OUR RESPONSIBILITY –OUR COMMITMENT
Sustainability Reportof the tesa Group 20182

Contents

Sustainability Report 2018

CONTENTS
p. 3

FOREWORD

p. 4

ABOUT THIS REPORT

p. 5

THE tesa BUSINESS MODEL

p. 7

OUR RESPONSIBILITY

p. 12
p. 12
p. 13
p. 13
p. 14
p. 14

COMPLIANCE

p. 15
p. 16
p. 17
p. 20
p. 22
p. 24
p. 25

EMPLOYEES

tesa Code of Conduct
Compliance Management System
Prevention of Anticompetitive Practices
Corruption Prevention
Data Protection

Internal Succession
Occupational Safety
Good Leadership
Training, Development and Support
Feedback and Dialogue
Occupational Health Management

p. 26 ENVIRONMENT
p. 27 Climate Protection and CO2 Emissions
p. 30 Efficient Use of Resources

Cover picture: tesa offers
numerous applications forthe solar industry, such as
mounting adhesives.

p. 32
p. 33
p. 34
p. 35

PRODUCT RESPONSIBILITY

p. 38
p. 39
p. 40
p. 40
p. 41

SOCIAL COMMITMENT AND INVOLVEMENT

Responsibility in the Supply Chain
Product Safety
Sustainable Product Solutions

tesa helps: Being there for Others as a Good Neighbortesa donates: Uncomplicated Help for Social Projects
tesa supports: Recruiting the Next Generation of Employees
tesa protects: Working to Protect the Environment

3

FOREWORD“Sustainability is an integral component ofour business processes – indeed along ourentire value chain. Even so, we are not content to rest on our laurels in terms of what
we have achieved. After all, sustainability is
not a project, but rather a key future topic.”

Dear readers,
As one of the world’s leading adhesive technology
companies, we have been a pillar of innovation and highproduct quality for many years. But we have anothertradition: ecological and social responsibility. It is an
integral component of our business processes – andalong our entire value chain. After all, what we produce
is not all that matters; how we produce it is also
extremely important.
Therefore, as part of our corporate responsibility wefocus on four strategic areas of activity: the environment,
employees, products and society. In these areas, wewant to continuously improve with the help of targeted projects and strategic measures. We have alreadyachieved a great deal. For example, we have been able
to make a wide range of products more environmentallyfriendly with the help of energy-efficient, solvent-freemanufacturing processes. We have already significantly
reduced specific emissions of CO2 per metric ton of end
product. Our very low accident figures in comparison to
the industry demonstrate that our occupational safetymeasures are working. In order to promote the internalfilling of positions and to boost our attractiveness as an
employer, we continuously invest in professional development measures for employees and managers. And
numerous tesa employees worldwide voluntarily supportsocial projects as part of the “tesa connects” initiative.
But we are not content to rest on our laurels in termsof what we have achieved. After all, sustainability is

not a project, but rather a key future topic – worldwide.
Global challenges such as climate change and profoundsocial transformations such as demographic change
demonstrate this. In order to address them, we must
harmonize social, ecological and economic concerns.
Particularly as a company that operates internationally,
we are required to assume responsibility and to alignour business processes with a sustainable economy.
As an expression of this understanding, we have beena member of the UN Global Compact since 2006 andcommit ourselves explicitly to the ten principles in theareas of environmental protection, human rights andlabor standards and the fight against corruption. With its
commitment, tesa has also joined in the pursuit of one ofthe primary goals of the Global Compact: the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These
17 sustainability goals of the United Nations constitute thecore of Agenda 2030, a global action plan for sustainable
development.
This year we have decided to incorporate the SDGs into
our sustainability report for the first time and to make ourcontribution to them transparent. By doing so, we areunderscoring our conviction that, along with politics andcivil society, companies also play a decisive role in theachievement of ambitious goals.
You can learn more about our sustainability work and theprogress that we have made in the last fiscal year in thisreport. We hope you enjoy reading this report and find it
both interesting and informative.

Dr. Robert Gereke
Chief Executive Officer of tesa SE

4

About This Report

Sustainability Report 2018

ABOUT THIS REPORTWith this sustainability report we provide our stake­holders and the public with insight into our worldwide
commitment and the economic, ecological and social
impact of corporate operations in 2018. On the following
pages we summarize our management approaches,significant measures, results and key figures, divided into
the five fields of:• Compliance• Employees• Environment• Product responsibility• Social commitment and involvement
This report is limited to an exemplary, but representative selection of current initiatives that we are
implementing at our affiliates worldwide. It focuses
both on the topics and areas that are of material importance to our business and those that have a major
impact on our business activities. To identify these
topics, we performed a materiality analysis in 2017.
We identified as material the topics “prevention of anticompetitive practices,” “human rights in the supply chain,”“internal succession,” “occupational safety,” “climate
protection and CO2 emissions” as well as “product safety.”

UN Global Compact
and CSR Directive
Implementation Act
With this report we meet our annual obligation to informthe Global Compact of the United Nations about ourprogress. As a participant in the Global Compact, tesa
commits itself to observe ten universal principles in theareas of human rights, labor standards, environmental
protection and anti-corruption.
In accordance with the German CSR Directive Implementation Act, our parent company, Beiersdorf, is obligatedto supplement the existing financial reporting withinformation on key non-financial aspects of businessactivities. We have integrated the non-financial infor­
mation on tesa, which is part of the non-financial groupdeclaration of Beiersdorf, into this sustainability report.
This data is shown in this sustainability report in brackets
indicating the page or paragraph.

Editorial Notes andFurther Information
This report is available in German and English. Like
all of the versions published in previous years, it isavailable online at www.tesa.de and www.tesa.com.
Authoritative is always the German version.
For further information on the subjects of products,
the environment, employees and society, pleasealso visit the “Responsibility” section of our website
at www.tesa.com/en/about-tesa/responsibility.

in over 100 countries. ..
...... .... .
. . ... .

.

...

.

..

...
. . ..
. ...
.

.

over

2500

.

employees
in Germany.

operating with 64 affiliates

R&D centers in Germany,
the U.S., and Asia

~ 4900.

.

employees
worldwide.

THE tesa BUSINESS MODEL
tesa is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of technical adhesive tapes and adhesive
system solutions for industrial and professional customers as well as consumers. Our
more than 7000 products find applications
in various industrial areas, such as the automotive industry, the electronics industry, theconstruction supply industry and the print
and paper industry. In the consumer andcraftsmen market, our products make lifeeasier – both at home and at work. In addition,tesa works with the pharmaceutical industry to develop medical patches and films.

The Group and Its
Affiliates Worldwide
The tesa Group is a wholly owned affiliate ofBeiersdorf AG. tesa SE employs approximately 4900
people (December 31, 2018) and operates in more than
100 countries with 64 affiliates. The corporate head­quarters have been located in Norderstedt, near
Hamburg, Germany, since 2015.
The geographic focus of our business activities is Europe,
followed by the regions of Asia, America, Australia andAfrica. In addition to tesa SE, the affiliates in China, the6The tesa Business Model

United States, Italy, and Singapore are among the largest
single companies in the tesa Group. We have production
facilities in Germany, Italy, the United States, and in China.

Strategic Alignment
We are pursuing a long-term increase in the value of thetesa Group in the interests of our employees, customers
and shareholders by offering useful products and sellingthem at a profit all over the world. Our highly qualified
employees and continuously optimized business processes allow us to respond quickly and flexibly to changes
in the market and develop a broad range of high-quality,
demand-driven products. In addition, the knowledge of
production processes and the ongoing analysis of current
trends and developments in the industry give our company a competitive edge and ensure its lasting success.
We have understood the assumption of corporate
responsibility to be a key element of our businessprocesses at tesa for many years. For us, socially andecologically responsible conduct along the entire value
chain is essential to our corporate culture and is part ofour core business principles. With an eye to ensuring
good, responsible corporate management, we havedeveloped internal standards, such as the tesa Code of
Conduct (see p. 12) and our environmental guidelines,
and we emphasize compliance with these rules acrossthe entire Group. With the Code of Conduct for Suppliers (see p. 33 – 34), we also obligate our key business
partners to conform to our sustainability standards.

Solutions and Products
for Industry, Trade,
and Consumers
Our brand philosophy and strategy center on dependably
high quality, high capacity for innovation, and the use ofstate-of-the-art technology. We offer our customers
effective solutions, high-quality products and excellent
service – especially for the areas of application of
automotive, electronics, construction, health, transportation and print and paper industries, as well as in the areaof renewable energies and in the household appliances
sector. In addition, we offer professional craftsmen andprivate consumers adhesive solutions that are tailored totheir needs.
Our business is divided into two segments: In the
Direct Industries division, tesa supplies specialized
system solutions directly to industrial customers. This

Sustainability Report 2018division accounts for slightly more than half of sales.
The Trade Markets division deals with the markets inwhich customers obtain their products not directlyfrom tesa, but via retail partners or similar channels.
In addition to product ranges for private consumers
and craftsmen, they also include adhesive tapes thatare intended for industrial and commercial customers
and are marketed primarily via technical retailers.

Procurement Markets andOverall External Conditions
An efficient value chain is highly significant for the qualityof our products – and thereby our business success. The
tesa value chain is aligned globally, with Europe and Asia
as the largest procurement markets and China as themain country of origin.
The value chain must be designed in such a way that it
can anticipate future developments and respond to them.
To meet this requirement, we qualify our suppliers on asystematic basis and work to streamline our supply chainsthrough regional procurement in the vicinity of our production sites and local purchasing teams. They know andobserve the local market in detail and are able to makea realistic assessment of the possible risks arising fromissues such as political instability and changes in local
legislation. We also minimize risks by building a networkof alternative suppliers. In order to accommodate generaldevelopments in procurement, such as rising raw material prices, changes in sales and distribution channels,
and shifts in the competition situation, tesa has createda central function called the tesa Purchasing Network(tPN), which brings together cross-sector activities andresources, and manages all processes across the Group.

tesa’s success is not just down

to innovative ideas, product quality
or technological advances; environmental and social responsibility
also play a key role.

OUR RESPONSIBILITY
Assuming corporate responsibility is key togenerating sustainable value at tesa. Sustainability and the responsible use of resources
are an integral part of our corporate culture
and are firmly anchored in all of our businessprocesses. These principles are groundedin the tesa Corporate Values and tesa Codeof Conduct (see p. 12), which provide clear
guidance for our daily conduct. In addition,
as a long-standing member of the United
Nations Global Compact we expressly commit
to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) of the United Nations. We make ourcontribution to achieving these goals throughour activities and products.

8

Our Responsibility

Our Corporate Values
As one of the world’s leading adhesive technology
companies, we see it as our duty to align our businessactivities with the core principles of sustainability.
From the procurement of raw materials to recycling, we
assume responsibility at all stages of our value chain. We
also expect our suppliers to manage their businesses
responsibly. In order to make this attitude clear andunderstandable for all employees across the Group, we
have established a set of corporate values. They are regularly checked for their relevance and were most recently
revised in 2017. The corporate values are accessible to all
employees on the intranet and create a common vision of
how we understand sustainability. In addition, they may
be accessed on our corporate website at www.tesa.com.

