Sustainability strategy until 2030

Strengthening profitability and innovation

Our goals:

• We use all our resources as efficiently as possible and strive to earn a premium on our cost of capital.
• We will devote 30% of our budget to researching and developing more sustainable products.
• We are involved in sustainability committees and similar organizations in order to drive forward the innovation of sustainable products together with our customers.
• We include our suppliers in our sustainability strategy.

Achieving excellence in occupational safety, health protection and noise emissions

Our goals:

• We will reduce the number of accident-related absences from work to zero.
• We will continuously improve our occupational health and safety through preventive measures.
• We will typify, routinely monitor, review and, if necessary, treat general emissions from operations (air and noise emissions) and greenhouse gas emissions prior to release.
• We take on the task of monitoring our exhaust gas purification systems.
• We are committed to finding economical solutions to minimize any emissions.

Ensuring compliance with legal standards and creating transparency

Our goals:

• We ensure compliance with international human rights, anti-corruption and labor standards through internal control and risk management systems such as internal audits and a whistle-blower hotline.
• We ensure that our suppliers comply with our Code of Conduct.

Partnerships to achieve goals

Our goals:

• We are a signatory to the “Responsible Care Global Charter” of the International Council of Chemical Associations and are committed to the guidelines of this initiative.
• We are participating in the “Chemie 3” sustainability initiative, which is supported by the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), the German Mining, Chemical and Energy Industrial Union (IG BCE) and the German Chemical Employers’ Association (BAVC).
• We ensure that every position is filled by the best qualified person, regardless of gender, origin, faith and/or orientation.

Peace, justice and a strong institution for people and animal welfare

Our goals:

• We respect human rights and actively combat corruption and bribery.
• We have introduced a Compliance Management System (CMS) to ensure legally compliant and socially ethical behavior. ZG works according to basic principles based on the UN Global Compact (UNGC) of the United Nations and the International Labor Organization SA 8000.
• We have also drawn up and published our own codes, policies and guidelines that regulate the standards for cooperation between ZG employees and relationships with business partners. These documents guide our employees and business partners in all the business decisions they make in their daily work.
• We pay attention to the welfare of animals and ensure humane treatment in accordance with the five freedoms of animals formulated by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

Promoting the circular economy

Our goal:

• We will continuously increase the substitution rate of natural raw materials through the use of by-products and recycled materials.

Being a good neighbor

Our goal:

• We maintain open and transparent communication regarding our activities and services.

Reducing our ecological footprint

Our goals:

emissions

• We will reduce our_{carbon footprint} by 20 % compared to 2018.
• We will increase the proportion of alternative energies by 30 %.
• We will continuously reduce all other emissions.
• We will continue to optimize processes with the aim of keeping energy and water consumption and the amount of waste generated during production low and constantly reducing them.

Water

• We strive to reduce water consumption at all our operating sites as far as economically and technically possible.
• We aim to implement water management plans at all locations in water-scarce areas and to consolidate these at a national level in order to develop an overall concept for reducing water consumption.
• At Group level, all efforts are brought together in a global plan to reduce water consumption. Our production sites are located in designated industrial and commercial areas and are planned and operated in accordance with company-wide safety and environmental guidelines to minimize the release of substances into the environment that could harm biodiversity.

Soil quality

• We will protect our ecosystems and, in particular, areas important for biodiversity that are affected by our activities.
• We will avoid illegal deforestation in accordance with international biodiversity regulations, including IUCN resolutions and recommendations on biodiversity.
• We routinely monitor and control our impact on soil quality to prevent soil erosion, nutrient depletion, subsidence and contamination.

Decarbonization

• With decarbonization – the switch from fossil fuels to carbon-free and renewable energy sources – we want to reduce and avoid our_{CO2 emissions} by 20 % by 2023.