Respect for human rights and international ethical standards
Our Code of Conduct requires all employees of the ista Group to commit to compliance with international human rights, labour, anti-corruption and data protection standards. These include the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Declaration of Principles and the UN Convention against Corruption. Our compliance management system helps us to ensure that all requirements are met throughout the Group. The effectiveness of compliance management at ista has been officially certified by the Institute for Corporate Governance in the German Real Estate Industry (ICG). Our Supplier Code contains fundamental environmental, social and governance standards that we require our suppliers throughout the world to comply with. These also include the ILO's Declaration of Principles as well as the Principles of the UN Global Compact, the principles of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the UK Modern Slavery Act.
Contributions to national and international climate and environmental policy
- Climate protection: We contribute in particular to greater energy efficiency and raise the consumer's awareness of greater climate protection in buildings. The revised European Energy Efficiency Directive and its implementation in the EU member states set the legal framework for these activities. With our radio technology and offerings such our EcoTrend app, we offer our customers tailored solutions so they have easy and convenient ways of informing their tenants about their monthly energy consumption and so create incentives to save energy and costs.
- Resource efficiency and circular economy: A sustainable economy that is fit for the future is a circular economy. We are convinced of that. We support the goals of the European Circular Economy Action Plan and national policies such as the German Resource Efficiency Programme – through innovations in device design, high convenience, a long lifecycle of our products and continuous improvements in the reuse of materials from our old devices.
- Human rights and environmental standards in global supply chains: We welcome the initiatives at German and European levels that require companies not only to respect human rights but also ensure environmental standards along the supply chain. These include the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization's (ILO)Declaration of Principles and the UN Convention against Corruption.With our measures for sustainable supplier management, we have been committed to fulfilling this responsibility for many years.
Participation in the United Nations Global Compact
As a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, we have committed to standing up for fundamental human rights, labour standards and environmental protection and to combating corruption. In our progress report, we show how we implement the ten principles of the Global Compact.
The ten principles of the UN Global Compact
- Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights.
- Businesses should make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.
- Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.
- Businesses should uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour.
- Businesses should uphold the effective abolition of child labour.
- Businesses should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation
- Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges
- Businesses should undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility.
- Businesses should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies
- Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.
Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
ista has firmly anchored the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations in its sustainability strategy. We focus on seven of the SDGs:
ista schools in energy efficiency
Since 2017, our project "ista schools in energy efficiency", for example, has helped schoolchildren at more than 100 schools develop practical approaches to climate protection. We are currently exploring new avenues to help more young people in their efforts to protect the climate.
We create transparency
With our metering devices, we make individual energy consumption transparent in more than 13 million homes and commercial properties. So consumers can identify and achieve energy-saving potential of 15 – 25%.
Sustainable added value
With sales of € 933 million in 2020, an increase of 2.66% compared with the previous year, we are contributing to the creation of value – for our employees, suppliers and service partners. Labour, social and human rights standards apply equally to us and our partners.
Sustainable living
Our individual consumption billing motivates people to save energy in residential and commercial buildings. By using apps and digital services, our customers can save resources and increase comfort, efficiency and safety in buildings.
Sustainable products
Our products and services help tenants to save energy and resources. Together with our partners, we are continually improving the recyclability of our devices.
Contribution to climate protection
We have a clear aspiration: we help people make their contribution to climate protection – with smart solutions for buildings, in our own company and in social initiatives and projects. We are systematically pursuing our strategy to become a climate-neutral company.
Partnerships for sustainability
We share our expertise in climate protection in buildings through memberships of industry initiatives, multi-stakeholder alliances, research projects and educational initiatives.
