Value chain
We generate the bulk of our added value through our activities in Switzerland. In the year under review, activities abroad contributed only 8% (previous year 8%) to the Group’s added value from operations.
The statement of added value and the allocation of added value are addressed in the Management Commentary of the Annual Report, in the “Financial review” (see Annual Report, page 118).
Each year, suppliers deliver goods and services to us worth over CHF 4.4 billion. The importation has a positive and negative impact on the economy, society and the environment along the value and supply chains:
- Consumer and capital goods contribute to Switzerland’s economic development, competitiveness and quality of life. But they have an impact on the climate and natural resources. We accept our responsibility and are implementing a number of measures to make our supply chains ecologically sustainable (see the chapter “Environmentally friendly and climate-compatible supply chains”).
- We create and maintain jobs in Switzerland as well as within the supply chain, thus creating added social and economic value. Together with our employees and partners, as well as in international industry initiatives, we are committed to making the social conditions in our supply chains sustainable (see the chapter “Fair supply chains”).
- In order to provide our customers with services and products, we depend on raw materials from numerous countries and regions, the extraction of which is often associated with environmental and social risks. We are therefore particularly committed to better practices in the extraction of raw materials (see the chapter “Fair supply chains”).
