Sustainability

Integrity is fundamental to the way we do business at Cotecna. It is at the heart of our value proposition, in all aspects of our testing, inspection and certification activities, providing trust to our clients and stakeholders.

Therefore, our Business Ethics & Compliance Code (BECC) is a an important element of Cotecna’s governance. All employees are required to participate in BECC training every two years. Overall, by prioritizing business ethics and compliance, Cotecna is contributing to multiple SDGs, which is important for achieving sustainable development and creating a better world for all:

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth - Cotecna's program includes standards for fair labor practices, which align with SDG 8's goal of promoting decent work and economic growth.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - Cotecna is contributing to this goal by ensuring the products and services it tests, inspects, and certifies meet necessary standards, promoting fair labor practices, supporting innovation and technological progress, and creating a level playing field for businesses.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions - By implementing a Business Ethics and Compliance program and subjecting it to independent assessment, Cotecna is promoting transparency, accountability, and the rule of law in its business practices, which contributes to SDG 16.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals - By subjecting its program to an annual independent assessment and working with external auditors, Cotecna is promoting partnerships for the goals, which is a key aspect of SDG 17.

Our target is to ensure that at least 97% of all employees worldwide have received and have up to date BECC (Business Ethics and Compliance Code) training, which is a critical component of the program’s implementation.

We are a people-driven organisation, reliant on our skilled and dedicated teams all over the world. Workplace safety is critical in order to keep our people, subcontractors and others who may be affected by our operations, safe and well.

Our HSE Framework provides a safety management system applicable to all offices and Cotecna workplaces worldwide. The HSE Framework of your organization plays an important role in contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by prioritizing workplace safety and well-being. Here are some ways in which it can contribute to the SDGs:

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being - Cotecna's HSE Framework prioritizes the health and well-being of its employees and contractors, which can contribute to the goal of ensuring good health and well-being for all. By implementing measures to prevent accidents and injuries in the workplace, providing training on health and safety, and promoting a culture of safety, Cotecna is helping to create a healthy and safe work environment for its employees.

Our Global KPI for safety is Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) and Total Accident Rate (TAR). LTIR is the measure of the number of accidents that resulted in time off work. LTIR is a “lagging indicator”; it tells us more about the past than the future. For this reason, we also measure TAR, which includes all injuries regardless of whether there was lost working time, as knowing about small incidents helps us identify unsafe work practices and conditions to prevent future Lost Time incidents.

Cotecna Safety Week 2023: Innovation for Safety Awards

In 2023 we introduced our new Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Innovation Awards. The purpose of HSE Innovation Awards are to recognise and share the excellent work being carried out by our colleagues around the world. These awards are now a yearly event and will become a key feature of our safety week moving forward. The Group HSE Committee elected 9 awards out of 39 entries from across Cotecna's network, recognizing the effort and passion from our various teams throughout the year.

One such winner, Cotecna China, won the top health prize for their "Health comes First" program. Their initiative tackled various health issues with a program that includes short daily exercises at work to make exercise a regular habit, as well as provide yearly health check-ups to keep an eye on workers' health. This innovation helped put workers in charge, encouraging them to decide how to get healthier. It's not just about making people healthy; it's about creating an environment where workers can choose to be healthy and have the opportunity to do so.

In addition to our caommitment to respect all applicable laws and the human rights of our employees wherever they are in the world, we believe that equality and diversity enrichen our professional lives and enable us to attract and retain the best talents to build Cotecna. We are conscious that the gender balance of our global workforce is not yet reflected in our leadership. Cotecna's commitment to fair labor practices, equality, and diversity supports several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations.

SDG 5: Gender Equality - Cotecna's acknowledgement that the gender balance of their global workforce is not yet reflected in their leadership demonstrates their commitment to addressing gender inequality. By promoting gender balance and diversity in leadership positions, Cotecna is working towards achieving SDG 5, which aims to empower women and girls and ensure their full and equal participation in all aspects of society.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities - Cotecna's commitment to equality and diversity contributes to reducing inequalities within their workforce, which aligns with SDG 10's goal of reducing inequalities within and among countries.

Our Global KPI for this pillar is the percentage of leadership positions held by women. We also have a commitment to make Cotecna a safe environment for all employees, whatever their background, gender, orientation, religion, ethnicity or any other personal characteristic. Beyond gender, we are committed to geographical diversity within the leadership and management population of our Group over time, and welcoming diversity in our workforce.

Respect at Work

Beyond compliance with labour laws and regulations, which Cotecna fully respects in all locations in which it operates, Cotecna believes that our working environment should be a safe place where our individual talents and strengths can thrive in an atmosphere of respect, dignity, and professionalism, enabling us to grow as individuals in an organisation where Human Rights are respected.

For this reason, we require all employees at all levels in the organisation to abide by the principles set out in our Respect at Work Policy.