Guidelines for our
Actions: Global Compact
Principles and SDGs
We have been a member of the Global Compact of theUnited Nations since 2006. Our membership underscores our commitment to upholding internationallyrecognized social and environmental standards in ourbusiness activities. The ten Global Compact principles in
the areas of human rights, labor standards, environmental
protection and anti-corruption form the overarchingguidelines for our actions.
In the 2018 reporting year, we also reaffirmed our goal
to make our contribution to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The SDGs constitutethe core of the 2030 Agenda, a global action plan forsustainable development. For the first time they balance
the three dimensions of sustainable development: theeconomic, social and environmental. Along with politics
and civil society, companies are also urged to make acontribution to the achievement of these ambitious goals.
In 2018, we therefore determined which of the 17 SDGs we
can make a particularly effective contribution to with ouractivities and products. In order to define our contribution
as precisely as possible, we carried out a comparison withthe detailed 169 targets. The respective targets and ourcontribution to them are set out in the index on pp. 9 – 10.
We also include symbols at the start of every chapter toindicate which SDGs we are contributing to with theactivities described. In the future, the SDGs will establish
an important framework for action for our sustainability work.

Sustainability Report 2018tesa Corporate Values• All of tesa’s activities are focused on our customers being satisfied with the high quality of our
products and services.
• We take a proactive role in shaping our future
and view every change as an opportunity.
Innovation in technology, processes, andproducts is the basis of future growth.
• Themotivation, competence and effectiveness of
all our staff ensures our long-term success.
• We ensure the satisfaction of tesa’s shareholders
by continuously adding value to our company, sothat shareholders continue to invest in ourcompany and, in turn, our job security.
• We are committed to putting the principles of the
Global Compact into practice: adhering to humanrights, fair labor practices, environmental
protection and the fight against corruption.
• We assume social responsibility. We focus on theadvancement of young people in the fields ofscience and technology, on the protection of theenvironment, as well as on local social projects.

Our Responsibility

Sustainability Report 20189

We contribute to the following SDGs and their corresponding targets:

SDG No.

SDG targets

Our contribution

Information in tesa
sustainability report

5.5: Ensure women’s full andeffective participation and equal
opportunities for leadership at alllevels of decision-making inpolitical, economic and public life

tesa has been a member of the UN
Global Compact since 2006. The ten
principles in the areas of human rights,
labor standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption also represent
the overarching guidelines for all actionsat tesa. With our membership, we havecommitted ourselves to Principle 6 “Theelimination of discrimination in respectof employment and occupation” andreject any form of discrimination in theworkplace or in the filling of positions.

Global Compact
Principles and SDGs,
p. 8

7.3: By 2030, double the global
rate of improvement in energy
efficiency

tesa’s headquarters and sites with the
Climate protection andhighest CO2 emissions have an environ- CO2 emissions,mental management system as well as an pp. 27 – 30
energy management system certified inaccordance with ISO 14001 respectively
ISO 50001. The introduction of the energy
management systems paved the way forfurther increasing the energy efficiency of
our facilities. Another strategic approachfor tesa is the use of energy and resource-saving technologies, such as
efficient generation of our own energy
through cogeneration (combined heat andpower, CHP) and obtaining electricity fromrenewable sources.

8.4: Improve progressively,
through 2030, global resource
efficiency in consumption andproduction and endeavor todecouple economic growth fromenvironmental degradation, in
accordance with the 10-year
framework of programs onsustainable consumption andproduction, with developed
countries taking the leadOur products should be as harmless as
possible to the environment over their
entire lifecycle. During development andmanufacturing we take care to ensure
resource efficiency and to avoid production waste. Measures to this end are an
integral part of our environmental
protection activities as a company.
Wherever possible and sensible we use
renewable and recycled raw materials.

Efficient use ofresources, pp. 30 – 31

8.8: Protect labor rights andpromote safe and secure working
environments for all workers,
including migrant workers, inparticular women migrants, andthose in precarious employment

As a responsible employer, we see it as
our duty to protect our employees fromrisks and hazards in the exercise of theiractivities. With a wide range of measures, we contribute to preventing or
minimizing accidents and occupational
illnesses.

Occupational safety,
occupational healthmanagement,
pp. 17 – 19, 25

Training, development
and support,
pp. 22 – 24

10

Our Responsibility

SDG No.

Sustainability Report 2018

SDG targets

Our contribution

Information in tesa
sustainability report

12.2: By 2030, achieve thesustainable management and efficient use of natural resources

tesa develops ecofriendly, solvent-free
production methods, and uses renewable and recycled raw materials wherever possible and sensible. We take careto ensure resource efficiency from theearly stages of developing our products
and the methods used to produce them.
Measures to this end are an integral partof our environmental protection activities as a company.

Efficient use ofresources, pp. 30 – 31

12.4: By 2020, achieve theenvironmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes
throughout their life cycle, in
accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air,water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts onhuman health and the environment

There is no way to eliminate all waste
when producing goods. Our waste andraw materials management activities are
geared toward using materials efficiently and recycling wherever possible.
Therefore, we constantly work on
minimizing production-related losses in
the raw materials we use. tesa recycles
almost all non-hazardous waste andhazardous waste containing solvents.

12.5: By 2030, substantiallyreduce waste generation throughprevention, reduction, recycling
and reuse

We have set ourselves the goal of
reducing specific waste volume per
metric ton of end product by the year
2020 by another two percentage points
from the 2015 reference year.

16.5: Substantially reduce
corruption and bribery in all theirforms

We reject any form of corruption, bribery
or other forms of unlawful conduct.
Anti-corruption is one of tesa’s Core
Compliance Fields and plays a central
role in the Compliance Management
System. The main goal is to avoid
possible cases of corruption before theyarise. Our Group-wide Anti-Corruption
Guideline instructs our employees onproper conduct and explains how
employees should conduct themselvesin corresponding situations.

Compliance, pp. 12 – 14

Our Responsibility

Sustainability Report 201811

Strategic
Action Fields

Organizational
Structure

Our approach to corporate responsibility focuses on four
strategic action fields: employees, products, the environment and society. We regularly review our areas of focus
within these action fields. With an eye to the German
CSR Directive Implementation Act, we reevaluated ourmaterial topics in 2017 with representatives of the units
at tesa, the Group parent company, Beiersdorf, and otherrelevant stakeholders. During the materiality analysis,
the subjects of “climate protection and CO2 emissions,”“internal succession,” “occupational safety,” “preventionof anticompetitive practices,” “human rights in our supply
chain” and “product safety” were identified as beingmaterial. We carry out a materiality analysis every two
to three years alongside the materiality process of theparent company, Beiersdorf. The next analysis is plannedfor 2020.

The tesa Executive Board has articulated an express
commitment to our corporate responsibility. At its instigation, responsibility was established as a task that cuts
across all areas within the Group. All of the relevant units
are involved, which ensures there is a direct link between
these efforts and our business activities and key businessprocesses. The following units are involved in steering
these activities and are responsible for operational
implementation:• Legal & Compliance• Purchasing Network• Human Resources• Quality, Environmental, Health & Safety Management• Corporate Communications
A central corporate responsibility steering group that
includes representatives of these units meets quarterly,
under the leadership of the member of the Management
Board responsible for human resources. The group
coordinates the dialogue between the units and reporting on non-financial topics. In addition, we engage
in regular dialogue with our parent company, Beiersdorf, and coordinate our activities with each other.

Risk Management

4

strategic action fields› help us focus oursustainability activities.

We believe success-oriented and responsible activities
include the Group-wide, integrated management of risks
and opportunities. Risks are identified and managed in a
structured process. In the course of these activities, we
assess operational, functional, and strategic risks with aneye to their possible financial impact and effects on our
reputation as well as their probability of occurrence. Our
compliance management team uses the same criteria in a
separate process (compliance risk assessment) to identify
and assess the relevant risks we may face as a result of
non-compliance with external regulations and internal
standards.
In addition, during the reporting year we introduced astandardized process for risks that can arise in connection with our material non-financial topics. We considered
all non-financial topics that are material for tesa andinterviewed all relevant units about their risk assessment.
The result was reviewed following the risk management
process. In the process, no risks were identified that need
to be reported in accordance with the guidelines of the
CSR Directive Implementation Act.

Five avatars guide partici-

pants through the compliancee-learning program.

COMPLIANCE
We will continue to be a trustworthy partner
to our customers, shareholders, business
partners and employees and to government
agencies, institutions and the public. Compliance with all of the laws and regulations
that apply to tesa is therefore particularly
important.
Compliance violations can be not only expensive, butalso damaging, particularly to the company’s reputation.
As a result, all employees, managers and corporate
bodies are required to abide by clear specifications thathave been set down in writing. Compliance with these

specifications is monitored and verified regularly throughaudits and supported by activities such as advising,training sessions, measures and programs. The goal is toraise awareness among our employees about relevant
issues and to teach them how to act appropriately.

tesa Code of Conduct
The tesa Code of Conduct is derived from the ten
principles of the UN Global Compact and serves as an
overarching, binding code of conduct for all employees.
We use this to support our employees, managers andcorporate bodies in observing the key principles andvalues of our company in their day-to-day work, gearing
their conduct toward them and sharing them with others.

Sustainability Report 2018

ComplianceManagement System
Through our Compliance Management
System (CMS) we want to ensure that all tesa
employees, managers and bodies comply withapplicable legal provisions and internal rules.
In order to achieve this goal, we follow anorderly management process. It encompasses
the four steps of prevent, detect, react andimprove.
In 2018, we revised and updated the tesa CMS. In theprocess, we reviewed our mandatory governance andcompliance guidelines with respect to their practicality
and acceptance and adjusted them where necessary.
We are taking dynamic changes in the legal andeconomic environment into account in this update.
The focus of our compliance program is currently on theCore Compliance Fields of Antitrust, Anti-Corruption andData Privacy. The tesa Corporate Compliance Officer is
responsible for ensuring legal conformity in the Core
Compliance Fields as well as possible and enhancing theentire system. In the tesa affiliates, we have designatedthe managing directors responsible for the respective
affiliates as compliance officers. They are supported by
specially designated local compliance officers. The local
and (corporate) compliance managers are responsible forthe operational implementation and refinement of thetesa compliance standards. Our reporting system isanother important component of tesa CMS. tesa has
implemented both internal and external reporting
channels through ombudsmen to take reports of compliance violations. We use this system to pursue all tips,
clarify the relevant issues and take appropriate measures
after carefully weighing and considering the principle ofproportionality.

Measures and Results
Communication and training activities

We
anchor the compliance principles within the company
through routine communication and training activities. For example, our employees find tips, guidelines,
processes and capable points of contact for their
day-to-day business dealings on a compliance platform on the intranet. We also use this platform toprovide information on relevant legal developments.
In order to leave no room for uncertainty regarding
compliance, we also published a glossary that definesand explains compliance-related terms and acronyms on the intranet during the reporting period.

Compliance Management System /Prevention of Anticompetitive Practices

Compliance13

In addition, we developed and introduced a new“compliance learning world” in 2018. In the process,we completely revamped e-learning courses in all Core
Compliance Fields.

