Scope 1 Emissions
2022 Communication on Progress
Holcim
Published date
May 30, 2022
No. of questions
66
Supplemental files
CEO Statement
Signed
Governance
Policies and Responsibilities
1. Does the Board / highest governance body or most senior executive of the company:
Optional commentHolcim's Board of Directors has the ultimate responsibility for strategy and overall governance of the company. The Health, Safety and Sustainability Committee (HSSC) advises the Board of Directors on all matters related to sustainable development. The HSSC reviews and approves the company’s sustainability-related plans and targets as well as supervising our Environmental, Social, and Governance reporting. We make an annual statement about the relevance of sustainable development to the company as well as a statement that addresses the impacts on both people and the environment within our Annual Report, Sustainability Performance Report and our Climate Report. These reports can be found on our website at https://www.holcim.com/sustainability/reports Holcim's Minimum Control Standards (MCS) also require that the group CEO and the CEO in every country promote and communicate the Code of Business Conduct (COBC) and our speak up culture at least once annually. The COBC promotes a culture of integrity and zero tolerance for corruption.2. Does the company have a publicly stated commitment regarding the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentOur commitments can be found on our website, in our Integrated Annual Report 2021, our Climate Report 2022, within our corporate policies, and within our Media Releases. In addition, we have made public commitments to movements and organizations that share our vision for a better future such as the Business Ambition for 1.5°C, Science Based Targets Network, "Recover Better" Movement, Call to Action for Business Leadership on Human Rights, Eliminating Child Labour 2021 Action Plan, WBCSD Wash Pledge, World Green Building Council, and the Call to Action of Business for Nature. Please refer to our website (https://www.holcim.com/sustainability/esg/memberships-and-recognitions) for further details.3. Does the company have in place a code of conduct regarding each of the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentHolcim has a code of conduct regarding each of the topics above. Please refer to our Code of Business Conduct and Code of Business Conduct for Suppliers. In addition to our Code of Conduct, our corporate policies further elaborate on each of these topics. Please refer to our Human Rights and Social Policy, Group Human Resources Policy, Environmental Policy, and Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy as well as our Minimum Control Standards. All of these documents and our Code of Business Conduct can be found on our website (https://www.holcim.com/sustainability/esg)4. Has the company appointed an individual or group responsible for each of the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentAccountability for each of these topics begins with the Group CEO and flows to the Region Heads and Country CEOs. In addition, Holcim's Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer, Head of Human Resources, and Head of Legal and Compliance are members of the Executive Committee and have direct influence at the highest levels of the organization. For more information on the responsibilities of each member of our Executive Committee, please refer to our Integrated Annual Report 2021 (https://www.holcim.com/sites/holcim/files/2022-03/25022022-finance-holcim_fy_2021_report-full-en.pdf)5. Does the company have a formal structure(s) (such as a cross-functional committee) to address each of the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentThe Health, Safety and Sustainability Committee (HSSC) advises the Board of Directors on all matters related to sustainable development including Human Rights, Labour Rights and Environment. The Ethics, Integrity and Risk Committee, a sub-committee of the Audit Committee, oversees the company's Compliance Functional Council and the company's compliance program.Prevention
6. Does the company have a process or processes to assess risk?
Optional commentHolcim has an Enterprise Risk Management Process that covers all of the risk categories listed above. Please see our Minimum Control Standards for more information (https://www.holcim.com/sustainability/esg).6.1. During the assessment of risk, which business relationships are reviewed?
7. Does the company have a due diligence process through which it identifies, prevents, mitigates, and accounts for actual and potential negative impacts on sustainability topics?
7.1. During the due diligence process, which business relationships are reviewed?
Optional commentHolcim performs a risk assessment on all its suppliers. Suppliers with higher risks require a higher level of due diligence. The annual supplier qualification process is targeted to the suppliers identified as having potential high ESG impact. We are progressing with the annual verifications and by the end of 2021, 21'265 of these high ESG suppliers have been qualified. Qualified High ESG impact suppliers cover 73% of the spend from annual business from High Impact Suppliers.Concerns and grievance mechanisms
8. Are there any processes through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct related to human rights, labour rights, environment, or anti-corruption?
