complied with.

As part of an ABC analysis that every site must carry out once a year, we analyze and assess material environmental aspects including relevant site-specific water volumes and types. Site-specific targets are established if necessary.

A key component of our water stewardship is the WACKER Water Stewardship (WaWaS) assessment, which follows six main principles in line with SDG 6 “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” and international standards:

• Good water governance: appropriate and transparent company management of water practices

• Sustainable basin water balance: sustainable water withdrawal in relation to water volume

• Good water quality: in terms of chemical quality, biological elements and thermal load

• Protection of important water-related areas: conservation and protection of key aquatic reserves

• Flood protection: protection of people and plants against the consequences of extreme weather events

• Safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH): safe access to water, sanitary facilities and hygiene standards

These topics are evaluated at the site level as part of a self-assessment, impacts, risks and opportunities are identified, and, if necessary, appropriate actions are developed. This assessment has to be updated at least every five years.

WACKER is guided in this by international standards such as European Water Stewardship (EWS), the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

We use the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Water Risk Filter to analyze our groupwide water risks on a regular basis. It appears that nine of our sites are located in areas with high water stress (see metrics). We also use the results of the risk analysis to prioritize our water management activities as part of our Group-wide water target. The indicators cover physical, regulatory and reputational risks. Our analyses of water use take these classifications into account. For sites in water risk areas, including areas with high water stress, we did not identify any substantial risks. As a result, no additional measures are required.

We are always striving to close our water circuits and to reduce water withdrawal and water consumption. As a rule, we endeavor to minimize our water use and also to reuse and retreat water several times.

For this reason, we have established actions to:

• Optimize efficiency of water consumption

• Improve energy efficiency across all process chains to cut the thermal loads to be conveyed into the cooling water

• Identify relevant bodies of wastewater and reduce mass loading by modifying processes or through suitable pretreatment

• Assess the impacts of climate change and regulatory requirements on bodies of water used and prepare any adjustments necessary

All production sites are required to identify potential for savings or improvements regarding mass loading and implement them if necessary.

In Nünchritz, for example, we launched a project for efficient water use in the year under review, Instead of fresh water, cooling water that has already been used is reused to generate steam, which saves not only fresh water but also energy.

Specific training about environmental protection for production employees is also an important action to guarantee plant operation that ensures legal certainty.

Upstream value chain (supply chain)

We address the upstream value chain in our environmental provisions governing water use; we have anchored these provisions in our general terms and conditions and in our Supplier Code of Conduct. Further details can be found under ESRS 2 – General Disclosures.