7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
1/49
Forbo Flooring Systems
Sustainability Report
ce bee evome
2012
ce bee evome
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
2/49
2Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
3/49
3Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Content
Pece 4
Mee om
Mh Hueewde
Eecuve Vce Pede 5
OrganisatiOnal PrOilE
obo oo sem sub Poc 7
abou h epo 9
govece 11
Me Pce 13
Mucu 15
EnVirOnMEnt
C o ou evome 19
sube bud 28
PEOPlE
ip ou peope 31
Heh d e 34
Empoee 37
Wo wh he commu 39
ECOnOMiCOu ecoomc mpc 43
gri coe de 45
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
4/49
4Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Forbo Flooring Systems, part o the Forbo
Group, a global leader in ooring* and
movement systems, oers a ull range o
ooring products or both commercial and
residential markets. Forbo Flooring Systems
manuactures and supplies high quality
linoleum, vinyl, textile, ocked and entrance
ooring products combine unctionality,
colour and design, oering total ooring
solutions or any environment.
As a global leading oorcovering
manuacturers, we have an obligation
to provide high quality products that are
produced responsibly. Our customers,employees and the wider community
want to be sure that the decisions we
make in operating our business take into
consideration and respect the needs o our
generation without impinging on the needs
o uture generations. We continue to work
diligently to minimise our impact on the
environment and deliver positive economic
and social contributions to the communities
in which we operate.
In March 2012, the Forbo Group sold itsindustrial adhesives activities, including
synthetic polymers, which was part o the
Bonding Systems division. The remaining
Bonding Systems activity, building and
construction adhesives, will now operate as
part o the Forbo Flooring Systems division.
Preface
* Flooring is the general term or the materials rom which a oor is made as well as or a oor itsel. Floor covering is a term
used to describe any generic nishing material that is applied to a oor structure to provide a walking surace. Both terms are
used interchangeably.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
5/49
5Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
One clear link that I have ound between the
organisation and operations o Forbo Flooring
Systems since I oined in my new position is the
commitment to sustainability and how it creates
a sense o community between our employees
and our stakeholders. This likeminded vision not
only creates an opening or a discussion on past
accomplishments, but it also provides a platorm to
incorporate sustainability as a key element into our
uture goals and strategic plan.
In 2012, Forbo Flooring Systems continued to
concentrate on our commitment to sustainability
and our goal to reduce our environmental impact
by 25% as measured by Lie Cycle Assessment. This
ambitious goal is an example o our philosophy that
longterm business success is compatible with being
environmentally riendly and socially responsible.
Looking to the uture, we want to do an even better
ob o communicating, both internally and externally,
in an eort to become truly open and transparent
on all levels.
To close the year, we made three maor commitments
to our road map or sustainability. First, we will
adopt SA8000 across the organisation. SA8000 is
an auditable certication standard that encourages
organisations to develop, maintain and apply socially
acceptable practices in the workplace. Second, we
will submit our 2012 Sustainability Report to GRI
(Global Reporting Initiative) certication. And third,
we created a new unction Head o Sustainability
to support our organisation worldwide in creating
one message or all our products, actories and
business units.
Our uture ocus will be on the customer and on
innovation. The Forbo brand is all about reliability,
perormance and trust. With stakeholders increasinglydemanding sustainability, we know that we must
ocus on the next generation o ooring products.
Products that not only oer superior perormance and
lower cost o ownership, but also have the smallest
environmental ootprint while emphasising human
health and saety. We want to lead by example on
the issue o openness and transparency as this is the
only means or our customers to be able to compare
products and make healthier choices about the
products they are exposed to at home and at work.
I hope you will appreciate the ormat o this report
and the openness with which we have tried to share
data and stories within. I want to thank all those who
made this report possible and I look orward to
ullling our goals or 2013. I am always open to your
suggestions and comments. You can email me at
Kind regards,
Mh Hueewde
Executive Vice President
Forbo Flooring Systems
Message fromMatthias Huenerwadel
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
6/49
6Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Organisational
prole
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
7/49
7Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
The United Nations denition o sustainability
recognises three individual dimensions that together
make up a sustainable policy. These are:
TheEnvironmentaldimension Planet: the
way in which measures specic to improving
the environmental impact o the processes and
products o the company are regulated and
executed.
TheSocialdimension People: the way in which
social equity and corporate governance are dened
and ollowed within the company.
TheEconomicdimension Prot: the way in which
the company organises its position in the market
place to actively develop its sustainable prole by
using its economic stability and protability or
continuous improvement.
As a global leader in ooring systems, we have a
responsibility, to all our stakeholders, to create a
better environment. The way we serve and drive the
market sets the pace and standard or worldclass
ooring solutions. Sustainable development and
creating better environments is an integral part o all
o Forbo Flooring Systems activities.
Linoleum was the rst product to be made by the
companies that would go on to become Forbo. As
a natural product made rom renewable natural
raw materials that are ully biodegradable and
environmentally riendly, we have been at the
oreront o sustainable awareness or over 150 years.
This global awareness regarding sustainability has
grown over the last ew decades as it has become
more and more clear that global warming and the
depletion o natural resources mean we cannot
continue as we have in the past i we are to ull
our obligations to uture generations. As a company,
we are committed to meeting our obligations to
uture generations and in doing so acting as a
sustainable enterprise.
Our SustainabilityPolicy
Developments that meet present needs without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their needs
obo udewe he bod d -cuve deo o ube deveopme cceped b he
Ued no Commo o Evome d Deveopme, gee aemb reouo, 1987:
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
8/49
8Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
obo oo sem uppo he hee dmeo coucve d coe me houh
he oow pcpe:
Compliance Plus a commitment to go above and beyond
government regulations and requirements;
Integrating sustainability considerations into all our business
decisions;
Regular monitoring of progress on and review of sustainability
performance
Commitment to continuous improvement;
Promoting Sustainability throughout our value chain, and expecting
our suppliers and customers to comply with this;
Ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy
and are committed to implementing and improving it.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
9/49
9Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
About this report
In 2009, we published our rst Sustainability Policy,
based on the United Nations resolution. The report
covers the reconciliation o environmental, social
equity and economic demands the three pillars o
sustainability. In more popular terms: People, Planet,
Prot.
Between 2009 and 2011, we published annual
Environmental Reports. These Environmental Reports
will now be replaced by an annual Sustainability
Report. This, our 2012 Sustainability Report, is the rst
o these and is aligned with the Global Reporting
Initiatives (GRI) sustainability reporting ramework.