Audits The Internal Audit department (Beiersdorf AG)
conducts routine audits during which compliancerelated topics are reviewed.

3

E-Learning› about the Core Compliance
Fields will be available on
the intranet starting in 2019.

Prevention of
Anticompetitive Practices
Also in 2018 we analyzed and evaluated theexisting and future compliance risks of ourbusiness models. The resulting materiality
analysis has confirmed our classification of the
topic of Antitrust as a Core Compliance Field.

Management Approach
Several years ago, we successfully introduced thetesa Antitrust Compliance Program throughout theGroup. It is an important element of our overall program and has been refined continuously since then. It
provides information on relevant content in antitrust
law and raises awareness to potential risks. It also
encompasses the regular review and updating of guidelines as well as control over their implementation.

Measures and Results
Internal guidelines In 2018, we created andintroduced a new overarching Antitrust Compliance
Guideline to the company. This guideline summarizes
already existing regulations, establishes general conditions and minimum standards in the Antitrust Core
Compliance Field and describes them.

14Compliance

Corruption Prevention / Data Protection

Training courses

All relevant employees and managers1 receive training every two years. Our training scheme
includes a mandatory e-learning course that communicates key concepts in antitrust law. In 2018, we developed
a new e-learning module on the topic of antitrust. It will
be available on the intranet starting in 2019. During the2017/2018 training cycle, we invited 1,621 employees in 41
countries and 48 affiliates to participate in an e-learning
course in the Antitrust Core Compliance Field. The rateof successful participation was 96.4 percent (global2).
We also hold on-site training sessions in regions
where there is particular risk and in selected business
units. This is augmented by individualized advice on
issues of antitrust law during ongoing operations.

Corruption Prevention
Anti-Corruption is one of tesa’s Core Compliance Fields and, after antitrust, plays acentral role in the Compliance Management
System. The main goal is to avoid possible
cases of corruption before they arise.

Our Management Approach
Our focus is on ongoing efforts to inform and raise theawareness of employees for corruption-related risks aswell as dangerous activities and situations in day-to-day
business dealings. The Group-wide Anti-Corruption
Guideline makes an important contribution to these
efforts. It offers guidance to our employees on what to
do in case of conflicts of interest, invitations and personal
gifts from and to representatives, agents and employeesof other companies or public officials and explains how
employees should conduct themselves in corresponding
situations.

Sustainability Report 2018

Data Protection
The confidential, honest, safe and appropriate
handling of the information entrusted to us is ahigh priority for tesa. Given the heightened
requirements set down in the EU General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR), the topic of dataprotection represents a Core Compliance Field
again in 2018.

Management Approach
Prevention by raising awareness and through education
is a key focus for us in the area of data protection. We
therefore inform employees about the measures we aretaking to comply with the GDPR, who the points ofcontact are and what employees should keep in mind intheir day-to-day work. In addition, we published the Data
Protection Compliance Guideline in the reporting year. It
summarizes all valid organizational rules on the topic ofdata protection and gives employees assistance andinstructions for handling data.

Measures and Results
Information and training courses

Along with
events on the topic of data protection, we also use theintranet to keep our employees informed. There is a dataprotection series that teaches people about the mostimportant contents of the GDPR, for example. In order
to explain the requirements of the regulation and its
implementation as understandably and true to real-worldpractice as possible, we address issues that arise fromthe day-to-day activities of employees and provide information about proper and legally compliant conduct. We
have also developed a number of training activities. Beginning in 2019, there will be a new e-learning course on
the topic of data protection, which all employees, managers and corporate bodies must complete every two years.

Measures and Results
The e-learning course, which was redesigned in 2018,
covers the topic of anti-corruption as a Core Compliance Field. It is mandatory for all relevant employees,
managers and corporate bodies to complete the course
every two years. The course will also be available on our
intranet starting in 2019. On-site training on the topic
of corruption prevention is held as needed and is conducted by speakers or experts on the issue in question.

The participation rate refers to the target and risk group that was defined in advance for this Core Compliance Field. This group includes all employees andmanagers who may come into contact with antitrust-related topics and requirements. This figure corresponds to the situation as of December 31, 2017. A new
evaluation was not carried out in 2018.

1, 2

The dedication of skilled

experts and motivated young
employees helps to shape thecompany and builds thefoundation for our success.

EMPLOYEES
tations of our customers – and to exceed them again
and again.

We would like to provide our customers withthe best possible service and expand our
position as one of the leading adhesive technology companies. The skills of our employees
and their willingness to continue to develop
them are paramount for this.
Qualified employees who actively participate inshaping the continued development of the company
and promote innovations in the area of products andprocesses are the key to the successful implementationof our corporate strategy. They help us meet the expec­

At the same time, the demands of employees areconstantly evolving and the attractiveness of an employer plays a more important role today than in thepast. Aspects such as development opportunities in
the company, the topics of occupational safety andhealth promotion, a thriving culture of feedback anddialogue, and models for reconciling professional
and private life are all increasing in significance.
Important goals of our human resources strategy are
therefore to employ appropriate measures to attract
well-qualified, committed employees to our company,
to win their loyalty and to maintain our attractiveness as

16

Employees

Internal Succession

an employer. In addition, our express goal is to promote a
corporate culture that strengthens performance, teamwork, cross-functional collaboration and internationalization. The tesa Key Competencies establish the basis forthis. They describe nine core competencies that determine the actions of employees and represent fundamental values at tesa: “Set the pace,” “Focus on yourcustomer,” “Team up,” “Achieve & improve,” “Challengeyourself,” “Lead to success,” “Grow talent,” “See thebigger picture” and “Get buy-in.”Sustainability Report 2018

across different units and regions. By doing so, the HR
department plays a key role when it comes to making
it easier for future executives to rise within the organization and to win their lasting loyalty to the company. In
the period under review, we filled most top management positions with internal candidates in this way.

Measures and ResultsCompetencies review In Europe, North America,

With its products, tesa is represented inseveral different markets and industries thateach have different requirements, issues andneeds. Managing this complexity is no easytask. The skills, knowledge and experience of
our employees give us a distinct competitive
advantage.

Greater China and Asia/Pacific, talented employees were
given the opportunity to participate in professionally relevant role playing and exercises – comparable to thoseof an assessment center. They then received feedbackon their strengths and areas for development with regard
to the tesa Key Competencies. Intensive discussions
with experienced managers and HR employees gavethese up-and-coming employees further impetus fortheir future careers at tesa. The competencies reviews
enable us to develop talented workers’ skills in a targetedmanner, making them candidates for internal succession.

One core element of our personnel strategy is to fill
key positions from within wherever possible in order to retain their valuable experience and market
knowledge, enhance their expertise and skills, andleverage these capabilities for our long-term successas a company. This approach is also beneficial to
our employees. Without changing companies, they
can gain broad knowledge from different areas andobtain attractive promotion and development opportunities. Accordingly, our goal is to fill as many open
positions as possible with internal employees.

tesa X-perience Career Model In 2018, we devised the tesa X-perience career model. The aim is todevelop a uniform understanding of sensible development and career progression throughout the company.
Furthermore, employees should be motivated to seek
job rotation opportunities not only internationally orfunctionally, but to actively make cross-functional moves.
This contributes to building up broader expertise andestablishes the basis for promotion within the company.
The model will be introduced in Germany starting in2019 and will then gradually be rolled out elsewhere.

Internal Succession

Management Approach
The topic of internal succession is firmly establishedat the highest level at tesa. Several times a year, theExecutive Board holds meetings where the members
discuss succession planning and talent management.
The topic is centrally managed by the Human Resources(HR) department. The Succession Planning and TalentManagement team, which was established specifically to handle internal succession, employs structured
management processes in its work and carries out aseries of different activities. This includes development
interviews and advisory sessions with employees aswell as talent management workshops. Furthermore,
HR ensures that employees receive regular feedbackon their performance from their supervisors. HR’stasks also include ensuring that information is shared
between the regions and the company headquarters
and making suggestions for filling open positions

X-perience› The new career model

offers employeesinternational or functionaljob rotation opportunities.

Sustainability Report 2018

Management Development Program Also in
2018, a group of international executives set up theManagement Development Program (MDP). As part ofthis program, participants take a close look at thecorporate strategy and the positioning of different
functions in the company. In order to keep the program
up to date and to begin with management training even
earlier, we launched a project to revamp the MDP in
2018. Initial adjustments should be implemented in2019.

Occupational Safety
As a responsible employer, we see it as ourduty to protect our employees from risks andhazards in the exercise of their activities.
A safe working environment is essential toensure staff remain motivated and engaged.
It contributes immensely to our employees’
ability to provide ideal solutions and actively
play a part in the development of the company
and customer satisfaction.
In addition, a high level of occupational safety promotes
a good corporate reputation and increases the company’s attractiveness as an employer. It helps to reducesick leave and absences and to limit staff turnover. In turn,this has a positive effect on costs. We have therefore
implemented a wide range of measures that serve toprevent and minimize accidents and illness. Our strategic aim is to reduce the number of accidents to zero.

Management Approach
We want to prevent workplace accidents and eliminate
work-related health risks and the occupational illnesses
they cause before they can arise. Therefore, we prioritize
prevention and raising awareness among staff about
potential hazards – for their own protection and also forthe protection of their colleagues.
Our Occupational Safety Guidelines, which apply throughout the group of companies, form the basis for ourinternal management system in the area of occupationalsafety. As part of an annual management review, the company management works with the occupational safetyunit to evaluate the accidents that have occurred thatyear. Based on this information, it then takes new steps tofurther improve our employees’ safety and reduce
work-related health risks.

Occupational Safety

Employees

17

Our occupational safety management activities focus on
production sites, where the risks of accidents and adverse
health effects are greater than at our office headquarters.
We employ our own safety specialists at all ISO 14001 certified sites. They are familiar both with tesa’s global healthand occupational safety guidelines and with local conditions.
We also take deliberate steps to promote international
dialogue among these experts. The safety specialists meet
annually to discuss key occupational health and safety
risks. They also initiate joint projects, define standards,
and share information on successes and experiences aspart of these events. This approach contributes toward thecontinuous optimization of prevention measures at tesa.
At tesa comprehensive risk assessments establish the basis
for selecting and managing work resources, work procedures, workplaces and work processes in such a way thattechnical and organizational flaws are avoided and employees observe safe practices. But changes in machinery,systems, or working premises, new purchases, and processadjustments can all affect our employees’ safety and health.
Therefore, for example, safety-related testing and acceptance as well as systematic hazard identification and risk
assessment are carried out at the time of the procurement
and commissioning of equipment. If we recognize a risk toemployees during this testing, we take appropriate countermeasures. Material results of the evaluations are discussed
by the occupational safety committees with management
and the employee representatives, and satisfactorymeasures are defined. The responsible and proactive
actions of employees play a major role in risk avoidance.
This includes, for example, wearing personal protective
equipment and appropriate work clothing at all times.
However, should a workplace accident occur despite
all preventive measures, we will conduct an accident
investigation. The investigation will identify the technical, organizational and personal causes of the accident.
Appropriate accident preventive measures will help toavoid a similar incident from occurring in the future.