8.1. Please provide additional detail regarding the process(es) the company has through which members of the company’s workforce can raise concerns about the company’s conduct.
Optional commentThere are several ways in which our employees, their families, suppliers, business partners, members of local communities and other Stakeholders can report grievances they have against the company or our operations and its impacts. These mechanisms are detailed in our Code of Business Conduct and our Human Rights Directive. The Holcim Integrity Line is available to employees and non-employees and is available in 27 different languages. The hotline service is operated by an external third party and provides a safe, anonymous and confidential way to raise concerns. In addition, all countries should have a clear site-level mechanism for internal and external Stakeholders to raise issues related to our operations. This can be a telephone number or an email publicly available and widely communicated as part of our Stakeholder Engagement Plan. Community Advisory Panels must also be set up at all cement plants and grinding units to ensure regular exchanges with community representatives. We actively promote a speakup culture at Holcim and work to ensure that all integrity reports are treated without retaliation. Individuals who take action against a person for raising a concern or participating in an investigation are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.9. Does the company provide or enable access to effective remedy to right holders / stakeholders where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact?
Lessons
10. How does the company capture lessons regarding each of the following sustainability topics?
Executive Pay
11. Is executive pay linked to performance on one or more of the following sustainability topics?
Optional commentPlease refer to our 2021 Integrated Annual Report for our Compensation Report. The Compensation Report provides detailed information on the compensation programs at Holcim, on the compensation awarded to the members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for 2021 and on the governance framework around compensation.Board Composition
12. Percentage of individuals within the company’s Board / highest governance body by:
13. Do you produce sustainability reporting according to:
Data Assurance
14. Is the information disclosed in this questionnaire assured by a third-party?
Human Rights
Materiality / Saliency
1. Which of the following has the company identified as material human rights issues connected with its operations and/or value chain, whether based on their salience (i.e., the most severe potential negative impacts on people) or another basis?
Optional commentAs described in our Human Rights and Social Policy, we have identified seven Salient Human Rights Risks to people from our business activities which we may cause or contribute to, and which we seek proactively to identify, prevent or mitigate. These are our main areas of focus. All Country CEOs and their team must include them as part of their ongoing Human Rights Due Diligence and Assessments. As we continue proactively to assess and address other potential or actual risks to people, a Country or site may identify additional human rights risks (other than the Salient Risks) based on the local context.Response
8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the human rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
We respect and promote human rights in our own operations, supply chain and the communities where we operate. Our commitment to human rights is aligned with the principles and values contained in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and with the internationally recognized rights in the International Bill of Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as relevant laws. Ongoing human rights due diligence, human rights impact assessments and stakeholder engagement are core elements of our human rights approach. • As of today, all of our countries have a human rights assessment process in place and have defined action plans to address risks based on our methodology. • 90% of our cement plants and grinding units already have regular and institutionalized stakeholder engagement activities such as community panels in place. • As part of our work to identify risks and potential issues at site level, 100% of cement plants and grinding units in all countries will have human rights assessments, formal stakeholder engagement and action plans in place by the end of 2023. • Through our sustainable procurement program, 73% of the procurement spend with high ESG risk suppliers is made with qualified suppliers. We target to reach 100% by the end of 2022. • We conduct regular individual training for all country CEOs and relevant teams around the world. Our commitment is to train 10,000 people on human rights in online and in-person training programs every year. In 2021, we trained more than 16’000 people on human rights topics.Labour
Commitment
1. Does the company have a policy commitment in relation to the following labour rights principles?
Optional commentWe clearly and actively communicate our human rights expectations of employees and business partners through our Human Rights and Social Policy, Human Rights Directive, the Code of Business Conduct and the Code of Business Conduct for Suppliers. We also have stand-alone policies and standards related to Human Resources and Health, Safety and Environment. These policies and directives are available on our website (https://www.holcim.com/sustainability/esg).1.1. For each labour rights policy, is it:
Optional commentHolcim is committed to respecting and promoting human and labour rights in our operations, business activities, business relationships and in the communities where we work. Respect for human rights is fundamental to the way we carry out business and our ability to operate. The Holcim Human Rights and Social Policy released in June 2021, applies to Holcim Ltd. and its affiliates in our consolidated and managed countries, and sets out how our employees should interact with business partners, suppliers, communities and other stakeholders. Our commitment is aligned with the principles and values contained in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, with the internationally recognized rights in the International Bill of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as applicable laws. The policy was developed following an extensive, global survey and interviews of Holcim managers and with input from external human rights experts and other stakeholders, including civil society and community representatives.Prevention
2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following labour rights issues?