We have prepared this report in accordance with GRI
Level C reporting requirements, and as such, it is a
work in progress.
Based on GRIs sustainability reporting ramework,
this report aims to provide a transparent overview
o Forbo Flooring Systems environmental, social and
economic perormance as dened by the Global
Reporting Initiative.
We see the compilation o this report not only as a
reporting tool, but also as a way to be accountable
or our activities, and as a measure improve our
perormance over time. This report provides an
overview o Forbo Flooring Systems perormance
or the 2012 calendar year, in accordance with our
nancial reporting cycle.
We would like to thank everyone who participated in
the compilation o this report. It could not have been
written without their assistance and input. Finally,
we invite you to let us know your thoughts about
our 2012 Sustainability Report. You can do so by
contacting us at [email protected].
scope d me
The basis or our sustainability reporting is a
materiality analysis to identiy o those aspects that
are o signicance to Forbo Flooring Systems and its
stakeholders. This analysis includes the principles o
the Social Accountability standard SA 8000 and the
environmental improvement target, to which Forbo
Flooring Systems has committed itsel. The stories and
the content we provide are selected and included
because the work they reect is material to both
our sustainability strategy and direction, and more
specically to our operations.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
10/49
10Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
repo boud
Unless otherwise stated, environmental data
contained in this report is limited to our 12 oor
covering manuacturing sites in the United Kingdom,
the Netherlands, Russia, France and Switzerland,
because these entities are considered the most
material in terms o their environmental impact. The
environmental data in this report does not cover our
worldwide sales ofces and warehouses in Europe,
North and South America, Russia and Asia. Unless
otherwise stated, social and economic inormation
within this report covers all sites and ofces
worldwide.
Furthermore, the Forbo Flooring Systems division
building and construction adhesives activity and its
three manuacturing sites is not part o this report,
unless otherwise stated.
No limitations exist regarding the scope or boundary
o this report as is clearly summarised in this section
or in the scope and materiality component o the
report. No restatements are necessary as this is Forbo
Flooring Systems rst GRIaligned report.
sehode couoStakeholder engagement is a longterm undertaking
at Forbo Flooring Systems. We engage with
stakeholder groups that we have dealt with or many
years to ensure we maintain our social license to
operate. The selection o stakeholders with which
we engage reects the relevance o those things
that have a direct or indirect impact on our everyday
business. In particular, we regularly consult local and
national environmental government organisations,because o the material impact o our environmental
activities.
Likewise, the social and economic dimensions o our
business lead us to include oorcoveringindustry
related organisations as well as unions.
Our stakeholder engagement during 2012 involved
a range o activities:
Internalstakeholders through regular meetings
Customers through customer eedback
mechanisms and surveys
Government(stateandlocal) through
representation on committees and other regular
contact regarding environmental and saety
compliance
Environmentalnon-governmentalorganisations
through meetings, representation on committees
and other regular contact
Suppliers through regular meetings and audits
Unions through meetings and representation on
committees
Communities through representation on
committees, open days at our manuacturing plants
and involvement with charities and schools
Industryassociations through membership and
representations in committees
The insights gained rom these activities indicated
a need to increase the level and quality o our
engagement with stakeholders. In 2013, we will
employ a more coordinated and ormal stakeholder
engagement process, to more adequately identiy
and prioritise the opinions and needs o our
key stakeholders.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
11/49
11Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Governance
Forbo Flooring Systems is part o the Forbo Group
headquartered in Baar, Switzerland. The Forbo
Group, with its two divisions Flooring Systems and
Movement Systems, employs over 5,000 people and
has an international network o 24 production and
distribution companies, six abrication centres and 37
sales organisations in 34 countries worldwide.
At Forbo, the concept o corporate governance
encompasses the entire set o principles and rules
on organisation, conduct and transparency designed
to protect shareholders interests. Forbos aim is to
strike a careul balance between management and
control. The central rules are contained in the Articles
o Association, the Organisational Regulations and
the regulations o the committees o the Board o
Directors. The inormation is set out in line with
the Directive on Inormation relating to Corporate
Governance (Directive on Corporate Governance
DCG) and the relevant publications o Corporate
Governance Report SIX Swiss Exchange. The Forbo
Corporate Governance Report is available on our
corporate website www.obo.com .
obo Code o Coduc
The Forbo Code o Conduct sets out our most
important business principles and basic values or our
employees. The Code o Conduct is central to the way
we protect and develop our reputation. It is built on
the principles o integrity, transparency and airness
and describes our responsibilities and behaviour.
The Code o Conduct not only ensures but goes
beyond compliance with the laws and regulations
wherever we run our business. It demonstrates our
commitment to acting ethically and with integrityin every situation while at the same time respecting
peoples rights as individuals. We expect this o
every single employee, everywhere, every day.
We also expect this o all our business partners.
High standards in our relationships are the oundation
or lasting success.
obo Coe VuePart o our core values and based on our Forbo Group
culture we have initiated our Forbo Way to Win values
programme. We have dened three core values that
encompass three guiding principles:
InspiringDevelopingideasandseizingopportunities
Knowingwhatmattersandfocusingonit
Raisingenthusiasmandconvincingothers
DaringTakingboldanddecisiveaction
Givingourallwithpowerandpassion
Achievinggoalswithdeterminationandstamina
CaringChallengingandencouragingoneselfandothers
Takingresponsibilityandmakingadierence
Leadingbyexampletosharedsuccess
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
12/49
12Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
obo oo semcomp ucueForbo Flooring Systems has 12 production acilities
in ve countries and distribution companies in over
20 countries. The business has sales ofces in Europe,
North, Central and South America as well as Asia/
Pacic. The headquarters o the Forbo Flooring
division is in Assendelt, the Netherlands. The Forbo
Flooring division includes an activity called Building
and Construction Adhesives.
OUR BOARDFORBO FLOORING SYSTEMS ORGANISATION
Sales & Marketing Supply ChainInnovation & Product
ManagementFinance
Building & ConstructionAdhesives
Matthias
Huenerwadel
Flooring Systems
The Management Team Flooring is led by Matthias Huenerwadel, Executive Vice President Flooring Systems.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
13/49
13Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Market Place
Oo ucue
Our ooring products are divided into product
categories that include linoleum, proect vinyl,
cushion vinyl, entrance ooring, ocked ooring,
carpet tiles and needleelt. Each sales entity
denes the product mix or the country or region it
represents. The ocus is to sell all products worldwide,
with local adaptations.
