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Sustainability management
Holistic and integrated approach
Responsibility and respect along the entire value chain
For us, sustainable business means combining long-term economic success with environmental protection, ethical behavior and social responsibility. Responsible and respectful treatment of people, the environment and resources with increasing use of renewable energies in all parts of the value chain are the basis for this
Sustainable thinking and action
“Our sustainability strategy takes a holistic and integrated approach. Our objective is to integrate sustainability in all business processes and raise awareness among all employees for sustainable thinking and action.”
Jessica Mannocchi, Head of Sustainability
Four areas of action for sustainability
Our globally coordinated sustainability management comprises four areas of action: environment & energy, product stewardship, employees and governance & ethical business .It thus covers all dimensions of sustainability. With a materiality analysis, we have identified the sustainability aspects within these areas of action that are at the center of SMA’s sustainability program. We have set ourselves ambitious objectives in all areas of action and defined measures for achieving these objectives. We continuously measure our success by means of suitable KPIs. More details on the SMA sustainability objectives can be found in the SMA group’s Annual Report 2022.
Stakeholder management
We place high value on ongoing, transparent dialogue with our stakeholders. We regard dialogue with them as an important catalyst for the further development of our sustainability management. One important tool for this is our annual stakeholder analysis, which gives us an insight into important stakeholder groups and their expectations.
SMA stakeholder dialogue
Employees
Type of involvement
- regular company-wide and division-specific “pulse check” surveys
- works meetings held by the Works Council
- intranet communication with comment functions
- collaboration tools
- leadership events
- communication with “climate representatives”,
- newsletters
- committees
- working groups
Issues raised and expectations of SMA
- working conditions
- working hours and location arrangements
- mobile working
- training
- career opportunities
- fair, transparent and performance-based remuneration
- sustainable corporate strategy
- safe jobs
- business success
- equal opportunities
Politicians / Legislators
Type of involvement
- organization of events
- joint initiatives
- proactive contact
- participation in consultations
- personal meetings
- presentation of positions via industry associations
- involvement in local initiatives
Issues raised and expectations of SMA
- transparent communication
- sense of responsibility in dealing with sustainability issues
- compliance with global standards (e.g., UN Global Compact)
- business success
- securing jobs
- working conditions
- location image and positive reputation
- renewable energies
- technological development and innovation
Press / NGOs
Type of involvement
- Press releases
- annual press conference
- ad hoc messages
- social media channels
- interviews
- background discussions
- responding to inquiries
- media center on corporate website
Issues raised and expectations of SMA
- transparent communication
- sense of responsibility in dealing with sustainability issues
- compliance with global standards (e.g., UN Global Compact)
- business success
- securing jobs
- working conditions
- location image and positive reputation
- renewable energies
- technological development and innovation
Customers / Major Customers / Distributors / Installers / Project Partner
Type of involvement
- Personal and virtual meetings/sales visits
- key account management
- events
- trade fair presentations
- customer survey and customer audits
- surveys to measure satisfaction and identify potential for improvement
- SMA Solar Academy and partner programs for installers
Issues raised and expectations of SMA
- quality
- reliability
- value for money of systems and solutions
- contract compliance and delivery reliability
- compliance
- fairness
- sustainability performance of products
- product certification
- training for installers
- innovative applications
- lifetime
- customer service
- holistic collaboration
Investors / Analysts / Rating Agencies
Type of involvement
- financial and sustainability reporting
- Annual General Meeting
- annual Capital Markets Day
- one-to-ones with investors and analysts
- conferences and roadshows
- participation in ESG ratings and rankings
Issues raised and expectations of SMA
- transparent and extensive communication on the company’s development
- economic profitability
- sustainability performance/ESG
Service partners / service providers
Type of involvement
- Bilateral exchange with SMA departments
- review meetings
- steering committee meetings
Issues raised and expectations of SMA
- Open and constructive communication
- reliable partnership
- contract compliance
- optimal product support
Suppliers
Type of involvement
- bilateral dialogue via commodity managers
- purchasing partnerships
- annual or quarterly discussions
- Supplier Day
- supplier training
- participation in supplier evaluations
- supplier development with regard to quality
- supplier audits
Issues raised and expectations of SMA
- reliable partnership
- compliance with legal regulations
- fair competition and ethical conduct
- clear guidelines for quality
- occupational safety requirements and environmental standards
- reliable capacity and procurement planning
ESG Ratings and Rankings
By participating in international sustainability ratings and rankings, we aim to give our stakeholders access to a transparent and independent assessment of our sustainability performance.
MSCI ESG
AAA
(rating scale AAA to CCC)
ISS ESG
Prime (B-)
(rating scale from A+ to D-)
Sustainalytics
20.1 / rank 38 out of 259 companies
(rating scale 0 to 100, the lower the better)
EcoVadis
Gold medal
CDP
Climate Change 2022: B
Supplier Engagement 2022: A-