Optional commentA consultation process (focus groups and interviews) with local internal and external Stakeholders must be conducted in all Human Rights Impact Assessments in order to identify risks and impacts, as well as to identify gaps in existing mitigation measures. Holcim has a wide range of Stakeholders who may be consulted as part of our work on human rights. These include, but are not limited to, home and host governments, relevant international and national organisations, business partners, our employees and contracted workers, migrant workers, employee representatives, community representatives, civil society organisations, trade unions, academics, human rights specialists, members of religious organisations and vulnerable members of society, including women and children, indigenous people, minorities, and human rights defenders. In addition, Stakeholder Engagement is an integral part of our Human Rights Approach. Stakeholder Engagement is an ongoing and regular dialogue with Stakeholders. The aim of Stakeholder Engagement is to build and maintain regular and constructive relationships with Stakeholders at our operations.3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with this labour rights issue?
Optional commentHuman rights due diligence and global training are key to our efforts to improve performance. Human Rights Impact Assessments, which are part of our Human Rights Approach and due diligence work, have been carried out for the past decade, led either by group-level experts or at a country level. This work continued in 2021, despite travel restrictions caused by the pandemic, with 100% of the countries where we operate having a human rights assessment process in place and have defined action plans to address risks based on our methodology. Under our country and Group-level programs, we have trained more than 16,000 employees, contractors, community members and other stakeholders on human rights topics. To make a bigger difference, Holcim is an active member of key a number of international organizations dedicated to strengthening human rights in business: Holcim is a signatory of the UN Global Compact since 2003 with Human Rights at the core of its agenda. As a board member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), our CEO Jan Jenisch joined its Call to Action for Business Leadership on Human Rights. Holcim is committed to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, the WASH pledge, and the 2021 Eliminate Child Labour Action Pledge.4. Who receives training for the following labour rights issues?
5. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following labour rights issues?
Optional commentAs of today, all of our countries have a human rights assessment process in place and have defined action plans to address risks based on our methodology. As part of our work to identify risks and potential issues at site level, 100% of cement plants and grinding units in all countries will have human rights assessments, formal stakeholder engagement and action plans in place by the end of 2023. Through our sustainable procurement program, 73% of the procurement spend with high ESG risk suppliers is done with qualified suppliers. We target to reach 100% by the end of 2022. We conduct regular individual training for all country CEOs and relevant teams around the world. Our commitment is to train 10,000 people on human rights in online and in-person training programs every year.Performance
6. What is the percentage of employees covered under collective bargaining agreements?
7. What is the percentage of employees in a trade union or other workers' organization?
8. In the course of the reporting period, what was the percentage of women in:
9. What was the average ratio of the basic salary and remuneration of women to men (comparing jobs of equal value) during the reporting period?
Optional commentThe figure above is the gender pay ratio for non-management level employees and includes salary and bonus. The gender pay ratios are collected in our annual Human Resources questionnaire. https://www.holcim.com/sites/holcim/files/documents/diversity_and_inclusion_additional_indicators.pdf Our latest available figures from 2020 are shown in the table below. Gender pay ratio base salary Gender pay ratio base salary + bonus Executive level 0.80 0.80 Senior Management level 0.92 0.91 Management level /single contributor 0.93 0.92 Non-management level 1.04 1.0010. In the course of the reporting period, how frequently were workers injured (injuries per hour worked)?
Optional commentThe Total Injury Frequency Rate "TIFR" provided includes Holcim employees and contractors on site (# of injuries per million work hours)11. In the course of the reporting period, what was the company’s incident rate?
Optional commentThe Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate "LTIFR" provided includes Holcim employees and contractors on site (# of injuries per million work hours)Response and Reporting
12. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy where it has caused or contributed to the adverse impact associated with the following labour rights issues?