18

Employees

Occupational Safety

Measures and Results
Training courses

At the tesa SE site, we developed
training videos in 2017 covering a wide range of topics in occupational safety and emergency prevention
and made them accessible to all employees. The films
show in compact form how employees at the company
headquarters and the research and technology center
should behave in order to best prevent risks to theirown safety. In 2018, the videos were also integrated
into an e-learning course that all employees at thecompany headquarters site had to complete. Both thee-learning course and the films are available in German
and English. Alongside improved training schemes for
employees and external companies, risk assessment
for machines was also optimized in this reporting year.

Campaigns As in previous years, employee aware-ness campaigns were held in 2018. Major areas of focus
again included preventing accidents in traffic within theplant and training on how to use respiratory protection
equipment. In the Hamburg tesa plant, employees fromthe areas of coating and adhesive manufacturing are
qualified to use respiratory protection equipment inaccordance with the requirements for volunteer firefighters. In the event of a gas extinguisher system deployment,these employees are an essential safety component asthey can rescue anyone who may become trapped before the fire department has arrived. One cause of work
accidents is not using personal protective equipment. Asa remedial action, with the participation of all safety specialists we developed the worldwide “It’s in your hands!
Always wear your safety gear.” campaign in the reportingyear. It should raise the awareness of employees both inproduction and in the laboratories about how important
it is to wear the proper protective equipment at work.

Fire Safety

As part of our fire prevention scheme for2020, we implemented measures in the area of technicalfire prevention and protection at the tesa plant in Offenburg this reporting year. The focus here was also on
prevention. We held a daylong event for all employeesthat highlighted the subject of fire prevention, for example. The introduction of the 2020 fire prevention scheme
is already showing initial signs of success. For example,
we have improved the early detection of fires throughorganizational and technical measures. At the tesa plantin Suzhou, China, this reporting year marked the seventh
time that a “Safety Week” event was held. It encompassed a range of educational and training courses on
topics such as proper conduct for safety and health,explosion and fire prevention, and fire extinguisher usage.

For the7

Sustainability Report 2018

th
time,

› a “Safety Week”

was held in the Suzhou
tesa plant in 2018.

Occupational Safety

Sustainability Report 2018

Employees

19

Certifications The Concagno plant in Italy, one of

the largest tesa production sites, was certified inaccordance with ISO 45001, the successor to OHSAS
18001. The standard is one of the best-known and mostimportant standards for management systems in thearea of occupational safety. The certification of othersites is currently not planned.

ISO certification› In 2018, the Concagno
plant was certified
according to ISO 45001
for the first time.

Safety goggles are an essential part of personal protective
equipment in all tesa laboratories.

Performance Indicator
Our aim is to continuously reduce the number of accidents with one or more days of absence. This particularly
involves accidents resulting in longer incapacity to work,when the employee is absent for more than three days. In
addition, tesa monitors the lost day rate, measured incalendar days per million hours worked, for specificlocations.
The frequency of accidents > 3 days at tesa in 2018 was
1.9 per million hours worked globally. This was slightly
above the previous year’s figure (1.3 in 2017), but well
below the German industry average (BG RCI) of 11.6. Weview this as proof of the quality of our management
system in the area of occupational safety.

Occupational safety key figures
unit

Full year
2016

Full year
2017

Full year
2018

Work accidents ≥ 1 day

number22

14

21

Accident frequency rate ≥ 1 day

number/million hours worked

4.9

2.9

4.1

Lost days ≥ 1 day

number

539

261*

326

Lost day rate ≥ 1 day

number/million hours worked

118.9

54.6*

63.2

Work accidents > 3 days

number14

6

10

Accident frequency rate > 3 days

number/million hours worked

3.1

1.3

1.9

*Adjustment compared to previous year

20

Employees

Good LeadershipGood Leadership
For a technology company like tesa it is important that the corporate culture and theworking environment are structured in sucha way that they motivate employees to becreative and innovative and to support theimplementation of new ideas. Good leader­
ship is crucial for this. It helps to create apositive workplace environment and working
conditions that encourage performance, an environment in which employees can realize theirpotential, gain recognition and be promoted.
In addition, we are convinced that leadershipmakes a significant contribution to winning theloyalty of engaged and well-trained employees to the company and reducing turnover.
A common vision, clear-cut values and uniform management guidelines are essential to achieving this.
This means that executives can lead and support
their employees in such a way that the company as awhole continues to develop and corporate goals canbe achieved. This ambition is reflected in the tesa Key
Competencies. Four of the nine key competencies
relate to the topics of leadership and management.

4
of 9
›

tesa Key Competencies
relate to the topics ofleadership and management.

Sustainability Report 2018

Management Approach
Executive development at tesa is anchored in the area of
training and learning in the Human Resources (HR) unit
and is managed from there. The understanding of management at tesa is based on the Flow Leadership Model,
which makes use of positive psychology. It calls for awork atmosphere in which employees enjoy what they
are doing and reach a “flow” state, a sense of energized
focus, of complete involvement and success. According
to the model, this type of work atmosphere leads tofeelings of happiness and heightens the motivation, commitment and performance of the employees. The model
therefore helps to increase employees’ satisfaction andmakes them feel more connected to the company.
Globally uniform two-stage leadership training lies at
the heart of executive development at tesa. It consistsof the Essential and Advanced Leadership modules. The
Essential Leadership module can be taken by executives
at tesa who have assumed responsibility over personnel
for the first time. Above all this module should sharpen
the understanding of one’s role as a manager. Topics
such as communication and feedback and approaches
for situational leadership and team development play
an important role in this. The Advanced Leadership
Program is designed for employees who have alreadyheld leadership responsibility for a while. It includes
topics such as dealing with difficult management situations, employee development and coaching as aleadership tool. The program gives participants theopportunity to discuss situations they have experienced
as part of their daily management duties and to obtain
valuable input from other executives and trainers.
In order to take tesa’s matrix organizational structure
into account, a Matrix Leadership Program, consisting of
three training modules (Leading without authority, Get
buy-in, Virtual teams), was also developed. It is open to
all employees who do not have the authority to issueorders, but have project responsibility. The international introduction of the Matrix Leadership Program, forexample, in the regions of Asia Pacific, Greater China
and Eastern Europe, is currently being planned. By
2020, the Leadership Program should be rounded out
by Strategic Leadership for the upper management level
and a revamped Management Development Program.

Measures and Results
Essential Leadership: tesa executives in the regionsof Germany, Europe, Asia/Pacific, Greater China, North
America and Latin America underwent a modularly
structured training program on employee leadership

Good Leadership

Sustainability Report 2018

Employees

21

Strategic personnel development plays an important role at tesa in preparing
up-and-coming talent for key positions on an international level.

lasting up to six days as part of a globally uniform
leadership training scheme. With a total of four training
cycles, the Essential Leadership Program was alsorolled out very successfully in Germany. The international introduction of this portion of the Leadership
Program has therefore now been completed. Wherevernecessary, this training will be augmented in someregions with short leadership tool training units.

Advanced Leadership

We would like to giveexperienced executives the opportunity to deal withchallenging leadership situations under professional guidance. Following the successful testing of the Advanced
Leadership training in 2017, it has been offered internationally since spring 2018, for example, in the regions ofNorth America and Greater China. In 2018, three training
courses were offered at the company headquarters. One

22

Employees

Training, Development and Supportof them was held in English and was aimed at executives
from other regions.

Team room

In 2018, the HR department created ashared digital information platform for executives in theintranet. In the team room, executives quickly and clearlyfind all the tools and information they need for day-to-day
management work.

Feedback tool How do employees view their super-visors, and what are their perceptions of the supervisors’
leadership? To answer these questions, we developed
a digital feedback tool based on the tesa Key Competencies in 2017. The tool has been in use since thebeginning of 2018 and is available globally. Employees
are surveyed on various aspects relating to leadership,
and afterward, supervisors receive an anonymized
analysis they can use as a basis to discuss the next steps
with their employees. In addition, the managers havethe opportunity to conduct a team workshop with theiremployees based on the results. The workshop should
offer them a suitable space for discussing potential areasof development in the team. Since its introduction, 15
executives worldwide have used the feedback tool.

Sustainability Report 2018

Training, Development
and Support
The competition for employees from thenatural sciences and engineering is constantly
increasing within our industry. In addition,
advancing digitalization and internationalization are leading to changes in working
requirements and methods. We want tooffer our customers outstanding products,
innovative solutions and the best service atthe same time.
We are adjusting to these challenges with our comprehensive initial and advanced training programs that are
specially tailored to our requirements. After all, highly
qualified, engaged and performance-oriented employees are a decisive competitive advantage for us. In
addition, having a wide range of initial and advanced
training opportunities increases our attractivenessas an employer and contributes to the willingness ofhigh-potential employees to work for us for a long time.

Management Approach
In order to respond suitably to the challenges of thelabor market and the competitive environment, we havedeveloped tesa-specific training. It helps young people
gain entry into the working world and gives us the opportunity to offer targeted training for employees in the areas
relevant to us. Along with technical training content, there
is an increasing focus on soft skills that have a positive
impact on our interactions with each other and promote
cooperation. For example, from the beginning we convey
to trainees our understanding of quality and service aswell as key competencies that are meaningful to tesa.

100
%
›

was the trainee retention
rate in the tesa Offenburg
plant in 2018.

In order to be successful over the long term, we must alsooffer our employees attractive development opportunities – both professionally and personally, at all levels andin all areas. In order to identify and fully realize thepotential of our employees, we have established target
group and expertise-oriented training programs. In
addition, we enable our employees to gain new experience in other units or regions. The tesa training portfolio
includes programs that are specially tailored to the areasof Sales & Marketing, Research & Development, Purchasing and the tesa Supply Network. A series of “open”
course programs is also available. This includes, forexample, methodological training courses, such as timeand project management, or communication training
courses, such as conflict management, language courses,
moderation or presentation skills. In addition, certain

Sustainability Report 2018

leadership and management programs are available toselected employees.

Measures and Results
Training In the technical area we have introduced

five different apprenticeships in the last six years forchemical technicians, electronics technicians for operating technology, industrial mechanics, machine andsystem operators and mechatronics technicians. Asof the end of 2018, the Hamburg-Harburg tesa plant
had 43 apprentices. The machine operators represent
the largest group (16). The Offenburg tesa plant had
42 apprentices, four of whom completed a cooperative university education and vocational training
program. The high retention rate demonstrates that
we intend to employ the apprentices over the longterm. In Hamburg, eight out of nine apprentices wereretained in 2018, corresponding to 87.5 percent. In
Offenburg, the retention rate in 2018 was 100 percent.

Qualification programs The qualification programs

contain basic qualifications for new employees andspecial formats tailored to the requirements of individual
business units. The Sales and Marketing Qualification
Program, for example, encompasses a combination ofTraining, Development, and Support

Employees

23

technical training and sales skills for sales employees.
This reporting year, it was adjusted to account for thelatest developments on the market and the changing
needs of the sales team. For the sales training courses,
this includes the introduction of a blended learning
approach, which combines in-person classroom presentations and e-learning. This approach was applied
successfully for the first time in 2018 and has significantly
reduced the number of days requiring attendance. A
total of 275 participants have taken part in 44 training
days for the Sales & Marketing qualification program.
The training and qualification program for tesa R&D
employees includes topics such as patents and quality
management. A total of 179 people participated in thisprogram in 17 training days during the reporting period.
During the year under review, 454 employees partici­
pated in a total of 61 days of training as part of ourqualification programs.

