Diverse perspectives are a cornerstone of Oerlikon’s culture: they enable us to plant the seeds from which innovation grows.
Engaging with Stakeholders
Our approach to stakeholder engagement
GRI 2-29
It is therefore very much a part of our culture that we are not only open to, but that we welcome and invite engagement with divergent points of view that can help us understand the needs and concerns of all stakeholders in the industries and communities we serve.
Oerlikon maintains an ongoing exchange with its stakeholders, including employees, customers, suppliers and partners, investors and analysts, local communities, authorities and government representatives, nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions and the media.
We depend on multiple channels and processes (see below) to optimize stakeholder engagement and ensure comprehensive reporting on areas that are material to the business.
With customers, we maintain a constant dialogue with them and work closely to identify what innovations or upgrades to our products, materials and services can help them save energy, reduce waste or lower emissions.
In 2022, we organized a capital markets day, where we shared our strategy and plans for profitable growth as well as our sustainability achievements and ambitions. Moreover, our Executive Chairman engaged in multiple discussions with investors to listen to and understand their concerns and to evaluate how we can provide more disclosure to increase transparency and communication on topics related to governance and sustainability.
In addition to one-on-one and focus group conversations, we conduct, as appropriate, internal surveys that aid us in understanding potential issues. In 2022, we conducted an employee engagement survey, which covered a number of topics from management and transformation to sustainability. On the topic of sustainability, employees viewed Oerlikon’s efforts and progress positively, which confirmed that we are on the right track toward our sustainability goals, both in our own operations and in helping customers with our products in their sustainability efforts.
With suppliers, we took the next steps in our sustainability journey and have mapped out our goals from 2022 to 2030 in our Sustainable Procurement Roadmap to provide us with a plan on how we want to evolve our sustainable procurement over the next years. In 2022, we also made significant progress in our efforts, for example 100% of Oerlikon commodity managers completed their sustainable procurement training, and we completed the EcoVadis rating process for key and strategic suppliers who represent 20% of Oerlikon’s mapped spend.
We expect our stakeholder engagement strategy to continue to evolve, and we anticipate that we will expand our stakeholder consultation efforts.
This openness to feedback and even criticism plays a central role in building on our history of continuous process improvement and upholding our governance, environmental, social and sustainability standards in our work around the world.
This strategy continues to evolve as we explore opportunities to gain insights from further stakeholder consultations. Our efforts to understand stakeholders’ perceptions of our operations, practices and impact reflect our belief that communication and the exchange of ideas are the building blocks of achieving consensus. By working together toward mutual goals, we are best positioned to realize our shared goals of strengthening our business, enriching human welfare and preserving our planet.
Stakeholder Engagement at Oerlikon
| Stakeholders | GRI 2-29 | Key Concerns of Stakeholder Groups | GRI 2-25, 26 | Examples of Engagement | GRI 2-29 |
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| Employees |
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| Customers |
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| Suppliers and Partners |
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| Investors and Analysts |
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| Local Communities |
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| Authorities and Government Representatives |
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| Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society |
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