Optional commentHolcim believes in social dialogue and collaborates with a broad range of stakeholders, including public authorities, on labor topics. As an example, the company recently engaged in a formal mediation process with SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs) in Bern, Switzerland, to address a case raised by BWI (Building and Wood Workers’ International), in order to clarify our full commitment with ILO conventions and the OECD Guidelines. More information available in the Final Statement, available in this link: https://www.seco.admin.ch/dam/seco/de/dokumente/Aussenwirtschaft/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/NKP/Statements_konkrete_F%C3%A4lle/lafarge-holcim/final_statement_lafarge_holcim_bwi.pdf.download.pdf/LH-BWI%20Final%20Statement_%20BWI_for%20publication.pdf13. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the labour rights principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
In 2021 our CEO, Jan Jenisch, passed a strong message to all our stakeholders by launching our new Human Rights and Social Policy. All our countries now have human rights assessments and action plans in place. We also made a strong commitment to contribute to positive social impact by 2030. We also made significant progress on our targets related to Occupational Safety and Health. Our fatalities reduced further again this year and since we launched Ambition “0” in 2017, we have reduced fatalities sevenfold in five years. Every fatality is a tragedy and our focus is as sharp as ever if not more so to reach Ambition “0”. Our Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate LTIFR) reached world-class levels of 0.39, over 20% down vs 2020, with over 95% of our sites reporting zero lost time incidents. Although we won't be satisfied until we reach zero harm, we are pleased to report our Ambition “0” strategy is working and producing world-class results.Environment
Commitment
1. Does the company have a formal policy on the following environmental topics?
Optional commentWe clearly and actively communicate our expectations of employees and business partners through our Environmental Policy, Circular Economy Policy, Water Directive, Quarry Rehabilitation and Biodiversity Directive, Cement Environmental Directive, and our Health, Safety and Environment Management System Standard. These policies and directives are available on our website (https://www.holcim.com/sustainability/esg).1.1. For each environmental policy, is it:
Optional commentAll of our Sustainability related Policies are reviewed and approved by the group CEO and our environmental directives are reviewed and approved by our Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer. These policies and directives apply to our own operations. In addition, environmental standards and expectations of our suppliers are detailed in our Code of Business Conduct for Suppliers. Most of our policies and directives are aligned with international environmental standards and have been developed involving environmental expertise from inside and outside the company. For example our Climate Targets have been validated by the SBTi. Our Environmental Management Systems Standards are compliant with ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.Prevention
2. In the course of the reporting period, has the company engaged with affected stakeholders or their legitimate representatives in relation to the following environmental issues?
3. What type of action has the company taken in the reporting period with the aim of preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with these environmental topics?
Optional commentOur Sustainable Development Team regularly provides trainings/builds capacity for our workforce and builds capacity among relevant business relationships for all Environmental Topics. In addition, Holcim actively forms partnerships and works together with our peers, other stakeholders, and governmental or regulatory bodies on a range of Environmental issues. For example, we published a study together with the United Nations Statistic Division about capital accounting on biodiversity and water. Holcim actively participates in the organization Business for Nature. Our Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer, Magali Anderson, is a member of the Business for Nature’s Strategic Advisory Group. During the current year, Business for Nature held collaborative discussions on the Global Biodiversity Framework with the governments of Canada, Colombia, Uganda and the European Commision. Holcim representatives also participate in the Environmental Strategy Council of The Conference Board. During the reporting period, we also worked together with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW) to update the Guidelines on Pre- and Co-processing of Waste in Cement Production. This project combined Holcim's technical knowledge with GIZ's development and policy expertise to build up professional knowledge and capacity in the private and public sectors. You can find more informations on our partnerships on our website. (https://www.holcim.com/sustainability/esg/memberships-and-recognitions)4. How does the company assess progress in preventing/mitigating the risks/impacts associated with the following environmental topics?
4.1. For each environmental topic in which the company sets timebound goals / targets, what kind of targets has the company set?
Optional commentEY provided limited assurance on a selection of our Sustainability Indicators. Please refer to our Sustainability Performance Report for more information (https://www.holcim.com/sites/holcim/files/2022-04/25022022-sustainability-performance_fy_2021_report-en.pdf)4.2. For each environmental topic in which the company sets timebound goals / targets, how is progress against target / goal tracked?