Forbo Flooring Systems distributes its products
worldwide and so has a strong international ocus.
Although Europe remains the largest market or Forbo
Flooring Systems. Our strategy to accelerate our
expansion in growth markets has resulted in strong
growth in Brazil and Russia.
Pubc veu Pve
Since Flooring Systems main customer segments are
Health Care and Education i.e., schools, hospitals,
retirement homes and public buildings the division
is highly dependent on public sector spending or its
ooring business. Eorts to adust the strategy to the
changed circumstances by reinorcing distribution
channels and entering new customer segments in the
private sector, such as shop ttings, ofces, hotels and
restaurants are beginning to show results. In addition
we also sell linoleum, cushion vinyl and entrance
ooring to home owners or residential areas.
The expansion o activities in growth markets will
remain important in 2013. The division expects
additional sales growth as a result o greater
penetration o the North American market and its
direct market engagement in Canada ollowing the
acquisition o the business operations o Phoenix Floor& Wall Products Inc., our previous distribution partner.
Poduc ceoe
Forbo Flooring Systems has dened six product
categories: linoleum, vinyl, ocked ooring, carpet
tiles, needleelt and entrance ooring.
LinoleumThe Flooring Systems linoleum brand Marmoleum
stands or versatility, sustainability and durability. It
combines ecological and economic values that help
bring modern and contemporary architecture to
lie. All Marmoleum oors now include Topshield2,
a waterborne UVcured urethaneacrylate hybrid
dispersion nish that results in the lowest liecycle
costs. Marmoleum is a natural oor created rom all
natural ingredients. It is the most sustainable oor in
the resilient ooring category.
Our brands: marmoleum marmoleum
touch bulletin board
furnture linoleum marmoleumsport marmoleumdual
marmoleumdecibel marmoleumohmex corklinoleum
VinylOur vinyl product category contains all variants or
the commercial market. These range rom sheet,
tile and plank to looselay options. As well as these
variants, we oer unctional products, saety ooring
and acoustic ooring right through to specialised
ESD ooring, which is specically designed to control
static discharge in sensitive areas such as clean rooms,
operating theatres and the electronics industry. For
the consumer market, we oer a broad range o
cushion vinyl.
Our brands:eternal allura colorex flex design
novilux novilon sarlon step
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
14/49
14Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Flocked FlooringFlotex combines the practicality o a resilient ooring
with the slip resistant and acoustic properties usually
associated with textiles. Being completely water
proo, Flotex is also the only truly washable textile
oor covering. Flotex is available in a large variety o
designs. Alongside our traditionally printed designs,
we can digitally print any desired design, so oering
our customers truly tailormade ooring.
Our brands: flotex flotextiles flotexsottsass
Carpet tilesModular oors like carpet tiles can be quickly adapted
to new needs, so reducing the cost o change and al
lowing great design exibility. Tessera and Westbond
are two brands o carpet tiles, one tuted and the
other usion bonded. The Tessera ranges oer a vari
ety o pile heights and directional or nondirectional
designs. The Westbond collection oers reedom in
design and colour in nylon and wool.
Our brands: tessera westbond
NeedlefeltThe robust, hardwearing properties o needleelt
make it ideal or ooring installations in hightrafc
areas and areas where chairs with castors are likely to
be used, such as in ofces, retail shops and hotels. The
textile look and choice o colours blend harmoniously
into any interior design scheme.
Our brands: forte markant akzent tenor
Entrance ooringEntrance ooring systems are undamental to modern
building design minimising cleaning costs, main
taining the buildings appearance throughout the
day and protecting its ooring and environment rom
pollutants and dirt. With both textile (Coral) and rigid
(Nuway) entrance systems in our portolio, we oer
entrance solutions or every situation.
Our brands: coral nuway
Governance
Marmoleum Marbled collection
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
15/49
15Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
All 12 Forbo Flooring Systems manuacturing acilities
are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001certied
LinoleumDriven to a signicant degree by Forbo Flooring
Systems and the creation o our Marmoleum brand,
the crat o manuacturing linoleum has evolved
over the past 150 years. The production o linoleum
starts by growing ax, which produces linseed.
When pressed, the linseed produces linseed oil, the
basic ingredient o linoleum. The linseed oil is then
mixed with gum rosin rom pine trees, heated and
converted using oxygen into a binder called linoleum
cement. The cement is mixed with wood our,
limestone and pigments to create granules that are
pressed onto a (ute) backing using a calander.
From the calander, the continuous linoleum sheet is
transported to massive drying rooms where it is cured
at high temperature to create a hard and exible
product. This is nished by applying
a protective Topshield2 nish beore it is cut into
rolls or tiles.
VinylFlexible vinyl oor is made o PVC mixed with
plasticiser and mineral ller. The vinyl collections rom
Forbo Flooring Systems are produced using dierent
techniques: coating, pressing and calandering. These
dierent techniques enable us to produce products
with dierent but still very unctional properties.
Colours and designs are either made by colouring the
PVC paste (in the case o pressing and calandering) or
printing the layer underneath a transparent wear layer
in the coating process. Pressing is used to produced
homogeneous ESD tiles and the calandering andcoating processes are used to make the dierent
layers or our wide range o heterogeneous vinyl.
Heterogeneous vinyl is a multilayer vinyl product
with a nonwoven glass eece carrier. Employing
one or more oamed layers, as in cushioned vinyl,
can add unctional properties such as acoustic and
underoot comort. The actory nishes applied make
the products easy to clean, so helping to ensure
they stay in prime condition, even under heavytrafc conditions. Depending on the product and
application, vinyl is produced in sheet and/or tile.
Manufacturing
Eternal project vinyl
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
16/49
16Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
FlotexFlotex is a heavyduty, electrostatically ocked
contract carpet that has been developed or the
general contract and residential markets. It is
produced in sheet and tile. Flocking is the application
o ne bers to PVCcoated suraces. This is done by
applying a highvoltage electric eld. In a ocking
machine the ock is given a negative charge whilst
the PVCcoated substrate is earthed. Flock material
ies vertically onto the substrate where it bonds to
previously applied PVCcoating. The ocked surace is
printed using roller printers or digital print equipment.
