Sustainability Program 2026

At wienerberger, sustainability is part of who we are. As we continue to innovate and improve our impact on the planet and people, we are proud to introduce the wienerberger Sustainability Program 2026. This program is a vital step on our journey towards achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and aligning with the sustainability targets of the European Green Deal.

The Sustainability Program 2026 extends the environmental and social topics, leveraging our sustainability targets to organic growth, both within our internal processes as well as assisting society with products supporting energy efficiency and climate resilience. It provides the right strategic and operational focus for the sustainable development of our business.

“We are convinced that, following on our Sustainability Program 2023, there is much more we can achieve with additional know-how, further investments and intensified efforts such as those outlined in the Sustainability Program 2023 – 2026”

Our Social Targets 2026

At wienerberger we put people first: We remain humble & embrace differences, we lead by example and act as advocates for diversity & inclusion and we offer our employees a safe, attractive working environment with development opportunities. But our commitment extends far beyond our colleagues at work. Because our solutions are developed by people, for people, we act in the interests of our customers, our partners, our staff, and society as a whole. This is reflected in our 2026 social targets: they encompass initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion, improve employee well-being, and support the communities in which wienerberger operates.

Health and Safety

We continue our focus on personal health and safety, further striving towards the principle of zero harm. This emphasis will be supported by a stronger involvement of management in meetings on safety issues, aiming at 20,000 visible leadership hours per year.

Training & Development

We understand the value of our employees’ professional advancement for wienerberger’s continued success. Therefore, we commit to all employees receiving 18 hours of training per employee and year. In addition, an accumulated 30,000 hours of training for installers will be provided as the lack of skilled labor on building sites is a major bottleneck for the current building industry. To particularly support young talents, 500 apprentices will be trained until 2026.

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion initiatives at wienerberger aim to create a workplace culture where individuals from various backgrounds are valued and provided with equal opportunities. To increase our focus on promoting diversity within the workforce and fostering an inclusive and empowering environment, so called inclusion and diversity action plans will be developed and implemented in all countries until 2026, including equal pay and equal opportunity policies.

Social Commitment

Through our long-lasting cooperation with the non-profit organization Habitat for Humanity and our regional approach, we will support the building of 200 housing units with our products for people in need in our local markets every year.

Our 2026 Environmental Targets

The 2026 environmental targets refer to specific objectives and goals set by wienerberger for the year 2026, aimed at reducing our company’s environmental impact and promoting sustainability. These targets include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing resource consumption, and enhancing eco-friendly practices across the organization.

Decarbonization and Energy Mix

Decarbonization involves reducing carbon emissions in production and transport as well as transitioning to cleaner, low-carbon energy sources. In the next three years, we aim to reduce our CO₂ emissions further, and split our ambitions into three areas: We want to achieve a 25%-reduction of emissions from primary energy sources and raw materials as well as from electricity consumption and generation (scope 1 & 2, intensity based). In addition, we will put emphasis on scope 3 emissions, indirect emissions stemming from outside our company, aiming to achieve a 10% reduction by targeted measures in the areas of purchased goods and services, transport as well as fuel and energy related activities. Furthermore, we want to increase the use of renewable energy at our own production sites to 15%.

Circularity

Circularity refers to creating a closed-loop system where products and materials are recycled, reused, or repurposed to minimize waste and reduce the consumption of new resources. Durability is a leading circular principle as it directly addresses the issue of resource consumption and waste generation. wienerberger has highly durable products, lasting for over 100 years. Our ongoing commitment to circularity involves designing products and processes that minimize waste and maximize the efficient use of resources. To this end, we aim to increase the share among all sold products to over 80% for highly durable products and to over 90% for recyclable and/or reusable products.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity encompasses the variety and variability of life on Earth, including ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity. Our efforts to preserve biodiversity involve actions to protect natural habitats, support local flora and fauna, and ensure that its operations do not negatively impact the delicate balance of ecosystems. At all of wienerberger’s production sites, biodiversity plans will be implemented to achieve a 10% improvement of fauna in the next three years. This will be complemented by the training of 400 biodiversity ambassadors, uniquely equipped to measure indicators for a healthy fauna, as well as the planting of 100,000 trees until 2026.

Revenue from products supporting net zero buildings

The building sector is responsible for approximately 39% of global energy and process-related CO₂ emissions. Energy management and innovative products that support the construction, renovation and operation of net-zero energy buildings are hence a main lever in decarbonization efforts worldwide. wienerberger’s innovative systems and technologies for the building sector have an essential role in designing, constructing, and operating net zero buildings. Driving development, growth and availability of these products will be essential for the buildings sector and Europe’s ambition to become CO₂ neutral by 2050. The target captures those product categories which support energy efficient buildings, such as: systems for roofs, outer walls including façades, heating, cooling and solar power generation.

Water management

Water management encompasses a range of practices and strategies to efficiently and responsibly use water resources. As climate change necessitates better management of water as an ever-more precious resource, we set out to harvest, retain and save 35 million m³ of water until 2026 through our products. This includes reusing water for various appliances or lowering the water consumption in agriculture. In addition, we commit ourselves to reducing water consumption in our own production by 15%.

Waste management

Waste management focuses on how we handle and dispose of the waste generated by our operations. Our approach to waste management includes reducing waste production, promoting recycling and reuse, and ensuring proper disposal of waste materials to minimize environmental impact. For our sustainability program 2026 we commit to a 15% reduction of waste at our production sites to complement our efforts towards circularity.