5. In the course of the reporting period, has the company been involved in providing or enabling remedy for any actual impacts associated with the following environmental issue(s)?
Climate Action
6. What were the company’s gross global greenhouse gas emissions for the reporting period?
Scope 2 Emissions
Scope 3 Emissions
Optional commentHolcim reports our absolute GHG emissions annually in our Sustainability Performance Report. In 2021, we reported Scope 1 emissions of 119,000,000 tCO2e, Scope 2 emissions of 7,000,000 tCO2e, and Scope 3 emissions of 30,000,000 tCO2e6.1. Which Scope 3 categories are included in the organization’s scope 3 emissions calculation?
7. What percentage of the company's revenue was invested in R&D of low-carbon products/services during this reporting period?
Optional commentMore than 80% of the time spent by our researchers in our Technology Center in Switzerland and in our Research and Development Center in Lyon, France is dedicated to low-carbon products and sustainable solutions, with more than 65% of our patents currently in this area. Please refer to our 2021 Integrated Annual Report for more information about our product innovations.8. Has the organization acted to support climate change adaptation and resilience?
Energy / Resource Use
9. Please report the company's renewable energy consumption as a percentage of total energy consumption in the reporting period.
Technology
10. What percent of the company's revenue came from environmentally friendly products / services during this reporting period?
Sector-specific Questions
11. Which sector(s) does the company operate in? If diversified, choose top 3 by revenue.
Sector-specific: Water
12. Please provide details regarding the company's water withdrawal and consumption (own operations) during the reporting period.
Water withdrawal (volume of water in megaliters):
Water consumption (volume of water in megaliters):
Optional commentWe also track water consumption from two water sources not listed above according to the classification of water resources used in the reporting: Water from municipal or third parties and Water from quarry dewatering. We monitor the total water withdrawal at site level in accordance with the GCCA Water guidelines. Water withdrawal from municipal/ third parties = 13325 megaliters Water withdrawal from Quarry dewatering= 12296 megaliters Water consumption from water from municipal or third parties= 5514 megaliters Water consumption from Quarry dewatering= 13237 megaliters Additionally, in the "wastewater" volume we are including the full volume reported in the reporting year under the category "non-freshwater". Examples of "non-freshwater" are water of high salinity or pollutants (such as ocean or seawater, polluted water, contaminated or industrial wastewater) requiring treatment before they can be used.13. Please provide details about the company’s water intensity of products in regions with high or extremely high water stress.
Sector-specific: Forest, biodiversity, and land use
14. Please report the number and area (in hectares) of sites owned, leased, or managed by the company in or adjacent to protected areas and/or key biodiversity areas (KBA).
15. What area (in hectares) of natural ecosystems was converted during the reporting period in areas owned, leased, or managed by the company?
Optional commentWe do not currently track this metric. However, we do track the total area rehabilitated. Total rehabilitated area within active quarries was 14,048 ha as of the end of 2021. The total rehabilitated area including active and non-active quarries was 19,989 ha as of the end of 2021. Please refer to our Sustainability Performance Report for more information. (https://www.holcim.com/sites/holcim/files/2022-04/25022022-sustainability-performance_fy_2021_report-en.pdf)16. Is the company supporting or implementing project(s) focused on ecosystem restoration and protection?
Optional commentOther Projects focused on ecosystem restoration and protection include: 1) Removal and control of invasive species. 2) Increasing number of pollinators. 3) Creating green corridors.Sector-specific: Waste
18. Please report the company's total weight of waste generated in metric tonnes during the reporting period.
19. Please report the percentage of the company's waste that was hazardous waste (i.e., hazardous waste ratio) during the reporting period.
Optional commentPlease refer to our Sustainability Performance Report. We also report the total amount of hazardous and non-hazardous waste recycled or recovered as well as the total amount of hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposed.20. Please report the company's estimated metric tonnes of single-use plastic consumed wherever material along the value chain during the reporting period.
