Preface
Dear Readers,
Over the past year, we have made a concerted effort to maintain Arbonia’s focus on the key issues for the future in the context of sustainability. Even in economically challenging times, we are continuing to pursue healthy and sustainable growth – a strategy that is becoming closely intertwined with our sustainability targets across all parts of the company. Arbonia is keen to play an active role in the European Green Deal, Europe’s major sustainability project. With our innovative products, we can contribute to climate protection efforts in the emission-heavy building sector and live up to our responsibility in this area. The crucial factor, however, is the CO2 reduction targets for our emissions from Scope 1 and Scope 2 in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). These targets underline our support for the Paris Climate Agreement and have resulted in tangible success in 2023.
In the reporting year, Arbonia was able to increase the share of electricity that it produces itself from 12.9% in the previous year to 14.6% by installing further PV systems on the roofs of the production plants. A further success was the reduction in heating oil consumption for heat production by 32.0%. General electricity consumption was also around 9.5% lower than in the previous year. Greenhouse gas emissions from Scope 1 and 2 dropped by 7.6% overall; however, the greenhouse gas intensity (greenhouse gas emissions in kgCO2e / CHF net revenue) increased by 2.7% due to a drop in revenue. We were able to improve the data situation in Scope 3 significantly in the reporting year. We can now collect valid data in all relevant categories in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The next step is to start working on appropriate reduction measures.
In line with our commitment to continuous improvement, the Arbonia Group has also made strategic changes in order to improve the quality and relevance of its sustainability reporting. The Swiss Code of Obligations, an important driver in this regard, has prompted us to recalibrate our reporting methods. This legal framework underlines the importance of precise, comprehensive reporting which ensures that our stakeholders have the information they need to make well-founded decisions. Furthermore, the 2023 report also includes information in accordance with the requirements of the Taskforce on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) for the first time. You can read the TCFD report.
Our sustainability strategy is divided into the sub-areas of Climate (ecological issues), Community (social issues) and – new for 2023 – Compliance (governance issues). We firmly believe that these three elements are closely intertwined and that they must be aligned with each other in order to make our company fit for the future.
One of the most important structural changes in this year’s report, however, is the modified approach used to evaluate materiality. Given the dynamic nature of sustainability topics, we have undertaken a comprehensive review of our existing materiality matrix in order to identify and prioritise the most important topics for our company and for our stakeholders.
We know that sustainability is an ongoing process which requires continued commitment and also means constantly dealing with new regulatory requirements. We therefore see this report not just as a snapshot, but as a milestone on our journey to a more sustainable future. It highlights the work we are doing to ensure transparency, accountability and compliance with legal regulations across all areas of our company. We are proud of what we have achieved so far and are motivated to keep getting better.
This report will tell you about the progress we have made and the challenges that lie ahead of us, presenting us with further opportunities for improvement.
We would like to thank our shareholders, partners, customers and employees for supporting us and going on this journey with us. Together we will create a world in which business and the environment can coexist in harmony.
Alexander von Witzleben
Executive Chairman
Daniel Wüest
Group CFO