Cotecna's responsible approach to measurement and target setting is aligned with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, including:

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation - Cotecna's responsible approach to measurement and target setting also aligns with SDG 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. By implementing measures to reduce water consumption and pollution in its operations, Cotecna is contributing to SDG 6.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy - Cotecna's efforts to reduce its energy consumption and emissions through improved practices and technologies align with SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

SDG 13: Climate Action - Cotecna's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint through improved environmental performance is directly related to SDG 13, which aims to combat climate change and its impacts.

SDG 14: Life Below Water & SDG 15: Life on Land - Cotecna's responsible approach to measurement and target setting also aligns with these SDGs, which aim to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, marine resources, terrestrial ecosystems, forests, and biodiversity for sustainable development. By implementing measures to reduce pollution, such as properly disposing of waste, reducing the use of hazardous chemicals, and using environmentally friendly materials, Cotecna is contributing to these SDGs.

Since January 2022, Cotecna has measured aspects of its global carbon footprint, focusing on the most significant impacts of Scope 2 and the significant components of our Scope 3 emissions. In January 2023, the scope of our global measurements was widened to include elements of our Scope 1 emissions. Our objective is to reduce our carbon intensity (CO2e per full-time employee) and we publish these KPIs to all employees on a quarterly basis.

Neotron

Neotron has implemented two simple changes to improve the heating, ventilation and cooling of their laboratory premises:

- Less energy consumption due to the reduction of the heating system’s temperature, from 24 degrees to 20 degrees during winter and the air conditioning from 21 degrees to 27 degrees during summer.

- Switching off the heating and air conditioning outside normal working hours resulted in a 25% drop in operating times and lesser energy consumption.

These two steps have already reduced Neotron’s electrical consumption by 9%!

Cotecna's commitment to extending its sustainability policies throughout its supply chain has the potential to contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations.

Firstly, by requiring its critical suppliers to commit to its sustainability policies, Cotecna is promoting SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. This goal aims to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, and Cotecna's efforts to promote sustainability across its supply chain can help to reduce the environmental impact of its operations.

Cotecna's Code of Conduct for Business Partners (CCBP) covers all six pillars of its Sustainability Policy, including human rights, labour rights, and anti-corruption measures. All critical suppliers and those providing outsourced technical services are required to commit to comply with the CCBP as a condition of their engagement as a business partner. 

At Cotecna, we are committed to promoting sustainability across our supply chain. As part of this commitment, we have developed a Code of Conduct for Business Partners (CCBP) that sets out our expectations for our critical suppliers to comply with Cotecna’s sustainability ambitions. We believe that by working together, we can create a more sustainable future for everyone. To measure our progress in this area, we have set a global KPI of the percentage of critical suppliers and providers of outsourced technical services that have committed to the CCBP. 

Cotecna's CSR projects contribute to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in several ways. Here are a few examples:

SDG 1: No Poverty - Cotecna's projects that support the poorest and most disadvantaged communities can contribute to the goal of eradicating poverty.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger - Cotecna's CSR projects that focus on sustainable agriculture, food security, and nutrition can contribute to the goal of achieving zero hunger. By supporting small farmers and promoting sustainable agricultural practices, Cotecna can help increase food production and ensure that nutritious food is available to local communities.

SDG 4: Quality Education - Cotecna's projects in the area of education can contribute to improving access to and the quality of education for children and young people in the communities where it operates.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - Cotecna's CSR projects that focus on improving the quality of life in urban areas can contribute to the goal of creating sustainable cities and communities. By supporting projects that promote sustainable transportation, waste reduction, and environmental protection, Cotecna can help create more livable and resilient cities. Additionally, by working with local communities to identify and address their specific needs, Cotecna can help build stronger, more inclusive communities.

Cotecna's commitment to CSR is driven by our desire to make a positive impact on the planet and the people we serve. To ensure that we are making a meaningful difference in every country where we operate, we have established a KPI of conducting at least one CSR activity per country per year.

This KPI reflects our belief that sustainable development requires a collective effort, and we are committed to contributing to this effort in every country where we have a presence. By conducting at least one CSR activity per country per year, we can engage with local communities and organizations to address pressing social and environmental challenges.

These CSR activities can take various forms, including providing funding and support for local initiatives in the areas of health, education, and water, donating manpower, equipment, and expertise, and partnering with local organizations to develop sustainable solutions to complex problems.

By setting this KPI, we are holding ourselves accountable for making a positive impact in every country where we operate. We believe that our CSR activities can help to create a better world for everyone, and we are committed to working towards this goal with integrity, transparency, and a spirit of partnership.

El Salvador

Cotecna El Salvador partnered with Ayúdame a Vivir Foundation, the only non-profit organization in the country that offers free medical support to cancer-stricken children, for a financial donation to purchase cancer-detecting reagents for the early diagnosis of cancer in children.

This project is aligned with our Sustainability goals involving our communities in which we operate. Ten Cotecna volunteers were able to visit the facilities of Ayúdame a Vivir to spend time with the children receiving their chemotherapies, brightening their day with engaging activities that have been prepared.

We are proud to be a part of the fight against childhood cancer in El Salvador!