Materiality Assessment
At Roche, we continuously enhance our approach to sustainability by conducting thorough materiality assessments, which enable us to identify and prioritize the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics that are most significant to our stakeholders and our long-term business success. The outcome of the assessment informs and guides the strategic priorities of our sustainability strategy.
In 2024, we updated our methodology to align with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO). This applicable legal framework requires organisations to take both an inside-out and an outside-in perspective. The inside-out view focuses on the company’s impact on people and the environment, and the outside-in view looks at the risks and opportunities that impact the company’s financial performance.
In order to meet regulatory requirements, we carried out an assessment with internal subject-matter experts regarding the impacts, risks and opportunities (IROs) of ESG subtopics.
We assessed the materiality of environmental subtopics using a data-driven methodology. This involved gathering primary environmental data for our own operations and our upstream value chain across the different environmental subtopics. We then converted these into monetised impacts using impact valuation principles.
Impact valuation is a well-established approach that aims to evaluate social, environmental and economic impacts. The impact is first assessed in physical units, such as tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and is then converted into monetary equivalents. This approach enables us to determine the materiality of environmental subtopics.
To supplement our quantitative assessment, we also conducted a qualitative assessment of the IROs of our subtopics, engaging a core group of internal subject-matter experts to assess each IRO. We used the results of this phase to validate the findings of the data-driven assessment.
We presented this methodology at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Enhancing Corporate Transparency forum in September 2024, welcoming input from others to further refine the process. By sharing our methodology externally, we also hope to contribute to setting data-driven DMAs as the market practice.
Climate change adaptation is the process of adjusting to actual and expected climate change and its impacts. This involves implementing strategies and actions to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance resilience against the challenges posed by a changing climate, in alignment with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Our efforts encompass various adaptation measures, such as optimizing infrastructure, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and ensuring sustainable practices in operations.
Climate change mitigation is the process of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit the increase in the global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, in line with the Paris Agreement. This involves implementing various strategies to minimize carbon footprints and curb activities that lead to GHG emissions. Our efforts focus on optimizing transportation, improving the environmental efficiency of processing plants, and promoting energy-efficient practices to achieve significant emission reductions.
Energy encompasses all the energy used along the value chain for both production and consumption, including the energy purchased from third parties and the energy produced by the company. Effective energy management involves optimizing energy use, improving energy efficiency, and transitioning to renewable energy sources to reduce environmental impact and drive sustainability.
Air pollution refers to the direct or indirect introduction of pollutants into the air as a result of human activity. These pollutants can be harmful to human health and the environment, cause damage to material property, or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment. Effective management of air pollution involves identifying and reducing emissions of harmful substances, implementing cleaner production processes, and adopting best practices to minimize the release of pollutants into the atmosphere.
For Roche, the topic of water encompasses pollution of water, water consumption, water withdrawals, and water discharges. Water pollution refers to the direct or indirect introduction of pollutants into water as a result of human activity, potentially harming human health and the environment, damaging material property, or interfering with amenities and other legitimate uses of the environment. Effective water management also involves monitoring and optimizing water consumption, which is the amount of water drawn into the boundaries of the company and not discharged back to the water environment or a third party. Additionally, it includes managing water withdrawals, the total amount of water drawn from all sources for any use, and water discharges, the sum of effluents and other water leaving the company’s boundaries and released to surface water, groundwater, or third parties.
For our social and governance subtopics, we conducted a qualitative assessment where we collaborated with internal subject-matter experts to identify and score the IROs.
Working conditions refer to the environment, terms, and circumstances under which employees perform their jobs. For Roche, working conditions include secure employment, working time, adequate wages, social dialogue, freedom of association, collective bargaining, work-life balance, and health and safety. Secure employment ensures long-term job stability and protection against unjust dismissals. Working time encompasses arrangements related to work hours, including limits on overtime and scheduling practices. Adequate wages are those that meet workers' and their families' needs. Social dialogue involves negotiations and consultations between employers, employees, and sometimes the government, on economic and social policies. Freedom of association pertains to the rights to form and join trade unions and engage in collective bargaining, which includes negotiating terms of employment and working conditions. Work-life balance is the equilibrium between professional and personal life, considering family and personal time. Health and safety cover measures to prevent physical, ergonomic, chemical, biological, psychosocial, and work-related hazards, ensuring a safe working environment. Roche manages and ensures these working conditions through comprehensive policies, regular reviews, employee engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Equal treatment and opportunities for all is a core principle individuals are provided equal employment opportunity, with no direct or indirect discrimination or harassment based on gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS infection, citizenship, genetic information, their abilities or any other relevant characteristic protected under the applicable law. For Roche, this topic includes fostering inclusion and belonging and equal pay, training and skills development, employment and inclusion of persons of all backgrounds, persons with disabilities, and measures against discrimination, harassment, retaliation and workplace violence. Equal pay refers to the organization not discriminating in its pay practices for equal work on jobs the performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are performed under similar working conditions, except where such payment is made on any other factor other than membership in a protected class. Training and skills development focus on maintaining and improving the skills and knowledge of all employees through various training methodologies. Roche manages and ensures equal employment opportunities for all through robust policies, regular assessments, employee engagement, continuous improvement initiatives, and compliance with applicable laws.