E-learning Along with classroom training courses
and programs, tesa offers its employees a broad
range of e-learning courses, for example, from areas
such as compliance, research and development or thetesa Supply Network. In 2018, the e-learning course
offerings were expanded again. Additional courses
included e-onboarding, which all new employees mustgo through. In addition, the units are now getting more
support to create their own e-learning courses. 1,056
employees completed an e-learning course in 2018.
Open course program

These classes are open
to all employees by arrangement with their managers
and include subjects such as language classes and IT
training sessions. These sessions comprised 74 daysof training in 2018, with 243 employees participating.

Learning management system (LMS)454 participants› took part in 61 daysof training offeredthrough our qualification
programs.

The LMS
provides employees with information on all the continuing education options on offer at tesa and lets themregister for courses. The platform helps the HR department document the complete range of training courses.
The system will be expanded in the future. The goal is
to automate and standardize training administration andorganization in the area of classroom training courses,
e-learning programs and blended learning acrosscountries, while enabling each region to manage itself. In
2018, we began to roll out the LMS internationally. As afirst step, the training records of the staff were collected
and made uniform. The introduction will continue in 2019.

HR Marketplace In September 2018, the second HR
Marketplace was held at our headquarters in Norderstedt. This gave us the opportunity to demonstrate the24

Employees

Feedback and Dialogue

progress we had made in the areas of professional andpersonal development since the 2016 employee survey.
This also enabled us to fulfill our employees wishes tobe more fully informed about continuing education andcareer opportunities. During the event employees andmanagers had the opportunity to speak to HR representatives, ask questions and provide feedback. Among the
key topics of the HR Marketplace were compensation
and benefits, and occupational health management.

Feedback and Dialogue

Sustainability Report 2018

and competencies reviews. These forms of dialogue
are based on the tesa Key Competencies, which arealso used in the area of succession planning and talentmanagement. There are guidelines for conducting
performance appraisals. In addition, managers aretrained in conducting these reviews. These reviews
are usually conducted once a year, twice in someregions. The participation rate is 90 to 100 percent.

Measures and ResultsCompetency-based employee performanceappraisals We also conducted competency-based

Regular feedback and open dialogue between
supervisors and employees are importantcomponents of a modern corporate andmanagement culture. Being able to discussquestions, ideas, expectations, goals and also
problems creates a relationship based on trust
between employees and managers andstrengthens team spirit.

employee performance appraisals in the tesa regions in
2018. This standardized international format is modeledon the tesa Key Competencies, which determine theactions of people at tesa. This is another way we ensure
dialogue between employees and managers. Besides
facilitating feedback to employees, it also enables
employees to provide voluntary feedback to supervisors.

In addition, it promotes mutual development. Given thechallenging labor market situation, a strong feedback
culture is a decisive factor in gaining the loyalty of
employees to the company and increasing employer
attractiveness.

surveys in 2017 in the regions of Eastern Europe,
Asia-Pacific and Latin America, there was no survey in2018. The companies in the specified regions are in theprocess of implementing the measures derived fromthe survey results. The next surveys will be conducted
in 2019 at tesa’s headquarters and in Western Europe.

Employee survey After conducting employee

Management Approach
In recent years tesa has continuously improved its
feedback culture, through employee surveys, for example.
We conduct them at regular intervals both at tesa’s headquarters and in the regions. Surveys are conductedannually worldwide. At the individual site level, employees
in different regions are surveyed every two to three
years. This helps us ensure that the implementation ofcorresponding measures is properly tracked. The
employee surveys serve to measure the engagement of
our employees, their motivation and their loyalty to thecompany as well as to identify any elements that significantly affect these aspects. The individual regions canalso add questions to cover locally relevant topics. To
foster dialogue between employees and supervisors, joint
workshops are held following the anonymized surveys,
with participants discussing the results and mapping out
specific actions to take. We then conduct subsequent
employee surveys to review how effective and how widely
accepted these measures have been. In general, theresults of these surveys have affirmed that our employees
are highly committed and have strong ties to tesa.
Dialogue about continued development takes the formof performance appraisals, 360°and 180° feedback>› 90 %

was the participation rate
in annual performanceappraisals in 2018.

Sustainability Report 2018

Occupational HealthManagement
Maintaining and promoting the health andproductivity of employees are importantconcerns at tesa. We wish to meet our
responsibility as an employer beyond providing a good workplace environment andopportunities for promotion and continuing
education. Moreover, health promotion to us
is an expression of our respect for our employees. They rightfully regard offerings inthis area as the defining feature of a modern
employer and attach increasing importanceto occupational health management.

Management Approach
To proactively promote and preserve employees’ health,tesa also has a broad-based occupational health management program. Under the “It’s for you” umbrella
brand, an interdisciplinary team works to develop a wide
range of measures. The team includes representatives
from HR as the coordinating body, the works council, thehealth promotion team, the tesa sport club, the social
advising service, the body representing employeeswith disabilities, the occupational health service and theoccupational safety team. The goal is to minimize strain
and to strengthen the resources available to people.
The tesa sport club offers tesa employees in Norderstedt
a wide range of fitness and relaxation options, including
endurance and strength training equipment and a varietyof courses like spinning, yoga and back strength building, along with individual fitness checks. Employees ofthe sites in Hamburg can use the options offered by our
in-house occupational health management service andthose offered by our parent company, Beiersdorf, which
include autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation,
and workshops on back health and relaxation techniques.
Another key aspect of the company’s efforts to promotehealth is its extensive array of preventive health checks.
These include vein screenings, skin cancer prevention
and colorectal cancer screening.
Further measures include equipping all office workstations
with height-adjustable desks to minimize back strain,
in-house advising on ergonomics, which provides support
on the proper height adjustment of desks and office chairs,
and information on exercises people can do at theirdesks. This also includes the promotion of healthy eating
by offering healthy choices at the company’s restaurant.

Occupational Health Management

Employees

25

The range of occupational health management options isconstantly reviewed for its acceptance and effectiveness.

Measures and Results“tesa sport club”

This reporting year, we once again
extended the club’s hours in order to meet the highdemand for its services. After a successful start in 2017,
we also expanded the range of in-house physiotherapeutic treatments.

Psychological risk assessments In 2018, we

performed psychological risk assessments in threeother areas based on the German Occupational Safety
and Health Act. The cycle of psychological risk assessments is now up to 90 percent complete, with surveys
to be conducted every three to five years in all areas.

The “Einfälle statt Abfälle”

campaign launched by tesa’s
Offenburg plant in 2018 aims tocontinuously reduce energy andresource use.

ENVIRONMENT
As a chemical and manufacturing
company, tesa bears tremendous responsibility for environmental issues. Treating
the environment, natural resources andraw materials with great care is one of ourcorporate goals. This strengthens people’s trust in the brand and safeguards
the foundation of our business success.

Environmental protection has been a key element ofour corporate responsibility activities for years, and ourenvironmental guidelines firmly establish it throughout the Group. The guidelines provide all employeeswith a standard for our actions and are designed toincrease environmental awareness in the company.
tesa’s primary environmental impact is the energy
consumption at its production sites. We therefore put
particular emphasis on protecting the climate andreducing CO2 emissions. However, resource efficiency
is also a top priority for us. Applicable legislative provisions, which we implement at all our sites, form thebasis of our work in the area of climate protection. In
addition, we use environmental management systems

Sustainability Report 2018

Climate Protection and CO2 Emissions

to control environmental performance effectively. They
are used at all sites with a significant environmental
impact. Seven production sites and tesa’s headquarters
now have an ISO 14001 certified environmental management system. There are environmental experts at allsites. They are familiar with tesa’s global environmental
guidelines as well as local legislation and the statusof on-site technology. The experts compile comparative figures, initiate projects and work on the ongoing
improvement of our environmental performance.

the climate, efficiency targets and the further
expansion of renewable energies may affecttesa’s business activities. Threshold limits,technical standards, and approval processes
for energy generation and production facilities
are also in flux, which calls for a forward-looking approach. Besides that, climate protection
is garnering growing public attention.

Another important element of our environmental management is dealing with risks proactively. This approachhelps us to respond to changes promptly, to avert costs
and damage to our reputation as well as to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. As
part of our environmental management activities, we
identify and evaluate opportunities and risks in relation
to environmental aspects both at the level of individual
production sites and across the board. This makes it
easier for us to select suitable measures to protect theenvironment and helps exert a positive impact on tesa’srisk situation. Therefore, environmental risk management
is an important factor for our sustained economic success.
Our environmental program sets ambitious Group-widetargets and enables us to solidify our environmental
commitment. The previous environmental program ran
through the end of 2015, by which point we had reduced
many of our environmental impacts. For example, fromthe 2001 reference year we were able to reduce our
specific energy consumption per metric ton of end
product by 24 percent and specific CO2 emissions per
metric ton of end product by 19 percent. Furthermore,
we were able to reduce the specific use of solvents(-41 percent) and the volume of non-recyclable waste(-77 percent). The specific emission of volatile organic
compounds (-91 percent) also dropped significantly.

Climate Protection
and CO2 Emissions
In order to live up to our responsibility toward
the environment, we systematically analyze alldevelopments and challenges that can arisefor our business from climate change and calibrate our measures accordingly. In tesa’s roleas an industrial supplier, it is especially important in this context for the company to prepare
for future developments in overall regulatory
conditions. Policy measures enacted to protect

Environment27

We would like to take these developments into account,
while living up to our own ambition to provide effective climate protection. After all, this can also result inopportunities and competitive advantages for us. By
proactively communicating our commitment to climate
protection and emphasizing how our products contributeto more sustainability for customers, we can increaseinterest in our products. Our innovative capacity also
benefits us here as it helps us to continuously improve
our products and production processes. For example,
we are manufacturing more and more products using
energy-efficient, solvent-free production processes.
We have set ourselves the goal of reducing specific
CO2 emissions per metric ton of end product (location
based) by 2020 by another ten percent compared to the2015 reference year. As of the reporting date, we wereat -8.3 percent.

