Sustainability Management
“It’s a matter of treatment – embracing responsibility for a tomorrow worth living in”
Our sustainability-specific guiding principle is reflected in our commitment to a responsible approach to the environment, social issues and ethical corporate governance. As a family business, Croma was committed to a sustainable corporate policy long before ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) became established in the business world. This deep-rooted understanding of responsible entrepreneurship enables Croma to realise the full potential of sustainable corporate management.
With the help of our specially developed sustainability strategy, we can anchor and improve our sustainability activities in the long term. The annual Sustainability Report is used to communicate relevant, sustainability-specific information and ESG key figures as well as the progress made towards our sustainability goals.
Sustainability strategy
To develop the measures, Croma's key topics were analysed using a double materiality analysis, taking into account the entire value chain, and then compared with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis showed that Croma can make the greatest contribution to 10 of the 17 sustainability goals. Our division-specific goals, milestones and measures as well as projects that have already been implemented are listed in the following overview.
Goals
- Achieve nomination as a top Austrian employer by 2026
- Screen all marketing campaigns according to ethical marketing principles by 2026
Milestones
- Keep failure rate constantly below 5% until 2025
- Develop screening parameters for ethical marketing by 2025
Measures
- Introduce workplace health promotion by 2025
- Integrate ESG into external training programme by 2025
- Develop guidelines for ethical marketing by 2025
- Develop and introduce accident prevention strategy by 2025
- Achieve ISO 45001 certification by 2026
Implemented
- Offer of medical counselling service at the site
- Introduction of an external employee assistance programme with health experts
- Establishment of an in-house training room
- New registration of all existing product groups under the Medical Device
Goal
- Achieve nomination as a top Austrian employer by 2026
Milestones
- Increase the proportion of women in top management by 100% by 2026 (base year 2023: 15.4%)
- Eliminate the gender pay gap by 2026
Measure
- Develop equity, equality, diversity and inclusion strategy by 2025
Implemented
- Introduction of flexible and family-friendly working time models
- Achieving work and family certification
Goal
- Reduce fresh water consumption in production by 20% by 2030 (base year 2023)
Milestone
- Create a calculation model for company-wide water consumption, extraction and recycling by 2025
Measure
- Create strategy paper to increase water efficiency incl. catalogue of measures by 2026
Implemented
- More environmentally friendly neutralisation of wastewater with carbon dioxide instead of phosphoric acid
Goal
- Achieve climate neutrality of the company for Scope 1+2 by 2035 (reduction of 100% in each case: base year 2023)
Milestones
- Create calculation model for company-wide energy consumption up to 2025
- Use 100% green electricity throughout the company by 2026 (base year 2023)
- Introduce an energy management system by 2028
Measures
- Identify potential energy savings by 2025
- Switch outsourced locations and affiliates to using green electricity by 2026
- Create concept for utilising waste heat from waste water by 2026
Implemented
- Purchase 100% green electricity (AT)
- Introduction of an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001
- Bicycles for free use at the headquarters
- Installation of photovoltaic systems and e-charging stations at the headquarters
Goals
- Achieve nomination as a top Austrian employer by 2026
- Purchase materials and raw materials exclusively from sustainable companies by 2030
Milestones
- Develop an evaluation model for sustainable companies by 2025
- Maintain company rating on Kununu at a minimum of 3 points until 2025
- Reduce fluctuation rate to 8.5% by 2026 (base year 2023: 18.1%)
Measures
- Conduct ESG supplier audits by 2025
- Introduce sustainable procurement guidelines by 2025
Implemented
- Commitment of all new contractual partners to the Code of Conduct
- Introduction of Code of Conduct for business partners
- Work and family certification
- Provision of ESG information in contracts
Goal
- Achieve 0% virgin plastic in secondary and tertiary packaging by 2030
Milestone
- Create concept for utilising waste heat from waste water by 2026
Measures
- Draw up a catalogue of measures to reduce virgin plastic in secondary and tertiary packaging by 2025
- Create calculation model for company-wide purchasing volume of non-renewable, recycled and virgin plastic materials by 2026
Implemented
- Reduction of material waste by optimising the blister process in the packaging process
- Switch to blister lidding film made from ecologically sound paper
- Switch to bubble wrap made from 100% recycled resources
- Conversion from plastic trays for vials to cardboard trays
Goal
- Achieve nomination as a top Austrian employer by 2026
Milestones
- Keep performance review meetings at 100% until 2025
- Increase average number of training sessions per employee by 20% by 2026 (base year 2023: 17 h)
Measures
- Introduce age and generation management by 2025
- Develop equity, equality, diversity and inclusion strategy by 2025
Implemented
- Work and family certification
Goal
- Introduce recyclable cosmetics line from own production by 2030
Milestones
- Launch pilot project for recyclable cosmetics line by 2028
- Increase purchase volume of renewable and recycled secondary and tertiary packaging by 15% by 2030 (base year 2024)
- Increase EU purchasing volume (raw materials, production, packaging) for own production to 90% by 2030
Implemented
- Calculation model for company-wide waste by waste type and recycling method
- Carrying out a life cycle analysis for a cosmetic product group
- 0% Landfill waste
- Concept created for utilising waste heat from waste water by 2026
- Optimisation of waste separation system
Goals
- Achieve climate neutrality for Scope 1+2 by 2035 (reduction of 100% in each case: base year 2023)
- Reduce transport emissions (Scope 3) in the logistics sector by 50% by 2035 (base year 2023)
Milestones
- Create calculation model for company-wide GHG emissions up to 2025
- Develop and measure science-based targets by 2026
Measure
- Introduce a green mobility policy by 2025
Implemented
- Calculation of corporate carbon footprint (Scope 1, 2 and 3)
- Introduction of an environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001
Goals
- Active corporate risk management until 2026
- Conduct Code of Conduct training for 100% of employees by 2026
- Perform ESG screening of all Croma business partners by 2026
- Achieve positive completion of company-wide compliance audits by 2026
- Operate an active integrated management system until 2027
Milestones
- Introduce assessment model for compliance audits by 2025
- Conduct code-of-conduct training for 100% of affiliates by 2025
- Conduct Code of Conduct training for 50% of employees by 2025
- Conduct code-of-conduct training for 100% of new hires by 2025
- Demand commitment to the Code of Conduct from all partner companies by 2025
- Gradual introduction of corporate risk management by 2025
- Gradual introduction of integrated management system by 2026
Measures
- Develop concept for compliance audits and create checklist by 2025
- Implement IMS and Operational Excellence pilot projects by 2025
- Develop concept for ESG screening incl. analysis method by 2025
Implemented
- Mandatory compliance with the Code of Conduct in the service contract
- Introduction of Code of Conduct for business partners
- Preparation of corporate risk management manual
- Creation of training programme for Code of Conduct
- Commitment of all new contractual partners to the Code of Conduct
Sustainability reports
Would you like to take a closer look at Croma's sustainability management? Here you will find an overview of our sustainability report