Other work-related rights encompass important areas related to child labor, forced labor, and privacy. For Roche, acknowledging and protecting these rights is crucial. Child labor deprives children of their childhood, potential, and dignity, and is harmful to their physical and mental development. It includes work that is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful to children, as well as work that interferes with their schooling. Forced labor refers to all work or service exacted from any person under the threat of penalty and without their voluntary participation, including traditional 'slave-like' practices and contemporary forms of coercion such as human trafficking and modern slavery. Privacy in the workplace involves protecting individuals' rights to confidentiality and data protection, ensuring grievances are handled with respect to these rights, and allowing for anonymous grievance mechanisms. Roche is committed to eradicating child and forced labor and maintaining robust privacy protections for all employees through strict policies, regular monitoring, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Working conditions across the value chain refer to the environment, terms, and circumstances under which employees work within our supply chain and across all our partnerships. For Roche, this includes working time, adequate wages, social dialogue, freedom of association, and health and safety. Working time refers to arrangements related to work hours, including limits on overtime and scheduling practices. Adequate wages are those that meet workers' and their families' needs within the context of their local economy. Social dialogue involves negotiations and consultations between employers and employees on economic and social policies within our value chain. Freedom of association pertains to the rights to form and join trade unions and engage in collective bargaining. Health and safety cover measures to prevent physical, ergonomic, chemical, biological, psychosocial, and work-related hazards, ensuring a safe working environment. Roche ensures these working conditions across the value chain through comprehensive policies, regular assessments, supplier engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Information-related impacts for consumers and/or end users refer to effects on individuals' rights to privacy and their access to quality information necessary for the proper use of products and services. For Roche, this topic includes ensuring the protection of privacy and providing accurate, accessible information to consumers and end users. Privacy involves safeguarding personal data and handling grievances confidentially with respect to rights of data protection, including mechanisms that allow for anonymous reporting. Access to quality information pertains to the right of consumers and end users to seek, receive, and understand information that is essential for safely using products or services. This includes clear and comprehensive product manuals and labels to prevent potentially damaging misuse. Roche ensures these information-related rights through robust privacy policies, transparent communication practices, and continuous review and improvement of information quality.
Personal safety of consumers and/or end users refers to the protection of individuals from potentially harmful use of products or services. For Roche, this topic includes ensuring that consumers and end users have access to accurate and accessible product- or service-related information, such as manuals and product labels, which are essential to avoid potentially damaging use. Providing clear, comprehensive, and understandable information is crucial to ensure that products and services are used safely and effectively.
Social inclusion of consumers and/or end users involves ensuring non-discrimination, equal access to products and services, and responsible marketing practices. For Roche, this topic includes protecting consumers from discrimination, which can occur directly or indirectly, ensuring fair access to products and services, and addressing social, ethical, and environmental aspects in advertising. Non-discrimination means preventing both direct discrimination, where an individual is treated less favorably due to a protected characteristic, and indirect discrimination, where neutral rules disadvantage certain groups. Access to products and services entails ensuring that all consumers, especially those in underserved markets, can access Roche’s offerings fairly. Responsible marketing practices involve promoting products or services in a way that respects social, ethical, and environmental considerations. Roche ensures these principles through comprehensive non-discrimination policies, equitable pricing strategies, and ethical marketing guidelines.
Corporate culture expresses an organization's goals through its values and beliefs. It guides the company’s activities through shared assumptions and group norms, which can be reflected in values, mission statements, and codes of conduct. For Roche, corporate culture represents the foundation upon which all organizational activities are built, promoting an environment where shared values and ethical standards drive decision-making and behavior. Roche ensures a strong corporate culture by consistently communicating its core values, encouraging ethical behavior, and fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment.
Corruption and bribery involve the abuse of entrusted power for private gain, which can be instigated by individuals or organizations. For Roche, this topic includes the prevention and detection of corruption and bribery cases through measures such as training and handling incidents. Corruption encompasses practices like facilitation payments, fraud, extortion, collusion, and money laundering. Bribery includes offering or receiving any gift, loan, fee, reward, or other advantage as an inducement to engage in dishonest, illegal, or breach of trust activities in the conduct of business. This can involve cash or in-kind benefits like free goods, gifts, holidays, or special personal services for improper advantage. Roche is committed to preventing and detecting such practices through robust policies, regular training, active monitoring, and swift action on confirmed incidents of corruption or bribery.