Carpet tilesTessera carpet tiles are produced by tuting nylon
bres on a nonwoven support. In addition, the
length o the loop can be varied and the loop itsel
cut. The tuted substrate is than coated with a
polymerised bitumen mix backing and cut with a
special cutting machine.
Our other carpet tile, Westbond, is produced using
with a special usionbond process in which the
individual yarn pile is implanted onto a backing
material. This gives Westbond the highest possible
density and is the perect way to produce tiles, as
there is no tension or curving. The usionbond sheet
is laminated on a PVC backing.
Needle feltNeedle elt carpet is produced by intermingling and
elting individual polyester bers using barbed and
orked needles orming an extremely durable carpet.
Needle elt carpet is produced in several stages
starting with the needle punching o the under
layer. The top layer is needle punched with the same
technology. These two layers are needle punched
together. Depending on the product the next stage is
printing a design on the surace with environmentally
riendly waterbased inks. The last stage in the
production process is nishing the product with a
latex backing using a two cylinder calander to ensure
good penetration o the latex.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
17/49
17Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 201217
awd
Since beginning to publish annual Environmental
reports, in 2010, we have been recognised in
several countries or our commitment to the
environment, to employees, to the community
and to our customers. In 2011, our Dutch site that
produces vinyl oor covering won the energy
saving award rom the Dutch Plastic and Rubber
Association. In 2012, all our manuacturing sites in
Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom
and France were awarded national certicates that
recognise that all (100%) o their electricity needs
are met rom renewable sources.
Manufacturing
MarMOlEUM CliCk
MarMOlEUM, lOtEx
MarMOlEUM, Vinyl, CarPEt tilEs, COral,
nUWay, lOtEx
MarMOlEUM
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
18/49
18Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Environment
1
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
19/49
19Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Caring forour environment
We believe investments in people, processes and
products that urther improve our environmental
perormance are an investment or our uture, not a
cost o doing business.
We are committed to creating a sustainable uture
by constantly seeking ways to minimise the
environmental impacts o our products over their
whole lie cycle, rom raw material extraction to
end o lie. And while we evaluate all LCA impact
categories, we place a particular ocus on reducing
CO2
emissions and the related irreversible climate
change caused by global warming.
We shall succeed by:
Maximisingtheecientuseofrawmaterialsby
reducing, reusing and recycling;
Reducingtheuseofenergyinallproductionand
business processes, and with all eorts to switch
over to renewable energy;
Applyinggreendesignprinciplestoallournew
product and innovation development programmes;
Promotingenvironmentalresponsibilitytowardsall
our stakeholders;
OnlysupportingLCA-basedenvironmental
labelling and certications developed in an open
and transparent consensus process and validated
through a thirdparty process.
Ou m o
to couou mme he evome
mpc o obo oo sem b 25% beoe
theendof2015(versus2009),asmeasuredbythe
wehed ceoe ou depede veed
le Cce aeme meueme em.
The LCA is calculated or one square metre (1m2) o
installed oor covering rom cradle to installation.
This means that we consider every environmental
impact in the supply chain: >>
Environment
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
20/49
20Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Theextractionandproductionoftherawmaterials
Transportationoftherawmaterials
Theproductionoftheoorcovering
Thetransportationoftheoorcoveringtothe
installation site
Theinstallationoftheoorcovering
The environmental impacts o our division are
calculated using the LCA model o mass weighted mix
or all products produced. This involves calculating all
environmental impacts rom cradle to installation. We
also include the energy consumption o all our ofces
and Forboowned warehouses worldwide.
We urther take into account the ollowing
environmental impact categories:
acdco Poe
The acidication o soils and waters predominantly
occurs through the transormation o air pollutants
into acids. This leads to a decrease in the pHvalue
o rainwater and og which damages ecosystems,
whereby orest dieback and sh dying in lakes are
the most wellknown impacts.
EutrophicationPotential
Eutrophication includes all impacts due to a too high
level o macronutrients in the environment. Nitrogen
(N) and phosphorus (P) are the most important
eutrophicating elements. This enrichment may cause
an undesirable shit in the composition o a species
and an increased production o biomass within
aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, high
nutrient concentrations can also make surace waters
unacceptable or drinking water supply.
OzoneLayerDepletionPotential
The problem o the breakdown o stratosphericozone is a result o human emissions. Because o
the thinning o the ozone layer, a larger raction o
the suns UVB radiation reaches the earths surace.
This can have harmul eects on human health,
animal heath, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,
biochemical cycles, as well as on materials.
PhotoOxidantCreationPotential
Photooxidant ormation, also called summer smog,
is the ormation o reactive substances mainly
ozone, which are inurious to human health and
ecosystems, and which may damage crops. Despite
playing a protective role in the stratosphere, at
groundlevel ozone is classied as a damaging
trace gas. High concentrations o ozone are toxic to
humans.
AbioticDepletionPotential
Abiotic resources are those that come rom non
living, nonorganic material. Abiotic depletion
includes depletion o nonrenewable resources, i.e.
ossil uels, metals and minerals.
GlobalWarmingPotential
Emissions resulting in a rise in the earths
temperature. This is popularly reerred to as the
Greenhouse eect . The global warming potential
is calculated in CO2
equivalents. This means that the
greenhouse potential emission is given in relation
to CO2
.
We strongly believe that creating better environments
means reducing all environmental impacts not only
Global Warming. We thereore weight all six impact cat
egories equally and express them in one index gure.
>
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
21/49
21Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
suppe pcpo
When we began inorming our suppliers o our goal
to reduce environmental impact by 25% compared to
2009, we ound that most o them either already had
similar proects in place or indicated that they cared
about the environment.
In our previous annual Environmental Reports,
we took into account results relating to the actual
development and production o our oor coverings.
For our 2012 Sustainability Report, we have begun to
start integrating the results o our main raw materials
suppliers. The rst two raw materials to be evaluated
were wood our and PVC. To do so, we took into ac
count any changes in raw material use, yields, waste
recycling or reuse, energy and water consumption.
The results or both raw materials are very positive as
in both cases the environmental ootprint improved
compared to 2009. This was achieved by the wood
our suppliers to our Assendelt operations changing
over to green electricity based on biomass or wind
energy. Furthermore, the PVC supplied to all our
sites was produced using less energy. The weighted
energy consumption or the PVC was reduced by 5%
compared to 2009.