Overall Environment
21. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the environment principles, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
In late 2021, Holcim launched “Strategy 2025 – Accelerating Green Growth” where we outlined our plans on the journey to being the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions. This placed sustainability at the core of our business with ambitious targets in our pillars. We continued our industry leadership in climate by being one of the first seven companies in the world to have our direct and indirect emissions (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) validated for both 2030 and 2050 by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Please refer to our Climate report for more information on our Pathway to Net Zero which includes the practical actions we have already taken and our plans for the future. https://www.holcim.com/sites/holcim/files/2022-04/08042022-holcim-climate-report-2022.pdf In 2021, we launched our Nature strategy during the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) congress. We were one of the first seven global companies to have science-based targets in biodiversity and we were the first in our industry to make water replenishment targets in water risk areas and reduction targets for freshwater withdrawn for our production processes. In order to meet our specific freshwater withdrawal reduction targets, we are currently working to improve our water usage efficiency by reducing leakages and optimizing our processes. All of our sites in water-risk areas will be equipped with recycling systems by 2030. When possible, we shift our water usage from freshwater to non-freshwater. In some countries, during heavy rains, we use harvested rainwater, while in others we use sea or treated municipal wastewater. We also made progress on our circular economy targets. We significantly increased the volumes of waste used in our cement production. Waste used in our cement production increased 20% in 2021, to 46 million tons. Total waste used in production, including our ready mix and aggregates business, was 54 million tons in 2021. On average our cement is made of 24% recycled content and we are making great progress toward our 2030 target of 30%.Anti-corruption
Commitment
1. Does the company have an anti-corruption compliance programme?
Optional commentPlease refer to our Compliance Policy for further information (https://www.holcim.com/sites/holcim/files/documents/holcim_compliance_policy_2020.pdf)2. Does your company have policies and recommendations for employees on how to act in case of doubt and/or in situations that may represent a conflict of interest, e.g. with regard to gifts and hospitality, donations, sponsorship, or interactions with public officials?
Optional commentHolcim's policies and recommendations for employees on how to act in case of doubt or in situations that may represent a conflict of interest are articulated in our Code of Business Conduct, Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy, and our Responsible Lobby and Advocacy Directive. These policies are all available to the public on our website (https://www.holcim.com/sustainability/esg)Prevention
3. Who receives training on anti-corruption and integrity?
3.1. How often is such training provided?
Optional commentHolcim runs a 3 year training strategy which specifies the training to be taken by different groups of risk-exposed persons and the frequency. The strategy requires that high and medium risk exposed persons undergo annual eLearning selected from a library of around 10 different courses, and role specific face-to-face training not less than once in the three year strategy cycle. Low risk exposed persons are required to undergo eLearning or face-to-face refresher training in the Code of Business Conduct at least once during the three year cycle. Please refer to our Compliance FAQs for further information (https://www.holcim.com/sites/holcim/files/2022-03/compliance_program_faq_2022.pdf)4. Does the company monitor its anti-corruption compliance programme?
Response and Reporting
5. Please report the company's total number and nature of incidents of corruption during the reporting year.
Optional commentHolcim operates a global whistleblowing line (internally known as IntegrityLine) to facilitate employees, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders to report any concerns, including corrupt conduct. In 2021, 860 reports were made. Of the reports in 2021, 138 cases were substantiated as breaches of our code of conduct and 38 cases resulted in dismissals.6. Within the reporting period, what measures has the company taken to address suspected incidents of corruption independently or in response to a dispute or investigation by a government regulator?
7. Does your company engage in Collective Action against corruption?
8. Briefly describe practical actions the company has taken during the reporting period and/or plans to take to implement the anti-corruption principle, including any challenges faced and actions taken towards prevention and/or remediation.
We promote continuous improvement to ensure that the Holcim Compliance Program remains fit-for-purpose and delivers a system of adequate procedures. Each of the elements of the Compliance Program – risk assessment, controls, training and communications, monitoring and follow-up, and organization and governance - is reviewed and assessed by the Compliance Functional Council, which meets quarterly, and presents recommendations for program adjustments to the Ethics, Integrity and Risk Committee for decision. In addition, we engage external compliance expertise to periodically review the Holcim Compliance Program and benchmark it to leading peers. The latest external review was engaged in 2020.