A new phase of sustainability

19. May 2022

4 Min read

Contents

Written by Markus Stieger-Bircher

COO – Chief Operating Officer

Value-oriented action

It all starts with a realization that is nothing new for R&M: Corporate responsibility cannot be limited to its immediate sphere of influence. In a globalized economy that R&M is actively shaping in the information and communication industry, every entrepreneurial activity has far-reaching consequences.

As a family company, R&M has always lived out this sense of responsibility. To a certain extent, the company «naturally» acts in a sustainable and value-oriented manner. R&M acts cautiously in all directions: towards people and the environment, customers and business partners, as well as other stakeholders.

The present requires companies to look and plan far into the future. It’s not just about demonstrating a striking commitment to sustainability. The strategy itself needs to be significantly expanded and optimized on an ongoing basis.

We all know how important it is to us to protect the global climate and natural resources. We have to act. Business leaders must pay more attention than ever before to fair and ethical coexistence in the world.

In addition to the values of our family-run company, the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and the ten principles of the UN Global Compact form the basis of our current and future actions. Additional substantial goals are based on

• Statutory regulations, certification procedures of states, and business organizations
• International standards such as ISO 14001, 26000 and 45001
• Criteria for recognized sustainability assessments

Charter formulated

Realization and commitment are followed by hard work. As COO and the person responsible for sustainability in the company, it is important to me to follow visible and measurable actions. We developed the extended sustainability strategy in the company back in 2021. The focus is on four priorities (see box).

Those responsible drew up a charter for their divisions. Sixty individual activities and tasks were defined, which we have been implementing since 2022.

On our path to decarbonization, we are committed to the system defined in the Green House Gas Protocol (GHG):

• R&M aims to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions by at least half by 2030
• The R&M plants worldwide should be CO₂ neutral by 2050 at the latest

First carbon footprint

R&M is currently having the climate-relevant emissions of its 14 plants assessed by the myclimate Foundation in Zurich. This is the first occurrence of external and scientifically based CO₂ accounting in the company.

• Among other things, R&M has to date calculated the total annual energy consumption of its plants. This was reduced by six percent in 2021 with the plants running at full capacity.
• Eleven of the 14 R&M plants already have an environmental management system that is certified in accordance with ISO 14001.
• Since 2019, we have been certifying the plants to ISO 45001, thereby underscoring the fact that R&M also checks health and safety in the workplace in a verifiable manner.

We’re already in the middle of that process. In the new phase of the sustainability strategy, R&M is continuing its tried and tested activities. Progress is measured according to the same principles in all values. Existing indicators and data have been consolidated and integrated into a global KPI matrix.

Transparency

What follows commitment, objectives, operational programs, certification and measurement is transparency.

The sustainability strategy becomes visible when we disclose our roadmap. When we document results and progress and have our sustainability activities audited and evaluated by third parties. This is why R&M has been taking part in the EcoVadis assessment and CDP scoring for many years.

To ensure complete transparency, we present our Sustainability Report every spring. The 2021 Report can be downloaded here. You can also visit our sustainability site in the R&M web portal.