Sustainability
Technology leader with responsibility
SUSS develops customized and technologically leading solutions that support the trend toward new ways of living and working. We are also working on efficient and environmentally friendly technologies. This benefits our customers and society because we claim to be a technology leader with responsibility.
Sustainability Strategy and Organization
As a global company, we are facing the challenges of this age. We want to contribute to future generations. Therefore, we consider economic and ecological factors in our business decisions. For us, sustainable thinking and action encompasses the careful use of natural resources, respectful interaction with one another, equal opportunities for all employees, and conduct in compliance with the law. We are firmly convinced that a consistent path toward sustainability will help the company to tap new growth potential.
The ESG principles of environment, social and governance are important elements of our corporate strategy and crucial for our future business success. We are determined to make our contribution to establishing a sustainable value chain in the semiconductor industry.
Burkhardt Frick
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Dr. Cornelia Ballwießer
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Dr. Thomas Rohe
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
The Board of Management as a whole is responsible for the topic of sustainability. The ESG team is responsible for implementing the comprehensive sustainability program that we set up in 2021. The team is made up of employees working in the respective focus areas and meets regularly under the leadership of our ESG Manager. She reports directly to the Executive Board and defines the sustainability targets together with the Executive Board, the operating departments and the functional areas of the company (ESG team).
Material Topics
We align our strategy with the three ESG dimensions of environmental, social and governance. As part of a materiality analysis (double materiality), we have defined nine material topics that are decisive for our actions.
Environment
Climate, energy and emissions
Our environmental and climate protection measures have two dimensions. On the one hand, we aim to improve the energy efficiency of our products and thus ultimately reduce the carbon footprint of our customers, who in turn contribute to the development of increasingly energy-efficient devices such as cell phones. On the other hand, we are constantly striving to increase energy efficiency in our own production and administration and to work in a way that conserves resources. ISO 14001 serves as the framework for our environmental management system.
Sustainable products, innovation and technology, circular economy
We optimize our systems and process solutions through innovations and continuous improvements in terms of energy efficiency, throughput and the consumption of chemicals. Our responsibility extends from the development and purchasing of components to the production of our systems and the buy-back, refurbishment and sale of used systems in the interests of the circular economy.
Social
Employer attractiveness, employee satisfaction
The satisfaction and well-being of our employees is very important to us. In order to guarantee our employees as much flexibility as possible, we offer a variety of working time models. Mobile working is an option for more than half of the jobs in Germany.
Training and further education
By continuously improving our training and further education measures, we aim to empower, support and develop our employees. At our two German production sites in Garching and Sternenfels, we train between 10 and 15 new apprentices in technical and commercial professions every year. In cooperation with Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, we also offer a StudiumPLUS course in mechatronics that combines training and study. We offer a wide range of training courses for our employees.
Diversity and inclusion, equal opportunities, non-discrimination
Our international presence means that people of different nationalities, cultures and religions work together at our company. A balanced age structure ensures that knowledge as well as professional and life experience are retained for as long as possible in the interests of the company, while at the same time new impulses and ideas are brought in. Employees with disabilities are also an integral part of our workforce. Women are specifically promoted as part of the company's diversity concept.
Occupational safety, health protection
More than half of our employees work in the areas of production and technology. Working in the cleanrooms and handling electricity and chemicals, for example in the application laboratories, is particularly dangerous if not handled properly. To protect health and prevent injuries and accidents, regular training and safety briefings are therefore held, in particular to ensure the proper handling of hazardous substances.
Governance
Human rights, responsible supply chain
Compliance with globally applicable human rights is a prerequisite for successful business activities. We therefore strictly reject all forms of forced or compulsory labor, child labor, modern slavery and human trafficking. We safeguard our supply chain through targeted supplier management: In addition to the performance of suppliers, their attitude towards the environment and ethics also determines whether they will work with us. Our business partners and suppliers are obliged to comply with our Code of Conduct. We check compliance through qualifications and audits.
Legal conformity, compliance and information security
As an internationally active company, we inform ourselves about the current legal and cultural framework conditions of all countries in which we operate and observe them. We expect the same from our business partners. A code of conduct applies to our employees. Violations of this or critical behavior can be reported to the compliance officers or via whistleblowing channels. With regard to information security, we ensure that data is protected against unauthorized access and defend against criminal attacks on our systems.
Customer satisfaction, product quality
Our promise to deliver the highest quality and our aspiration to perfectly meet customer requirements with our products and solutions have earned us our technologically leading position in the areas of Advanced Backend and Photomask Solutions. Our processes are monitored and continuously improved in accordance with the ISO 9001 quality management standard.
ESG ratings: We face up to external assessments
Several internationally renowned ESG rating agencies regularly analyze SUSS's sustainability performance.
In March 2024, SUSS was assessed by Morningstar Sustainalytics to be at low risk of experiencing material financial impacts from ESG factors. In no event the rating shall be construed as investment advice or expert opinion as defined by the applicable legislation.*
SUSS was given a rating of C- in the ISS ESG Corporate Rating in January 2024. The score of 33.17 corresponds to a result in the 5th decile in the Semiconductor Equipment sector.
We achieved a score of 26 out of 100 in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 (publication date: November 24, 2023). In the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment sector, this is a result in the 71st percentile. This means that 71% of companies in the sector have an equally high or lower score.
In February 2024, SUSS was rated B- on a scale of A to D- in the CDP climate rating. The Carbon Disclosure Project has thus confirmed that we publicly present our climate protection strategies and measures in detail.
SUSS received an AA rating in the MSCI ESG Rating. MSCI ESG Research analyses and evaluates how companies manage ESG-related risks and opportunities. The rating is based on a seven-point scale from AAA ("Leader") to CCC ("Laggard").
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