Strategy
Sika pursues a double-pronged sustainability strategy:
- it seeks to design products and services that meet the demand for efficient, sustainable solutions in the target markets;
- it continuously refines its own operations in line with sustainable practice and backs this up by suitable investment in sustainability on the basis of economic principles.
Global Challenges
The commitment to sustainable development demanded by the global challenges and megatrends has precipitated changes in the economic environment. Buildings, infrastructure facilities, installations and vehicles are now constructed and used differently from in the past. Lowenergy houses and cars, for example, are increasingly becoming the norm. The rising demand for sustainable products is changing both Sika’s target markets and the requirements placed on its products. Sika seeks to contribute proactively to these change processes through innovation. Top priority is given here to sustainably developed and manufactured products that enhance durability and promote the efficient use of energy, water and materials.
Megatrends
The following challenges are particularly relevant to Sika:
- Climate change and regulation of the carbon economy
- Population growth and urbanization
- Energy costs and repercussions for climate
- Raw materials and water shortages as well as poor water quality
Ecological Efficiency
For Sika, ecological efficiency means delivering equivalent or better solutions while consuming less material and energy. This necessitates innovation in both materials and application techniques, backed up by suitable methods to assess the environmental impact of products and works. Life-cycle assessment is one of the key tools applied in the product development process. Sika also supports national and international initiatives to establish sustainable construction (green building) certification systems. Programs of this kind are important in that they allow the sustainability of products and systems to be quantified and compared.