Nemetschek : CSR Report 2021, pdf

CSR Report 2021

Sustainable Building

Wooden Barrel, Belo Horizonte,

Brazil

The structure of the building follows the concept of a huge open wooden barrel over the mountains of Belo Horizonte.

Realized with SCIA Engineer.

TABLE OF CONTENTS	- Business Model	- CSR Approach	- Management Approach -	- Management Approach	- Management Approach
		- Business Activities	- CSR Structure		Employee Responsibility	- Environmental and Social	- Fair Business Practices
		-
		- Growth Drivers	- Stakeholder Management	Attracting and Retaining	Effects of Products	and Anti-Corruption
			Employees	- Design Segment	- Anti-discrimination
		- Internationalization	- Materiality Analysis	-	Education and Training
		- Build Segment	- Human Rights
			- Material Risks	-	Employee Health
			- Manage Segment	- Data Protection and
			- EU Taxonomy	-
			Diversity and Inclusion	- Energy and Emissions	Information Security
				-
				Management Approach -	Within the Company Itself
					Customers and Society
				- Customer Relationships
				- Partnerships with
					Universities and Colleges
				- Social Commitment
	EXECUTIVE BOARD	ABOUT THIS REPORT	CORPORATE SOCIAL		EMPLOYEES	ENVIRONMENT	INTEGRITY AND
	INTERVIEW	AND COMPANY PROFILE	RESPONSIBILITY		AND SOCIETY		COMPLIANCE

3

Executive Board Interview

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in
Glasgow 2021, the EU Green Deal or the stated climate
goals of numerous major enterprises - the world is	Yves Padrines		Dr. Axel Kaufmann
focusing strongly on the issue of sustainability. What is	Chief Executive Officer (CEO)		Chief Financial &
the construction industry's position on this?			Operations Officer (CFOO)
Yves Padrines: We are witnessing a significant change in
thinking among many of those involved in the construction
lifecycle. Governments are issuing increasingly specific guide-
lines for the implementation of construction projects, which
feed into the area of sustainability. Equally important, the pub-
lic sector is demanding more accountability and green options
when commissioning projects. The COVID-19 pandemic has
added momentum to the digitalization process and the
start-up sector is delivering many creative ideas for sustaina-	Viktor Várkonyi		Jon Elliott
ble buildings. Despite this, the construction industry remains	Chief Division Officer,		Chief Division Officer,
one of the most resource-intensive sections of the economy	Planning & Design Division		Build & Construct Division
worldwide. Put simply, it has a lot of catching up to do.
How exactly is the Nemetschek Group helping the
construction sector to become more sustainable?
Axel Kaufmann: With the Nemetschek Group's software
solutions, those involved throughout the building lifecycle
can plan, build, and operate buildings in a more efficient,
resource-saving and therefore more sustainable manner.
However, this requires the various trades and disciplines to
integrate more closely with each other while also focusing on
collaboration and open standards.

	EXECUTIVE BOARD	ABOUT THIS REPORT	CORPORATE SOCIAL	EMPLOYEES	ENVIRONMENT	INTEGRITY AND
	INTERVIEW	AND COMPANY PROFILE	RESPONSIBILITY	AND SOCIETY		COMPLIANCE

4

EXECUTIVE BOARD INTERVIEW

Jon Elliott: In this context, companies that view the construction lifecycle as an intelligent, continuous sequence that can harvest data from the planning stage through to operation can build smarter, more sustainable, and more adaptable buildings and structures. Having this intelligence will be vital to enabling industry to adapt to new sustainable technologies and advancements in the built world.

What does sustainability mean in concrete terms in the individual phases of the construction lifecycle?

Viktor Várkonyi: The foundations for more efficient and sustainable construction and operation are laid during the planning and design phase. The digital working method BIM, or Building Information Modeling, enables targeted, flexible and efficient cooperation between all participants. Buildings are first constructed virtually with the help of digital twins and then in reality. This makes it possible to recognize and avoid errors and defects that would impact budgets and materials before the actual construction process begins. Our software can also be used to perform definitive sustainability analyses and to

calculate the CO2 footprint of materials. The client - armed with all the information - can now choose more sustainable alternatives such as wood.