Management Approach
Climate protection is an integral component of environmental management at tesa. We now use ISO 14001
certified environmental management systems at eightsites for the continuous management of our internal
environmental protection. Certified sites include all
production sites with related coating and/or adhesive
production; this does not include the production sites of
the companies acquired in 2017 and 2018. They haverelatively high energy consumption, due, for example, todrying or waste air purification processes, causing themto have higher CO2 emission levels. tesa’s headquarters,
the tesa Converting Center and tesa scribos GmbH are
also certified. According to our calculations, 95 percent of
our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions accrue to sites withcertified environmental management systems.
We take into account the results of environmental audits
to steadily improve our environmental performance. By
doing so, we identify additional potential savings, optimize energy-intensive processes and reduce costs andCO2 emissions. tesa management conducts a management review every year as part of this process. The
environmental experts working at all locations bear operational responsibility. They are familiar with tesa’s global

28

Environment

Climate Protection and CO2 Emissions

environmental guidelines as well as local legislation andthe status of on-site technology. The experts compile
comparative figures and initiate projects, ensuring theongoing improvement of our environmental performance.
tesa’s headquarters and sites with the highest CO2
emissions (Hamburg and Offenburg) have an energy
management system certified in accordance with ISO
50001 in addition to the environmental management
system. They account for about 60 percent of the CO2
emissions of all tesa sites with environmental management systems. This can be explained by the fact thattesa’s headquarters have the most employees and thelargest research and development unit; Hamburg andOffenburg are the largest production sites.
The introduction of the energy management systems has
set the stage for further increasing energy efficiency at
the sites. Advanced monitoring processes are an elementof the energy management systems. These processes are
expanded and improved on an ongoing basis. Employees
and external associates who have an influence over thecompany’s energy performance have been sensitized tothis topic and have received training on keeping energy
management in mind in their actions. Another strategic
approach for tesa is the use of energy and resource-saving technologies, such as efficient generation of our own
energy through cogeneration (combined heat and power,
CHP) and obtaining electricity from renewable sources.

8

sites
› have an ISO 14001certified environmental
management system.

3

Sustainability Report 2018sites
› have an ISO 50001certified energy
management system.

With our tesa environmental program, which was put inplace in 2001, we are setting Group-wide targets for us tocontinuously reduce our environmental impact. The current program is running from 2016 to 2020. In this period,
we aim to reduce specific CO2 emissions per metric ton ofend product (location based) by ten percent. Energy consumption is the most important control parameter here,
and is constantly being reduced through our environmental program and our continuous improvement process.
The targets that we set for ourselves in a given period
are regularly reviewed and revised. Through our internal
planning and reporting activities, we identify, assess andmonitor risks and measures associated with reducing
CO2 emissions at the level of the headquarters and theindividual sites certified according to ISO 14001. The
Environmental Management Team prepares and updates
the assessment for climate-related risks on a yearly basis.
We review the effectiveness of our activities by keeping
track of monthly site-specific energy consumption. We
determine Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emissions basedon the guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocols.
However, environmental impacts do not arise only fromour own production, but also in our supply chain and within our business partners’ operations. Therefore, the tesa
Code of Conduct for Suppliers (reference, pp. 33 – 34)
obligates our suppliers to uphold the principles of the UN
Global Compact, and thus also fundamental standards inenvironmental protection.
All emissions along the entire value chain that do not fallunder Scope 1 and Scope 2 are assigned to Scope 3
emissions. In 2018, we began to collect data for material
emissions throughout the value chain. In the process, we
identified the areas of packaging, raw materials, finishedgood suppliers and product transport as material Scope 3
categories.

Sustainability Report 2018

Climate Protection and CO2 Emissions

Measures and Results

Climate protection measures We began operating

Environmental management systems During

the reporting period, the environmental management
systems at all sites that were certified in accordancewith ISO 14001 were converted to the revised standard ISO 14001:2015 and successfully certified.

Energy management systems During the reporting

period, Hamburg and Offenburg refined their energy
management systems and were certified for the fourth
time in accordance with ISO 50001. The new tesa
headquarters in Norderstedt were awarded ISO 50001
certification in 2018 for the third time.

Environmental audits External environmental audits
are conducted annually as part of matrix certification of
the ISO 14001 sites. In addition, internal system audits are
conducted at all ISO 14001 sites. Due to the revision of
the environmental management standard, the focus wasin part on performance management, risks and opportunities as well as determining the expectations ofinterested stakeholders.

Environment

29

a CCHP (combined cooling, heat and power) systemfor climate-friendly in-house power generation at the
Offenburg plant in 2014, and the Hamburg plant followed
suit with a CHP (combined heat and power) plant in2016. In these systems, we use not only the electricity
generated, but also the heat that is produced, which isused for purposes such as heating and in production
processes. These two plants together supplied about
41 percent of our worldwide electricity demand at ISO
14001 certified sites. At the Offenburg site, a new boiler
has been used to supply steam to the production plantsince 2018. It is more efficient and reduces the consumption of natural gas and the related CO2 and NOx
emissions. During the reporting year, feasibility studies
were completed for CHP systems at the Concagno tesa
plant and the tesa SE plant in Norderstedt, resulting in
the affirmative decision to go ahead with investments.

In 2018, along with our own generation, we purchased
outside electricity from renewable sources at five European sites, covering about 30 percent of our global demand
for the ISO 14001 certified sites. During the reporting
period, we also completed additional energy projects
with investments in LED lighting at the headquarters aswell as at the sites in Hamburg, Sparta and Suzhou.

Performance Indicator
During the reporting period, we were able to reduce thespecific CO2 emissions per metric ton of end productaccording to the market-based method, taking into
account electricity from renewable sources by 0.5
percentage points compared to the previous year.
Compared to the 2015 reference year, overall we are at-8.3 percent according to the location-based method in
2018, and are within the target range of the 10 percent
reduction we are pursuing for 2020.

Specific CO2 emissions
per metric ton ofend product› were reduced by
8.3 percent in 2018
compared with 2015
(location-based method).

30

Environment

Efficient Use of Resources

Sustainability Report 2018

Key figures climate protection and CO2 emissions
Energy use
2015 2, 6

2017

2018

204

262

275

Crude oil000District heat

0

0

0

Natural gas

GWhElectricity from renewable sources

GWh

0

24

26

Conventionally generated electricity

GWh

60

26

26

Total energy use

GWh

265

311

327

Greenhouse gas emissions, location-based 3, 72015 220172018

CO2 direct (Scope 1)1000 t41

53

56

CO2 indirect (Scope 2)1000 t28

23

24

CO2 total

1000 t

69

76

79

%

-

-

-8.3

Change 2018 vs. 20155

2020 target-10.0

Greenhouse gas emissions, market based 4, 72015 220172018

CO2 direct (Scope 1)1000 t41

53

56

CO2 indirect (Scope 2)1000 t41

14

14

CO2 total

1000 t

83

67

70

-

-32.7

Change 2018 vs. 20155%-

CO2 conversion factors before 2015: 0.47 t CO2 / MWh electricity and 0.18 t CO2 / MWh gas; Reference year; Definitions according to the GHG Protocol Scope
2 Standard; source, CO2e factors: GHG Protocol / IEA; 4Definitions according to the GHG Protocol Scope 2 Standard; source, CO2e factors: electricity providers
and/or residual mix: RE-DISS (07/2017); emission factor for electricity from renewable sources is set as equal to zero; 5With reference to production volume;
6
Assumption of gas/electricity consumption at the Hamburg tesa plant replaced by real values in the reporting year 2018; 7Changeover from CO2 to CO2e in thereporting year 2018
1

Efficient Use of Resources
The production of goods always results in
waste. We are committed to reducing waste
efficiently and preserving natural resources.
We therefore constantly work on raisingawareness among all stakeholders about
avoiding unnecessary waste and professional
recycling.
Our binding environmental guidelines offer guidance inthis area. They state that we produce, use and dispose of
products in such a way as to minimize harmful impact on
the environment. In addition to our consistent compliancewith legal requirements, we also proactively assume
responsibility in this area. We refine our environmental

2

3

management systems on an ongoing basis, and to thisend, engage in dialogue with external experts as well.
We also provide our stakeholders with candid, transparent information on our goals and successes in thisarea. With these measures we have already significantly
reduced our environmental impact in the area of resource
efficiency. We have set ourselves the goal of reducing
specific waste volume per metric ton of end product by2020 by another two percentage points from the 2015reference year. Material losses during the production
process are an important control parameter here.

Management Approach
We aim to offer our customers products that haveas little environmental impact as possible over theirSustainability Report 2018

Efficient Use of Resources

Environment

entire lifecycle. To accomplish this, we develop eco­friendly, solvent-free production methods, and use
renewable and recycled raw materials where possible.

mentation of potential improvements. The project also
includes communication measures that are designed
to create awareness of the issue among employees.

We take care to ensure resource efficiency from the earlystages of developing our products and the methods used
to produce them. Measures to this end are an integral
part of our environmental protection activities as acompany. We also regularly raise awareness among our
employees regarding the subjects of reducing andsorting waste.

Expansion of ACX technology In 2018, we converted other products to this technology, which led
to additional energy, material and solvent savings.

There is no way to eliminate all waste when producing
goods. Our waste and raw materials management
activities are geared toward using materials efficiently
and recycling wherever possible. We are thus constantly
at work on minimizing production-related losses of the
raw materials we use when producing adhesives, coatingtapes and cutting rolls. The waste generated during the
production process is determined on a site-specific basis
according to various waste fractions. For reporting
purposes, it is summarized in categories based onwhether it is non-hazardous or hazardous and whether
it is for disposal or recycling. tesa recycles almost all
non-hazardous waste and hazardous waste containing
solvents. Ongoing improvements in machinery andproduction processes – including some at our employees’
instigation – have allowed us to reduce our waste
volumes on a continuous basis.
We have used our unique, patented ACX technology to
produce double-sided acrylic adhesive tapes for highly
durable adhesive bonds for years now. The ACX method
removes the solvents used from the adhesive, eliminating
the need for energy-intensive drying. The same is true of
NRE technology, which is used to manufacture and coatnatural rubber adhesives. This method substitutes
solvent-free extruded rubber systems for solvent-based
adhesives.

Measures and Results
Employee involvement To harness our em-

ployees’ expertise for waste-reducing measures likethese, we continued the successful “Einfälle statt
Abfälle (“Big Ideas Instead of Waste”) campaign at thetesa plant in Offenburg in 2018 that highlighted theneed for creative solutions. Behind this campaign is along-term project through which we intend to continuously reduce energy and resource use. Employees
from production, process development and technology
are participating in the project. The project involves
regular intra-departmental and inter-departmental
discussions, which assist in coordinating the imple-

31

Optimization of plant operations During thereporting year, we optimized the new production unit put
into operation in Sparta, Michigan, USA, in 2017, in partwith respect to the resulting production waste. The unit
allows us to replace solvent-based adhesives withwater-based ones, thereby improving our overall useof solvents.

Performance Indicators
Compared to the base year, the volume of waste per
metric ton of end product was adjusted for mix effects
that resulted from the weighting of the various sites andcould be reduced by -2.5 percent (by deducting mix
effects, we can represent the performance of our sites
and our progress more transparently). We are thus ontarget Group-wide. All German production sites havealready reached their individual goals compared withthe reference year of 2015. Aside from mix effects,
one-off effects from the ramp-up of a new production
line in the USA negatively affected the amount of waste
in the reporting year.

Waste volumes by type anddisposal method [1000 t] 2018:
Disposal(hazardous waste)
1.8

11.3
Recycling(hazardous waste)

Disposal(non-hazardous waste)
1.3

5.5
Recycling (nonhazardous waste)Under the tesa ecoLogo® sub-brand,
tesa offers products manufactured fromprimarily recycled or natural materials.

