Our Strategy

ESG is a Core Part of our Strategy

Sustainability was an inherent part of Oerlikon long before it was on the business world’s radar.

We see our products and services, market position and growth potential as aspects of success — but those measures are much more meaningful within the context of our responsibility as global citizens, who are contributing to the health of our planet and the safety and well-being of its inhabitants.

Some companies might see this as a conflict of interests. At Oerlikon, we see it as a cornerstone of our foundation for pursuing long-term value and growth. After all, sustainability has always been built into our strategy, which drives our innovations and operations to serve our customers’ needs.

It is not just “in our DNA”. Everything we do is intrinsically linked to conservation and the smart use of resources, and we have a record of success in converting those values into market solutions. This is the foundation of our ability to gain the confidence of customers facing tough challenges, investors interested in innovation that creates value and associates who share our passion for measuring progress in technological and human terms.

Our overarching goal is to empower our customers to increase their efficiency and productivity, optimize their usage of resources, lessen their energy and water consumption and reduce waste. Every time we perfect a technological advance that achieves these objectives, we are acting both as a commercial enterprise and a caretaker of the planet and its inhabitants.

At Oerlikon, we have always seen these two roles as interdependent, and in that sense, nothing has changed: our core sustainability values are rooted in our history, traditions, culture and products.

What is new? The understanding that it is important for us to make a public commitment and to join the ranks of people proactively engaging with sustainability and inspiring others to do the same.

We recognize the need to codify, formalize and raise public awareness of the sustainability principles entrenched in our operations and processes. While we are gratified by industry knowledge of and faith in the impact of our innovations, we want to draw equal attention to our Code of Conduct, our safety initiatives (such as the Zero Harm to People program), talent development (such as our Horizons program) and compliance record.

As pillars of our success in delivering customer value, each of these aspects merits continual investment, just as each remains central to our ability to develop the technologies, products and services on which our customers depend. That means we are committed to the adoption and ongoing evolution of sustainable innovation practices that minimize any negative social and environmental impacts of our operations as we deliver the innovations our customers need to minimize their own environmental footprints.

Looking ahead, we will capitalize on opportunities to put our expertise into action for the environment, to drive new levels of achievement in terms of emissions reduction and to take our place among the leading voices speaking out on behalf of social justice. We recognize each of these responsibilities as compatible with — and supportive of — our targets for market growth and financial performance.

This is Oerlikon’s blueprint for maintaining technological leadership and strategy for delivering sustainable value to all stakeholders.

 
 
 
 

Contact

Thomas Schmidt

Head of Group Communications
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