LCA INDEX
Environmental ootprint
110%
100%
90%
80%
70% 2009 2010 2011 2012
Caring forour environment
Our environmental ootprint index shows an
improvement in 2012. The biggest average
contribution to our goal came rom including the
improvements made by our wood our and PVC
suppliers. However, many o our manuacturing sites
also made a positive contribution: reducing energy
use, increasing the recycled content o the products
produced and reducing the use o raw materials.
All these improvements are also reected in the
reduction o our carbon ootprint, as shown in the
Global Warming Potential graph.
oo-cove
oBy material weight, the adhesive used to install
a oor covering makes a big contribution to the
environmental ootprint o 1m2 o ooring. During
2012, we started to introduce a new adhesive
or Marmoleum. This eatures an improved
environmental ootprint because o a much lower
application weight and releases no emissions into
the indoor air. We will evaluate the new adhesives
contribution to our LCA index in our 2013 report.
GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL
Carbon Footprint
110%
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%2009 2010 2011 2012
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
22/49
22Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Caring forour environment
PRIMARY ENERGY INDEX (all energy)
Direct Energy: Oil Mj/m2 Direct Energy: Gas Mj/m2
Indirect Energy: Electricity Mj/m2
50
40
30
20
10
02009 2010 2011 2012
reduce, reewbe,reue, recce
These 4 Rs are at the heart o our eorts to reduce
our impact on the environment and are important
indicators in our quest to become a more sustainable
company. With a publicly stated obective o reducing
our LCA by 25% by 2015 versus 2009, it is important to
view how we are progressing in each aspect as each
will have an impact on our overall perormance target.
ReduceWe consider this the most important R reducing our
consumption o materials, energy and waste has the
biggest impact both environmentally and nancially.
Reducing consumption and waste will have a
signicant impact in reducing the environmental
ootprint.
EnErgy
We are seeing an upswing in our energy consump
tion. This is caused by lower product volumes,
which leads to less efciency in our production,
plus a change in our sales towards more commercial
products. Commercial product on average has
a higher square meter weight requiring more energy
to produce.
WastE
The total amount o material that was sent to landll
sites increased slightly compared to 2011.
PRODUCT WASTE BREAKDOWN
14%
7%
23%Waste to
energy
Recycle
Reuse
Landll
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
23/49
23Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Renewable
EnErgy
We have an ongoing policy o sourcing our electricity
supplies rom renewable sources. In 2012, renewable
supplied 97% o all the electricity consumed in our
manuacturing acilities. This in turn is helping to
reduce our carbon ootprint by eliminating CO2
emissions to the environment. We continue to believe
that limiting the environmental impact at source is ar
better than osetting
Reuse and recycling
Firstly, we must explain what we mean by reuse
and recycling. Forbo denes reuse as being waste
generated that ater reprocessing can be ed back as a
raw material into the same manuacturing processes.
Our denition o recycling is material diverted rom the
waste stream during a manuacturing process that is
sent to a third party (other Forbo Flooring Systems sites
or external recyclers) or them to use as a raw material.
In 2012 we reused and recycled more than 79% o our
product waste.
ELECTRICITY MIX
% Renewable energy % NON renewable energy
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Caring forour environment
% REUSED & RECYCLED PRODUCT WASTE
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%2009 2010 2011 2012
PRIMARY ENERGY MIX 2012
1,15%
1,62%
44
,6%
52,6%
Gas
Electricity
Renewable
ElectricityNONrenewable
Oil
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
24/49
24Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
In 2011 and 2012, the weighted average amount
o recycled and reused content in our products
came to over 24%. This is positive in every respect.
Marmoleum has long contained the most reused and
recycled material o all resilient oor coverings. Today,
our ocus is on nding urther innovative solutions
aimed at reusing and recycling waste in our other
products. As a result, we now have a wide portolio o
products with recycled content and this portolio will
continue to grow in the years ahead.
Cpe: Tessera is available in 100% postconsumer
recycled yarn and Westbond tiles have a recycled PVC
backing.
Caring forour environment
MARMOLEUM - % RECYCLED & REUSED
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%2009 2010 2011 2012
CARPET - % RECYCLED & REUSED
15%
12%
9%
6%
3%
0%2009 2010 2011 2012
VINYL - % RECYCLED & REUSED
9%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%2009 2010 2011 2012
ENTRANCE SYSTEMS - % RECYCLED & REUSED
5%
4%
3%
2%
1%
0%2009 2010 2011 2012
oe e: The most sustainable carpet tile, it
eatures a recycled and reused content o up to 58%.
Ece sem: Coral Welcome is available in
100% postconsumer recycled yarn.
V: Vinyl is available with up to 45% recycled
content in the backing.
Mmoeum: Marmoleum is almost a closedloop
product and contains up to 43% recycled and reused
content.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
25/49
25Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Po-o weecc
In the last years, manuacturers have begun to pay
great attention to postindustrial waste and have
invested heavily to reduce, reuse and recycle waste
generated in the manuacturing process. Installation
waste, however, has continued to be neglected both
as waste and as a potential resource. As we invest in
internal recycling solutions coupled with the increasing
cost o raw materials, we are now turning our attention
to installation waste (which can account or up to 6%
o an installation). From a recycling perspective, it is
as good to process as postindustrial waste because
we know what it contains and as long as it is ree o
contaminants. The difculty has always lain in creating
a sustainable logistics inrastructure to make the collec
tion o postinstallation waste economically viable.
In 2010 and 2011, we participated in installationwaste
takeback programmes when we supported schemes
or Vinyl, in Sweden, and Linoleum in the USA and the
Netherlands. In September 2012, we began developing
a Back to the Floor scheme in the UK that involves
reprocessing installation ocuts o Flotex, smooth
sheet vinyl, cushion vinyl and Marmoleum back into
new Forbo Flooring products. This year, we will start a
similar programme in France, or Vinyl.
During 2012, we reused a 81 tons o installation waste
in our manuacturing processes:
27tonsofMarmoleumintheNetherlands
51tonsofvinylinSweden
3tonsofFlotexintheUK
In addition, we recycled and composted a urther 65
tons o Marmoleum in the USA. Our target is to growthis takeback programme substantially, to at least
double the total in 2013.
Caring forour environment
Po-coume weecc
Forbo Flooring Systems is participating in various
recycling initiatives all over Europe. These include
CRUK in the United Kingdom, GBR in Sweden and
SFEC in France. Forbo Flooring Systems is also a
ounding member o EPFLOOR.