Jon Elliott: Viktor mentioned how it starts with the digital representation of the work to be done, and this is critical for sustainable construction. Given that input and a collaborative environment for experiencing it, construction teams can digitally plan how they will execute the work on site. And, operations and progress can be monitored at construction sites through the use of digital progress measurement and quality control solutions. These solutions identify the proposed location of building components and elements, which are then verified and located at the site with a high degree of accuracy. This enables an improvement in planning and execution with regards to material usage, people operations, and project pro- gress. Digital quality control systems can also be used to identify weak points in the building that need to be rectified, which in turn, extends the lifespan of a building.

Axel Kaufmann: There is also plenty of scope to improve sustainability when it comes to operating and maintaining the

completed building. Integrated workplace management systems can be used to optimize the control of heating, ventilation and light in order to conserve resources. The ability to measure utilization means that only the areas that are really necessary are also planned. As a positive add-on effect, employees benefit from a productive work environment that provides the correct temperature, ventilation, and space.

What are the most common obstacles to efforts by the construction sector to increase digitalization and sus- tainability?

Viktor Várkonyi: In many cases, these are traditions, long-established processes and familiar working methods, a certain degree of 'silo thinking' among individual professions and, not least, apathy on the part of clients. It is also up to the decision -makers, developers, owners and landlords, to demand sustainability or circularity from a somewhat conservative and highly fragmented construction industry. Every decision that they make today, even if it only involves a private single-family home, will have an impact for the next 20 years - or even longer.

	EXECUTIVE BOARD	ABOUT THIS REPORT	CORPORATE SOCIAL	EMPLOYEES	ENVIRONMENT	INTEGRITY AND
	INTERVIEW	AND COMPANY PROFILE	RESPONSIBILITY	AND SOCIETY		COMPLIANCE

5

EXECUTIVE BOARD INTERVIEW

How sustainable is the Nemetschek Group itself as a company?

Yves Padrines: As a software company, we are fortunate in that our greenhouse gas emissions are relatively limited compared with other sectors. So far, we have completed pilot projects with some of our brands to measure energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Based on this, we want to start a system of reporting carbon dioxide emissions and energy consumption for the entire Group. Since we have 80 locations worldwide, this process is taking some time to complete, and we have used the time along with internal campaigns to raise awareness of the issue. We are now seeing a clear shift in mentality in our brands towards a more sensible approach to resources. In some cases, people are already starting to look for new and more sustainable buildings for the main subsidiar- ies. Sustainability matters to our employees as much as it

does to the business. We are accountable to them in this regard as well as to our shareholders and customers.

Viktor Várkonyi: Together with our employees, we are driving the issue of sustainability forward. This is the only way to ensure that the activities are being lived up to in the long run.

You are addressing the topic of employees. What has changed here?

Axel Kaufmann: The COVID-19 pandemic showed us once again in 2021 how important it is to focus on employees and their wellbeing. This is why we have adopted a much stronger position in this area - with a new "People Letter of Commit- ment", a clear pledge to embrace diversity and inclusion, and a Group-wide further education platform. We also owe a debt

of gratitude to our employees, who yet again have done outstanding work over the past year.

Jon Elliott: As a global company, we are committed to our employees' wellbeing as well as to the wellbeing of our society. We are in a unique position to be initiators of creating the sustainable world we want to see by providing the resources necessary for the construction industry to build smarter and more sustainably. We aim to steward this responsibility and have identified three distinct topics in which we are engaged and committed to: 'People in Focus', 'Building a Better World' and 'Driving Digitalization'. Our brands are now actively involved in a wide range of projects within these three segments.

Yves Padrines: These three topics also reflect our overall

sustainability strategy: inspiring people to build a better and more sustainable world through digitalization.

	EXECUTIVE BOARD	ABOUT THIS REPORT	CORPORATE SOCIAL	EMPLOYEES	ENVIRONMENT	INTEGRITY AND
	INTERVIEW	AND COMPANY PROFILE	RESPONSIBILITY	AND SOCIETY		COMPLIANCE