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Do you have a written environmental policy?
We have a Corporate EHS Policy which calls for the successful integration of EHS management into all relevant business processes. Our focus is on product and process innovation, supply chain management, and customer support to continuously improve the EHS performance of our products and services.
We are committed to exploring all reasonable opportunities to apply our EHS strategies and policies in close cooperation with our customers and suppliers for the benefit of all parties.
What does the policy say about integrating EH&S into business practices?
We strongly believe that EHS concerns should not be handled by specialists separated from the value-added chain. We know that environmental concerns create opportunities rather than threats for our businesses and their customer industries. Therefore, we integrate the management of EHS into our key business processes through:
- product and process innovation,
- material requirement planning, purchasing and manufacturing,
- distribution and customer support, and
- product portfolio management.
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Do you have one global standard for environmental practices?
We are committed to global compliance with laws, regulations, international treaties and conventions. Through our communications network and audit concept we monitor our global business activities to ensure that they comply with local laws and regulations. Where appropriate regulations are not yet in place or not enforced by local authorities, we apply our own guidelines based on good scientific judgment and sound industry practices. However, we do not apply Swiss standards worldwide.
What’s your policy on managing risks?
We are committed to minimizing, managing and communicating all risks related to our products and operations. We participate in Responsible Care® programs in all major regions. We apply state-of-the-art science and technologies to identify, minimize and manage relevant risks arising from our products and manufacturing operations. We communicate openly and consistently with our employees and external stakeholders on the specific risks and our approach to minimize them
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What is your policy on employee training?
We are committed to maintaining a high level of awareness, motivation, training and professionalism in EHS for all employees.
Environmental training occurs upon hiring, and on a regular subsequent basis, for all positions related to production processes or procedures. There is no standardized, Group-wide training procedure per se; rather, it is more appropriately designed to meet the needs of individual employees and production sites. We have designed a number of standard training modules, which are designed to improve the behavioural side of safety and environmental protection. They are available on our internal Intranet and can be adapted to the local needs of each site.
Since we have Corporate goals on water usage and carbon dioxide emissions as well as the reduction and elimination of lost-time incidents, it is essential that every employee be involved in these efforts.
What is your policy on measuring your impact on the environment?
We are committed to continuously improving EHS performance through goal setting and measurement.
For the measurement of our EHS performance, we have developed a global reporting system SEEP (Safety, Energy, Environmental Protection), which ensures that uniform reporting procedures and standards are used throughout the Company, regardless of any local reporting standards or requirements.
Ecological efficiency will be established as the basis for the continuous reduction of the environmental impact of our products and manufacturing processes. We introduced a novel method for measuring the eco-efficiency of our activities in our EHS Report 2001. In 2003 we adopted the UNCTAD Guidelines on Eco-efficiency Indicators. These describe a detailed method for calculating environmental performance data and relating it to financial performance figures. The indicators it produces are both comparable and transparent and we believe a step forward in the standardisation of environmental reporting.
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Do you have policies for dealing with suppliers and distributors?
We are committed to considering EHS performance as a key element in selecting suppliers, distributors and contractors. We will purchase materials from manufacturers who meet applicable laws and regulations or have explicit plans approved by local authorities to comply with EHS requirements. We monitor and evaluate the EHS performance of suppliers, toll manufacturers and distributors. Where there are insufficient local regulatory frameworks, we make sure - through visits, assessments and reviews - that our partners apply good industry practices.
What’s your policy on communicating your environmental performance?
We are committed to communicating EHS strategies and performance openly and consistently to all key stakeholders. Open communication to employees, local communities, media, authorities and shareholders is part of our licence to operate and stimulates us to continuously improve EHS performance. Our communication tools include the Internet www.cibasc.com/ehs and newsletters published by the Company, the Segments, the Regions and production sites. Our global Corporate EHS Report will be published annually and additional data is made available on our web site.
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Do you have goals or targets for improving environmental performance?
We have described our EHS goals in our EHS Report 2006. These targets have both an environmental and a financial impact on the production sites and, as such, are considered in the overall cost of production and we will continue to report on progress in future annual EHS reports.
How do you measure and monitor your environmental performance?
We gather environmental data from our production, warehouse, and administrative facilities through our global SEEP (Safety, Energy Environmental Protection) Report. Our corporate EHS Group at headquarters in Basel conducts internal audits of each of our production facilities every five to seven years (depending on the frequency of auditing at each production site in the past, its ISO certification status, and its relative environmental risk). Internal assessments and reviews occur at the production site level on a more frequent basis. We regularly convene global networks of our Segments and regions to discuss environmental matters and employee health and safety issues. We report on our progress each year through our Corporate EHS Report.
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Do you have a policy on product stewardship?
We have a Policy: "Product Stewardship: Guiding Principles" and a number of related guidelines and procedures to back this up. This specifies the necessary measures and responsibilities to ensure responsible and ethical management of the health, safety and environmental aspects of our products throughout their life cycle.
It recognizes the official regulatory framework and our commitments to the principles of Responsible Care®. We are also committed to the European Chemical Industry Council's (CEFIC) "Product Stewardship, Responsible Care® Applied to Products: Guiding Principles." This applies to all chemical substances and mixtures (preparations) thereof, including their packaging and labeling, which are handled or made available by Ciba to third parties for further manufacturing, sales or application. It calls for the gathering of appropriate information on the physico-chemical, toxicological and eco-toxicological properties of all substances handled by Ciba. All products have to be assessed with respect to their risk to human health and to the environment. Products supplied to third parties must be accompanied by product safety information. In the case of an accident, we cooperate fully with authorities and third parties to minimize any potential risk.
Do you apply your environmental policy and programs to mergers and acquisitions and to outsourced activities?
Yes. Prior to any merger or acquisition, an EHS assessment is carried out and the results shared with the Merger and Acquisitions Project Manager.
Regarding outsourced activities, our guideline on contract and toll manufacturing requires that an EHS assessment of the contract partner be carried out before an agreement is finalized.
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