PRODUCT RESPONSIBILITY
We view it as part of our corporate responsi­
bility to offer our customers safe, durable andharmless products.
Our product responsibility begins right from the procurement of our raw materials. We purchase them, tothe extent possible, regionally and are working on
further increasing transparency about the origin of thematerials used. In addition, we take care to comply withenvironmental, social and labor standards in our supply
chain. We manage the use and consumption of raw
materials as efficiently as possible in order to preserve
natural resources. Our product responsibility includes
offering our customers innovative services and ensuring
the safety of our products. In addition, we design our
products to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Specifically, this means that we are continuously
working on improving our product design in order tominimize the environmental impacts of our products.

Sustainability Report 2018

Responsibility in the Supply Chain

Product Responsibility

33

Applicable laws and regulations establish the foundationfor our product responsibility. However, our commitment
goes even deeper. Our environmental and productsafety policies include strict internal guidelines that aredesigned to ensure the safety and environmental com­
patibility of our products. With these policies, we provide
all employees with a clear framework for action for thedevelopment, production and market observation of
products.
Our aim is to offer our customers products that harm theenvironment as little as possible over their entire lifecycle
and are safe to use.

Responsibility in
the Supply Chain
For our production we need raw materials andchemicals that we purchase from numerous
suppliers worldwide and transport to our sites.
Because of the international nature of our value chain,
we are exposed to a certain level of risk with regard tohuman rights violations. We aim to know the origin of the
raw and intermediate products we purchase and provide
traceability. With this in mind, our procurement strategy
focuses on physical proximity. We are ramping up ourefforts to procure the raw materials needed at the plants
in close geographic proximity to the sites.

Management Approach
The Head of the tesa Supply Network, which is part oftesa management, bears responsibility for our supply
chain activities, and is supported by the regional supply
chain organizations. Our purchasing organization has
offices in Germany, China, Korea, Malaysia and the USA.
Our global purchasing processes are defined anddescribed in the Purchasing Compliance Guideline. This
guideline includes binding rules of conduct for tesa as thepurchaser. For example, it states that tesa employees
who engage in purchasing activity must require the main
suppliers to sign the Code of Conduct for Suppliers(CoCfS).
The CoCfS establishes the foundation for the responsible management of our global procurement processes
and is mandatory for all main suppliers that supply tesa
directly. It describes fundamental rules and obligations in
the area of human rights, labor standards, environmental
protection and corruption prevention. The ten principles

Rubber is one of the most important raw materials
in adhesive manufacturing.

of the UN Global Compact also serve as a basis here. If a
supplier violates our rules, we call upon it to remedy theshortcomings. If the supplier does not comply with thisdemand, we seek to terminate the business relationship.

Measures and Results
Creation of a plan for the integration of humanrights aspects into supplier audits In both new

and ongoing business relationships, tesa conducts regular audits of the main suppliers along with supplier visits.
The selection of the suppliers to be reviewed is madeaccording to different criteria, for example, their strategic
significance, or in case of defective quality. The objectiveof these audits is to assess a specific supplier’s performance capacity. Irregularities are noted in visit or audit
reports. In the course of these activities, we regularly
check whether environmental standards and occupational health and safety measures are being complied with;these are also elements of the CoCfS. In 2018, tesa began to develop a plan for the integration of human rights
aspects into supplier audits. The focus here is on reviewing irregularities or violations of the CoCfS. In 2019, weplan to carry out pilot projects to establish whether external audits of the Business Social Compliance Initiative(BSCI) or the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA)
would be a meaningful addition to tesa’s own audits.
Within the tesa Group, the Group internal audit department monitors the purchasing standards that apply

34

Product Responsibility

Product Safety

worldwide and the associated processes at the affiliates
by conducting regular “Purchase to Pay” audits, which
review all processes from procurement through toinvoicing. In the process, Group internal audit department
also checks whether the main suppliers are subject toany corresponding obligations under CoCfS. If necessary, the department calls for corrective measures.

Training courses In 2017, we began training allprocess owners in the application of the Purchasing
Compliance Guideline. The online training developed
specifically for this purpose also explains the role playedby the CoCfS as an element of our procurement processes at tesa. Since then, more than 300 employees havebeen trained. These training courses will also continue
in 2019.

Product Safety
The safety of our products is decisive forthe satisfaction of our customers and thereby for our economic success. It makes amajor contribution to creating and maintaining people’s trust in our products.
If the products display safety defects, this can havea negative impact – on the people who deal withthem as well as on the natural environment. But ourcompany can also suffer serious harm from productincidents. Actions such as recalling products can resultin financial losses or damage our reputation. On theother hand, companies that ensure a high degree of
product safety and quality benefit from competitive
advantages – for example, by sharpening their brandprofile or penetrating new markets more quickly.
We aim to make products that satisfy the highest quality
and safety requirements.

Management Approach
We want to design products and processes in such a waythat they fulfill the diverse expectations of our stakeholders and no one is harmed during their production or use.
In order to offer our customers safe and high-quality
products, we comply with applicable laws and guidelines.
Our internal product safety guidelines, which expand
upon the strict legal provisions, play a key role here. They
describe mandatory measures enabling us to further
increase the safety of our products. In addition, they

Sustainability Report 2018

The tesa CoCfS› is binding for all

main suppliers that
supply tesa directly.

specify the roles and responsibilities of the product safety
officers. The tesa Product Safety Guideline is available on
the intranet.
Product safety management at tesa is an essential
component of quality management, for which control isshared by the organizational structure and management.
The Product Safety and Product Development departments are responsible for assessing materials andsubstances. In the process, they evaluate the latest
research findings and consider information on safety-related substance properties and safe handling of
substances and mixtures. In order to avoid product errors,
the Product Development and Production departments
conduct failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA),
among other measures. This helps them to identify
potential errors in design, production or directions, suchas inaccurate instruction manuals, during the development process.
Once products are already on the market, our business
units continue to monitor them. If the units recognizethat a renewed risk analysis and evaluation as wellas corresponding measures are required, they initiate
the necessary steps to ensure the health and safety of
our customers and employees. There were no recall
actions from end customers during the reporting year.
The product safety officer (PSO) is important for our workin this area. Every major plant worldwide has a local PSO
who reports to the centrally responsible Corporate PSO.
All product safety officers have completed an external
training course that is recognized by the automotive
industry. They are usually also the quality officers at theplants. For 2019, there are plans to establish a global PSO
reporting system.

Sustainability Report 2018

Measures and Results
Training courses During the reporting year, we haveagain trained employees in chemicals legislation, in thearea of product liability and product issues management.
They include employees from the areas of research &development, process development, marketing andcontrolling as well as the product safety officers. For theworldwide training measures, in the future we will use
e-learning courses developed in 2018 in addition toclassroom training. In the event of legislative changes,
the Corporate PSO, the central product safety officer,
revises the training courses. We plan to update thee-learning courses with new content and expand thetarget group in 2019.

Audits In order to check the safety of our products andprocesses, we also conducted internal audits during thereporting year. The Quality Management department andthe product safety officers are responsible for theseaudits. Both event-driven and annually planned audits
are carried out. In addition to the areas of research anddevelopment, and production, marketing is also re­viewed if necessary.

Sustainable Product Solutions

Product Responsibility

35

Sustainable Product
Solutionstesa products represent the highest level ofquality, safety and the responsible use ofresources. In the process, we support indus­
trial partners in optimizing their processes andimproving their products. We help professional
craftsmen to achieve optimal results efficiently.
We enable private users to perform their dailytasks and projects at home or in the officesimply.
Regardless of the area of application, our focus is on the
resource efficiency, durability and environmental compatibility of our products. In addition, with our products andin their application we want to contribute to climate andenvironmental protection at our customers’ facilities bymaking their products more durable, efficient, energy-­saving and low-emission.

Management Approach
We would like our products to be as harmless as possible
to human beings and the environment over their entire
lifecycle. Therefore, an element of our corporate strategy
is to increase energy efficiency, to reduce the use ofsolvents in the production of adhesives and to use aslarge a proportion as possible of renewable or recyclable
raw materials.
For this purpose, we are developing environmentallyfriendly, solvent-free manufacturing processes, forexample. In addition, we analyze the ecological balanceof selected products using a holistic lifecycle approach.
The approach is an integral part of our environmental
management system. It helps us to find out what environmental impact our products have and how this impact canbe reduced.

50 %› fewer solvents and less energy areused for the manufacture of tesa®
ACXplus adhesive tapes compared toconventional production processes.

36

Product Responsibility

Sustainable Product Solutions

Sustainability Report 2018

With its solutions, tesa enables automotive manufacturers to produce lighter and thereby more energy-efficient vehicles.

Measures and Results
Solutions for industrial customers The tesa®

ACXplus products for very secure permanent adhesives
are used in the automotive, electronics, wind and solar,
construction and other industries. They stand out for theirhigh adhesive strength and environmentally compatible production. Compared to conventional production
processes, 50 percent less solvents and energy areused. tesa uses internally developed, state-of-the-art
technology that was supported by the German Federal
Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and
Nuclear Safety. The electronics industry uses adhesive
tapes as one of the most important key components inelectronic equipment. They help to make them more
durable and to avoid resource-intensive new purchases.
At customer request, we now offer alternative raw
materials for the manufacturing of individual products.

By using the biomass balance approach, the proportionof sustainable raw materials in the value chain of ourcustomers can be increased. In the process, the use ofrenewable raw materials can be assigned to existingproducts in the supply chain. In addition, with thisapproach fossil resources can be conserved and greenhouse gas emissions reduced. Product quality andproduct properties remain unchanged in the process.
In 2018, we made a commitment to use this approachstarting in 2019, with two products to start with.
We offer the automotive industry solutions for fastening and insulating the lithium-ion battery elements ofclimate-friendly hybrid and electric vehicles. In addition,
we enable manufacturers to produce lighter and thereby more energy-efficient vehicles by replacing rivets
or screws with lightweight and very secure adhesive
bondings from tesa or by using our products to coverholes with water, air and dust-tight seals. In addition, weSustainability Report 2018

offer our customers two environment and health-friendly
options for adhesives in the vehicle interior. In order toimprove the air quality in vehicles, global demand isincreasing for solutions featuring the low emission ofvolatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are released
through certain plasticizers and adhesives at room
temperature and contribute, for example, to the typical“new car smell.” Since some VOCs have been linked
in the past to health problems, the emission limits invehicle interiors are strictly regulated worldwide, albeit
not uniformly. Therefore, along with adhesive tapeswith low VOC values, we offer the Ultra Low VOC option. Our adhesive tapes are designed in such a waythat they comply with the limits – in every country andin every automotive market. In 2018, we were able tofurther expand our range of offerings in the area ofhole taping as well as Ultra Low VOC adhesive tapes.

Sustainable Product Solutions

Product Responsibilitygo® complies with the demanding ISO 1402 standard
for ecological products since solvents are completely
dispensed with in their production and primarily biobased materials and recycled packages are used.
tesamoll® products for sealing window and door gaps
as well as the tesa® ISO SYSTEM for uncomplicatedinterior roof insulation help users to conserve energy
and reduce the emission of CO2. They also prevent thepenetration of moisture and improve the indoor climate.