EPFLOOR membership comprises all the maor
Western European vinyl ooring manuacturers,
representing over 90% o the vinyl produced in
Europe. Since 2001, EPFLOOR members have
provided increasing unds or supporting the
recycling o postconsumer waste. Whilst the rst
years were mainly concentrated on R&D, since 2004,
increase o collection has been a priority, resulting in
over 2000 tons o recycled waste in 2012.
hp://www.epoo.eu/
CLOSING THE LOOP
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
26/49
26Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Caring forour environment
Composting Marmoleum
Forbo Flooring Systems North America continued to
develop its composting programme or Marmoleum
during 2012. The programme started in US
warehouses in 2008 when a proect team designed
and built containers out o reused lumber and
cardboard rom pallets and shipping braces. These
containers o reused lumber and cardboard, along
with the Marmoleum scrap they hold, are grounded
up with public yard waste to make compost. The
compost is suitable or use in armers elds, vegetable
gardens, and home owerbeds.
Building on this, we have started to collect and
composte installation waste as well. The waste is
collected by Forbo Flooring Systems North America
delivery trucks as part o their routine schedules. This
involves dropping o a scrap container when we
make a delivery to a Forbo Flooring Systems dealer,
and collecting it during a uture delivery, when the
container is ull or near ull. This way, we dont require
extra truck movements, which means we are not
adding to the transportation burden.
Composting Marmoleum is closing the loop: natural
renewable raw materials like ax, ute, rosin and wood
are recycled back to nature eld to eld. In 2012,
Forbo Flooring Systems North America composted
another 132 tons; 65 ton o installation waste and 67
ton o warehouse scrap.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
27/49
27Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Evome PoducDeco EPD
Forbo Flooring Systems began publishing
Environmental Product Declarations or our individual
oor covering products in 2012. Today, two o our
products have an EPD certicate and we are committed
to carrying on until all our products are certied in 2013.
An EPD presents quantied environmental data or
a product, based on inormation rom a lie cycle
assessment (LCA). An EPD is a thirdpartyveried
report that summarises and explains the data
generated rom an LCA.
Our EPDs are based on the Product Categories Rules
set out in EN 15804 and the NSF standard. Product
Category Rules dene how to conduct a lie cycle
assessment or a product group and what data to
include in the resulting report.
In principle, the benchmark when using EPDs to
compare products is the contribution they make
to the environmental perormance o a building.
Consequently, the comparisons o the environmental
perormance o competitive oor covering products
using EPD inormation is based on a products use in a
building and the impact it has on the building.
www.u.com/ob/e/pe/ofe/
buee/evome/dbeech/me/
Caring forour environment
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
28/49
28Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Mo Cuce, chec
SUSTAINABILITY IS A WONDERFUL CHANCE FOR A CHANGE
It is an ethical position to approach buildings in relation to the environment. Buildings count or 50% o all human
energy consumption, so we have to be much more energyefcient. To me, beauty is not only in the shape but also
in the environmental perormance o a building. I would call it a new rontier. About 40 years ago, we started thinking
about how technology can add to the beauty o a building. Now we ace a new stage in the denition o beauty: how
a building is embedded in the environment and related to the climate.
This approach brings back content into architecture. Dont misunderstand me: aesthetics is very important.
A building is something you have to look at every day. But I think we went too ar in our ocus on orm and aesthetics.
Architecture is nowadays oten produced with the idea o selling the building or looking good in architecture
magazines. It has become virtual; it is not related to reality but mainly to communication. It is much too easy to
generate images, but they have no relation with the environment. Architecture is not only an industrial product,
it is also a social product. A building has to be useul. Useulness means providing comort. Comort is not merely a
consequence o the design o a building, something that comes in later, but an essential concern during the whole
design process. An interesting shape doesnt necessarily provide comort. Good space and a good quality o air have
to receive attention rom the very beginning o the process. By useulness, I also mean that we have to deal with
Sustainable buildings
obo oo sem membe o gee
Bud Couc d sube Bud
oo oud he wod d m
ce, we e oud membe.
Buildings are the largest contributor to greenhouse
gas emissions. Buildings use enormous amounts o
energy and water, and are huge contributors to waste.
Green Building is the practice o creating structures
and using processes that are environmentally respon
sible and resourceefcient throughout a buildings lie
cycle, rom location to design, construction, operation,
maintenance, renovation, demolition and end o lie.
We actively support organisations involved in the
built environment in their eorts to design sustain
able buildings with lower environmental ootprints.
Moreover, we oer products that contribute to the
overall reduction o the built environmental ootprint
helping to create sustainable buildings.
In 2008 we published an interview with Mario
Cucinella, a amous architect rom Bologna in our
Archidea magazine. With Mario we talked about
sustainable buildings.
>>
Mario Cucinella
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
29/49
29Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Sustainable buildings
the impact o a building beyond its perimeter, in the way it relates to its environment: its emissions and use o energy.
That implies taking a much wider view o what a building is.
The sustainable approach may be considered a revolution in architecture much more interesting than the modernist
movement. Modernism resulted in the International Style, and as a result you see the same buildings everywhere.
But the sustainable approach orces you to respect local conditions. A building has to engage in dialogue with its
local climate. It is very dierent challenge to design a building in the North or the South o Italy, in Paris or in Kuala
Lumpur. I dont say we have to go back to vernacular architecture with Swedish architects designing in wood and
Swiss architects in stone, or example. I ust mean that climatic conditions have to be taken into account rom the start
o the design process. We have to move away rom an international style to an environmental style. Climate conditions
present a great opportunity to make buildings in a dierent way, to allow more sunlight in or less, to make a massive or
a light building. The sustainable movement is a wonderul chance or change.
This doesnt mean that buildings will look more like machines. Technology is only one aspect o sustainable
architecture. In the 80s we believed in technology. We thought that we could make any building with technology and
we would be able to live in a machine. That dream is over; in recent years we have come to realise that its impossible
to create a building that unctions like a machine, ull o glass and air conditioning. You cannot articially create good
conditions. It results in sick building syndrome, people living in uncomortable spaces, the consumption o a lot o
energy; it is like keeping a very sick person alive articially take away the machine and he will die.
We have learned that gradually. But now we have an interesting opportunity to take account o ventilation, heating
and cooling rom the start o the design, by modiying the shape, the mass and the orientation o the building. You
can have technology at the end o the process, o course. In the end it is all about priorities; here, in our ofce, we put
environment at the top o the list, not a abulous shape or a glamorous building.