Our products also contribute to more sustainability inpaper production and the printing industry. For example,
we offer our customers an assortment of repulpablesplicing tapes for resource-efficient processes in paper
production. Our portfolio also includes tesa EasySplice®
adhesive tapes for paper printing. They facilitate deinking
and recycling. During deinking, the ink and other foreign substances in paper are removed before the scrap
paper can be successfully recycled. Our tesa EasySplice®
adhesive tapes are certified for the deinking process by
the International Association of the Deinking Industry.
We also offer a broad range of solutions to the operators of solar and wind energy systems. As a memberof the German Solar Energy Association, we develop
UV and moisture-resistant product solutions, among
other items, for our customers in the solar industry. We
work with TÜV Rheinland to check weather resistancein accordance with the IEC 61215 international standard.
tesa® solutions are used, for example, with frame and box
mounting or cell and cable fastening. Various adhesive
tape solutions, among other items, are used with wind
power systems to manufacture rotor blades – for example, for the durable protection of the front edges witha particularly weather-resistant film. In addition, tesa®
products with a UV and salt water-resistant anti-slip
coating on or in the nacelle make an important contribution to the safety of the maintenance personnel.

Solutions for consumers In the paper, office andstationary area, we are continuously expanding our
product range for environmentally conscious consumers.
Under the tesa ecoLogo® sub-brand, we offer adhesive rollers, adhesive films, packing tape, glue sticks
and correction rollers, which are manufactured fromprimarily recycled or natural materials. The tesa ecoLo-37

In 2018,› we further expanded

our range of offeringsin the area of Ultra Low
VOC adhesive tapes.

As a technology company, tesa

supports young people in STEM
subjects and invites them to project
days to give them insights into
different occupational fields.

SOCIAL COMMITMENT
AND INVOLVEMENTof the company – imagination and an inventive spirit,
solution orientation, practical support and team spirit.

Voluntarily assuming social responsibility ispart of tesa’s corporate philosophy and firmly
anchored in our corporate values through our
corporate citizenship strategy. We have a clear
vision for our civic engagement as a company –called international corporate citizenship.
As a company, we want to look beyond ourcore business in making a positive contribution
to society.
With our social engagement, we are also building abridge to the tesa core competencies and the strengths

We are convinced that all sides gain from social engagement – the supported organizations and projects
as well as tesa itself. Therefore, we are active globally,giving donations and sponsoring memberships as wellas through the voluntary commitment of employees.

Management ApproachWith our social commitment we would like to create
sustainable connections – much as with our products – toour environment, but also through our interactions as ateam. This is why we have launched the “tesa connects”

Sustainability Report 2018tesa helps

Social Commitment and Involvement

39

initiative as part of our corporate citizenship strategy. This
strategy is complemented by a corporate giving policy aswell as guidelines for brand and product sponsorships.

and would like to become involved in social causes intheir area. On all continents, on-site tesa teams takeon projects and get involved in the local community.

In order to implement the strategy, we have defined
three strategic core areas, to which all projects that we
support can be assigned: social commitment, supporting
education and environmental protection. At the projectlevel, these are divided into the four pillars “tesa helps,”“tesa donates” (social), “tesa supports” (education) and“tesa protects” (environment). All projects also fit theidentity of the brand, the entire company and our regions.

Commitment and involvement in Germany Em-

The Corporate Citizenship department, which is a unit ofCorporate Communications, bears overall responsibility
for the topic of social commitment and involvement. It
decides on all support activities of headquarters andcoordinates them. Once a year, employees can take a day
off from work to work together with colleagues for a social
cause. The Corporate Citizenship unit and cooperation
partners such as tatkräftig e.V., a nonprofit initiative forvolunteer activities, help employees to select the projects.
The Executive Board explicitly supports and welcomes
civic involvement – not only at the headquarters, butalso in the individual regions. For example, the Executive
Board encourages affiliates to donate a portion of local
sales to social projects and to demonstrate social commitment through volunteer work and team building activities.
In keeping with the “global strategy, local implementation”
approach, the regional companies perform the planned
activities independently. The Corporate Citizenship department provides advice as needed on suitable support
projects based on the Corporate Citizenship strategy
and the corporate giving policy. Our affiliates manage
their volunteer work individually and differently basedon the number of employees. For example, affiliatesthat have already been associated with an initiative formany years organize regular annual action days, such assummer festivals, renovation days or crafts afternoons
during the Christmas season. They are most familiar withlocal conditions and so can ensure that the respective
measures effectively address the social challenges. Oncea year, the regional companies report to the department
on what progress has been achieved in the local projects.

tesa helps: Being there for
Others as a Good Neighbor
The core idea of “tesa helps” is to offer neighborly
assistance that is needed in the immediate vicinity of
our sites. Many of our employees live near our sites

ployees of tesa SE and the Hamburg tesa plant canvoluntarily participate in various projects in the region.
The projects are offered by the Corporate Citizenshipdepartment in cooperation with the association “tatkräftig – Hände für Hamburg.” With “1 day, 1 team, 1goal” as its motto, the organization connects volunteer
helpers with over 150 institutions in the Hamburg area.
As an alternative, employees can choose their own
initiatives to support in the neighborhood following
consultation. For trainees from the Hamburg tesa plant,
participation in a “tesa helps” project with “tatkräftig” has
now become an integral part of the first apprenticeshipyear. In the year under review, 58 employees supported
five projects in all, including play and craft activities orgardening, handicraft, and renovation work at socialand charitable institutions, such as children’s and youth
facilities, day care centers, and refugee centers.

Worldwide commitment and involvement The

affiliates worldwide also provided active assistance intheir areas in 2018. This includes the charitable participation of employees in games and crafts afternoonsor excursions with at times seriously ill children, butalso renovation work in schools and kindergartens. For
example, since 2010 tesa staff in Slovakia have been
supporting the “Deti Slovenska” (Children of Slovakia)
foundation, which cares for children with hemophilia.
Every year, a group of tesa employees organize anafternoon of games for the children. In 2018, the employees set up a series of games areas where the children
could prove their skills, patience, logic and memory.

In cooperation› with the “tatkräftig”

organization 58 employees
participated in “tesahelps” projects in 2018.

40

Social Commitment and Involvementtesa donates / tesa supports

tesa donates:
Uncomplicated Helpfor Social Projects
As part of “tesa donates,” we make targeted monetaryand product donations to support people and theday-to-day work of selected institutions. We provide
tesa products for various purposes and groups, fromschools and childcare centers to campaigns to provide
aid to victims of natural disasters and other emergencies,
when items like fly screens and packing tape can be
useful. The financial support primarily benefits organizations that care for disadvantaged or ill children.

Donation to the Norderstedt food bank In

2018, the annual leftover change donation went to
the Norderstedter Tafel e.V. This is based on a simple principle. On a monthly basis, employees on the
Norderstedt, Hamburg, and Langenfeld sites donate
the cent amount from their net salary (0.01 to 0.99
euros), therefore a maximum of 11.88 euros per employee per year, to nonprofit organizations in theircommunities. Donations totaling 3784.35 euros werecollected in 2018. The amount was matched by the
executive management, for a total of 7568.90 euros.

Sustainability Report 2018

Christmas gift campaign tesa organized a Christ-mas gift campaign again in the reporting year. tesa staff
placed a total of 185 gifts under the Christmas tree at thecompany headquarters for children who would not otherreceive a gift. Employees of ToysCompany, a nonprofit
partner organization, then distributed the presents tosocially disadvantaged families in time for the holiday. In
addition, we supported the Hamburg-based non-profit
Chancen für Kinder e. V. and KinderHelden gGmbH
with donations of 10,000 euros each. Some of our sites
worldwide also supported organizations caring for disadvantaged children with financial and in-kind donations.

tesa supports: Recruiting
the Next Generationof Employees
From digitization to climate change and energy issues,
STEM skills (science, technology, engineering, mathe­
matics) help to solve present-day challenges and areimportant for preserving livelihoods and for social
progress. As a technology company, tesa would like tosupport young people in these subjects and in theprocess recruit qualified up-and-coming talent. Therefore,
together with various initiatives we support educational
projects that open up future prospects for young people
in these areas. Specific projects and cooperative agreements in Germany and in numerous international affiliates
are associated with this.

Initiative Naturwissenschaft & Technik tesa SE

7568.90euros› in leftover change

were donated in 2018.

in Germany has been partnering with Initiative Natur­wissenschaft & Technik (Science & Technology
Initiative – abbreviated NAT) since 2014. In Hamburg
and the surrounding metropolitan area, NAT connects
schools with universities, colleges and technology-driven
companies. The objective is to give young people avariety of insights into various occupational fields. tesa is
a supporting member, providing donations and encouraging volunteer efforts by employees. We provide particularsupport for two NAT initiatives: “mint:pink,” a support
program to promote girls’ participation in STEM, and“90 Minutes of STEM,” a course that offers a view intoscientists’ working lives. In 2018, three STEM days were
held at tesa. In addition, tesa has supported both programs again in the form of a major annual donation.

Educational projects worldwide Support for

education also plays an important role at internationalsites. For example, the tesa plant in Suzhou, China,
has been involved in the “tesa Sunshine Education
Assistance” program for ten years. This aims to im-Sustainability Report 2018tesa supports

Social Commitment and Involvement41“tesa helps”: tesa employees from the Netherlands helped children with physical and mental
disabilities enjoy a very special day at the Rucphen indoor winter sports center Skidôme.

prove the elementary school education of the childrenof migrant workers. A total of about 700 children
have already received a scholarship (“tesa Sunshine
Scholarship”). In India, tesa supports the “Nanhi Kali”
organization, which enables disadvantaged young
girls to obtain an elementary school education.

can be combined with environmental education and foodfor thought for a more sustainable lifestyle. In spring 2019
we will conduct a pilot project to find out how this collaboration resonates with tesa employees. If we receive apositive response, we will firmly integrate projects withthe environmental center into the Corporate Citizenship’s range of offerings if we decide this is beneficial.

tesa protects: Working toProtect the Environment“The Million Tree Project” tesa staff in China

Environmental protection is part of tesa’s corporate
philosophy. We augment our activities at the production
and product level with specific projects to preserve
nature and to improve the quality of life in our regions.

Cooperation with the environmental center In
2018, we began to look into potential cooperation with
the Hamburg environmental center Gut Karlshöhe. The
center has been operated by the Hamburg Climate
Foundation since 2008 and is a place for learning about
and experiencing nature. People from the Hamburg metropolitan area can learn here in conferences, workshops,
exhibitions or markets how life can succeed in terms ofnatural resources. The grounds are located near tesa’s
company headquarters in Norderstedt and offer various
uncultivated areas that must be cared for and maintained.
This offers the opportunity for charitable activities thathave been working to protect the environment since2015 by supporting the “Million Tree Project” – atree-planting campaign in Inner Mongolia. In 2018,
six tesa employees participated in the project. They
trimmed older trees and planted new ones.

Publisher
tesa SE
Hugo-Kirchberg-Strasse 122848 Norderstedt, Germany
Contact
tesa SE
Corporate Communications & Responsibility
Tel.: +49(0) 40 88899-7480
responsibility@tesa.com
https://www.tesa.com/en/about-tesa/responsibility
https://www.tesa.com/en
Collaboration
Text
tesa SE
Stakeholder Reporting, Hamburg
Translation
EnglishBusiness AG, Hamburg
DesignGrafik Design Kloth, Hamburg