>>
Centre for Sustainable Energy Technology, Ningbo, China
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
30/49
30Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
People
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
31/49
31Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Inspiring our people
Forbo Flooring Systems has long been committed to
ethical trading, based on the belie that business can
be both protable and responsible. We believe that
building meaningul longterm relationships with
employees, customers, suppliers and communities
is good business practice or us and is what our
customers expect o us. This is, and always has been,
the ounding principle o our commitment to Social
Equity.
Forbo Flooring Systems is rmly committed to
the adoption and integration o the ollowing
International Labour Organisation conventions
throughout our global supply chain and into our core
business activities.
Employmentisfreelychosen
Freedomofassociationandtherighttocollective
bargaining
Workingconditionsaresafeandhygienic
Childlabourshallnotbeused
Remunerationshallmeetatleasttheminimum
legal or industry standard
Workinghoursarenotexcessive
Nodiscriminationispracticed
Regularemploymentisprovided
Noharshorinhumanetreatmentisallowed
Ou commme o oucommu
Forbo Flooring Systems recognises its corporate
responsibility to ve main groups in its community.
We are committed:
to empoee:To respect the rights o all employees,
whether directly employed or subcontracted.
to cuome: To win and retain customers who
adhere to business principles consistent with our own
by developing and providing services that oer value
in terms o price, quality, saety and environmental
impact. To be responsive to customer comments and
complaints.
to hehode: To build shareholder value by
consistently increasing earnings. To conduct our
operations in accordance with accepted principles
o good corporate governance. To provide timely
and accurate inormation to all shareholders on our
activities and perormance.
to uppe d bue pe: To seek
mutually benecial relationships with suppliers and
oint venture partners. To require that, as ar as is
practicable, all o these adhere to business principles
consistent with our own.
to he wde commu:To conduct business as
responsible corporate citizens, to give proper regard
to the health, saety and the environment o local
communities, and to be sensitive to and supportive o
local cultural, social, educational and economic needs.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
32/49
32Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Our people are an important core value o Forbo
Flooring Systems. They are the ones who make and
sell our oors, see the potential, have the ideas, talk
things through with colleagues and clients, do things
as well as they know how and then nd ways o
doing them better.
We nurture their potential by encouraging sel
reliance and initiative, both as individuals and in
teams, through training and a management approach
that doesnt ust connect people through hierarchy,
but interconnects them through dialogue.
We invest in our people and try to oer them a
stimulating working environment. We want our people
to be the most knowledgeable, skilled and trusted
partners in the industry and with them we ocus on
education as well as a sae and pleasant working
environment.
We recognise that by looking ater our employees,
our business operates more successully across the
world. Our workorce includes those rom our head
ofce in Assendelt, the Netherlands, everyone in
operations and warehousing, and all our sales and
marketing ofces worldwide. At the end o 2012, our
total workorce amounted to 3.034 people.
Strategic workforceplanning
Although 2012 was a challenging year economically,
Forbo Flooring Systems was able to maintain overall
employee numbers at the same level as 2011.
Turning to our sales organisations, the growth here
was ully aligned to our Flooring Systems strategy
o concentrating on emerging and growth markets
and exploring private sector opportunities. Our sales
organisation in Brazil was one o our astest growing
organisations in 2012.
Despite the lower demand or linoleum, Forbo
Flooring Systems made a strategic choice to
invest heavily in our innovation and development
capabilities. As a result, our Innovation department
will gather, explore and unnel ideas that will make
new and better product proposals. The Development
department will take these initiatives and work with
the production sites to make these innovations ready
or production.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
33/49
33Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Social Accountability8000 Forbo Flooring
Reims certifed
The International Labour Organisation conventions
orm a main part o our sustainability policy. We have
thereore embraced the SA8000 standard as a means
to integrate the International Labour Organisation
(ILO) conventions throughout our global supply chain
and into our core business activities.
During 2012, we ran a pilot proect at Forbo Flooring
Systems Sarlino, in Reims, France. The SA8000
management standard challenged us to classiy and
organise existing Human Resource Management
documentation dierently. The certication process
involved proving we conormed to the standard
in our daily practises and communication, but our
biggest challenge was to view all stakeholders as part
o our social responsibility, especially our suppliers.
sUPPliEr rEqUirEMEnts
We are now using this standard not only to
benchmark our own activities, but, especially, to
ensure that our worldwide suppliers are committed
to social equity or their employees, too. We ask all
our suppliers to conrm that they support the ILO
conventions and to strive or compliance i this is
not the case. The next step in the SA8000 proect will
be to certiy our other French site, which produces
Flotex, at Chateau Renault.
Employee developmentand reward
In developing our people we are in eect developing
our organisation, and vice versa, and it is with this inmind that the core o our perormance management
system is an active and rigorously applied employee
development programme. Every individual
deserves to be recognised or their contribution
and our perormance appraisal system is the ormal
process by which this recognition is established.
The perormance appraisal orms the starting point
or urther development actions, such as training,
coaching or ob enlargement. The perormance
appraisal is also used or our internal succession
planning process. In 2012, the perormance appraisal
completion rate was 86%, versus a target o 95%.
Forbo Flooring Systems is strongly ocused on oering
exibility in relation to employees being able to
balance work and amily responsibilities. Flexibility
around start and nish times, parttime work and
return to work ater parental leave are all part o the
way we ensure that worklie balance is integral to
working lie at Forbo Flooring Systems.
Our reward system is based on our belie that
people should be airly rewarded or their individual
contribution. Our sta employee remuneration is
graded against the Hay Group ob evaluation process,
and is inuenced by the nancial perormance o the
company and remuneration specialist surveys and
reviews. An annual salary review process is in place in
which salary survey and economic data is taken into
consideration.
lOCal Hiring
Forbo Flooring Systems has no personnel policy or
employment practices that provide or preerential
treatment o persons rom local vicinities in
connection with the hiring o members o
management or the respective country organisations.
Inspiring our people
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
34/49
34Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Health and safety
The saety o our employees is our top priority
across Forbo Flooring Systems. Many employees
at our manuacturing and distribution sites work
with complex machinery in busy environments, so
stringent adherence to our occupational health and
saety strategy is essential. Our Assendelt site in the
Netherlands and our Reims site in France are already
OHSAS 18001 certied and we are now introducing
this saety management system at our other main
manuacturing sites as we are convinced this will
contribute to a saer working environment.
Our safety performance
The key indicators o our saety perormance are:
LostTimeAccidents
LostDaysInjury
TotalAccidentFrequencyRate
SafetyConcernsFrequencyRate
These key perormance indicators are measured
and reported monthly at all sites. In 2011 and 2012,
all sites developed and executed sae awareness
programmes to reduce the number o accidents. In
2012, we saw a drop in lost time accidents but a rise
in lost days. We expect the gures or 2013 to benet
rom the training programmes we ran in 2012.
We started to report our Total Accident Frequency
Rate and Saety Concern Frequency rate in 2012,
with results or the year coming in at 83 and 404
respectively. Total accidents are dened as all
accidents, including those with no inuries. A saety
concern is dened as all reported unsae situations
and near misses. These two indicators are reportedto management every month to improve our overall
saety perormance.
LOST TIME ACCIDENTS
38
36
34
32
30
282009 2010 2011 2012
LOST DAY INjURY
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
02009 2010 2011 2012
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
35/49
35Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Health and safety
Our safety initiatives
Site policy and procedures across all o our operations
cover the ollowing areas to ensure employee saety:
Provisionofpersonalprotectiveequipment
Jointmanagement/employeehealthandsafety
committees
Participationofworkerrepresentativesinhealth
and saety inspections, audits and accident
investigations
Trainingandeducation
Safetyconcernsreportingmechanisms
Periodicsiteinspections
While we are investing signicant resources to
improve our work systems and upgrade equipment,
we also recognise that variability in saety peror
mance can oten be attributed to behavioural actors.
Sustainable behavioural change is thereore key to
our longterm OHS strategy and the ocus o many o
our training programmes.
Health
Although it is very important to have a good
absenteeism protocol, prevention is increasingly
important, especially with an ageing workorce in our
production acilities.
We thereore have a number o initiatives to promote
the health and wellbeing o our employees. For
example:
IntheNetherlands,wehaveseveralprogrammes,
such as increasing preventive medical checkups
and a healthy liestyle programme Forbo in
Balance that promotes the consumption o healthy
ood in the companys restaurants and tness
activities.
OurRipleysite,intheUnitedKingdom,hasaClinch
an Inch programme under which employees weight
and BMI are measured and inormation is provided
on healthy ood. I wanted, employees can also get
advice on target weight, diet and exercise..
Inspiringour people:
Knowing what mattersand ocusing on it
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
36/49
36Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Health and safety
Heh & se e-e
Be geew, Deco Opeo rpe, Uk
At Ripley, the Health and Saety Committee identied that the majority o accidents, and the
more serious accidents, occurred during non-standard working and when several unusual events
occurred together. Each accident was highly individual. Thereore, we decided that the only
way to combat this was to ensure that people did regular training to maintain awareness. We
thereore chose to implement a web-based training system.
The provider and system we chose allows or each individual on site to have an online account
showing training that is due, overdue and a complete history o training taken previously.
Topics are o an interactive basis, which keeps the individual interested, or hopeully interested
all the way through the hour-long course. At the end o this a series o questions are asked on
the subject that has just been taught and currently Ripley has the pass/ail mark set at 80%,
although we have ull access to change this should we in uture wish to.
Two other oerings that our system allows are, rst, asking a series o H&S questions at the
end o the training course, giving the management team eedback on how the H&S message is
getting across to the workorce, and, secondly, we can take Classroom training sessions using
hand-held devices or participants to use when answering questions. This option gives managers
a chance to get their teams together and attempt to put across a subject that is oten thought o
as boring in a rather more light-hearted way, hopeully helping the topics to sink in a little better.
We as a management team believe that this training is keeping H&S at the oreront o peoples
thoughts and has been a positive step orward in seeing our accident data show both a
downward trend and an increased level o activity in reporting possible near misses and saety
concerns, all preventative and good practice.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
37/49
37Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Employee training
The starting point or training is the annual
perormance appraisal, in which individual training
requirements are matched with the training
requirements indicated in the organisations strategy
as well as the legal training requirements that are in
place.
Forbo Flooring Systems conducts a wide range o
training, rom management development to actory
oor skills enhancement, and a number o proessional
employees have been supported in obtaining post
graduate qualications such as Masters degrees. Other
specialist employees are given the opportunity to
attend seminars and conerences.
Ontheob training or Forbo Flooring Systems
production and warehousing operators includes:
Siteandcompanyintroduction
Hazardidentication,controlandriskassessment
Jobsafetyanalysis
Job-specictraining
Several local and international training programmes
are in place. In 2012, the ollowing international
programmes were provided:
Forboleadership&managementcourses
Flooringmanagementtrainingprogrammes
(see below)
Projectmanagementtraining
Salestrainingprogramme
Producttrainingprogramme
Preventionofcorruptiontraining
The above programmes will continue in 2013. In
addition, a LEED (Leadership in Environmental and
Energy Design, a Green Building rating system)
training programme will be started and the Forbo
Sustainability elearning programme will be urther
rolledout.
The Flooring management training programme
was conceived by the Management Team Flooring
(MTF) in 2011. The overall obective o the training
programme is to acilitate participants in urther
contributing to the delivery o the Flooring Systems
Strategy.
In 2012, 97 employees completed one or more
modules in this training programme. The modules are:
Strategicsalesandmarketing&buildingstrategies
Innovationasacompetitiveadvantage
Financefornon-nancialmanagers
Peoplemanagement
Sustainabilityandtheenvironment
PrinciplesofLeanmanagement
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
38/49
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
39/49
39Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Workingwith the community
Forbo Flooring Systems takes an active role in the
communities in which we operate. We conduct a
stakeholder analysis at all production companies as
part o environmental management, in accordance
with ISO 14001.
Through proactive engagement, we support each
respective local economy and contribute to the social
environment. Forbo Flooring Systems understands
that in order to operate in these communities,
we must minimise any potential negative impact
o our operations. We do this by operating and
communicating transparently within these
communities, mitigating our environmental impacts
where possible, monitoring our environmental
perormance and engaging in community
consultation.
One example o community engagement is the open
actory days we hold to ensure open communication
with our neighbours. In 2012, we held open days
at our actories in Krommenie and Coevorden, the
Netherlands.
Employees and society
Forbo Flooring Systems is keen to make a sustainable
contribution to improving peoples quality o lie. To this
end, various socialaid proects are supported on site
with products, expertise and nancial contributions.
The ocus is on small, locally initiated proects and
partnerships. Some examples rom 2012 are:
Ronald McDonaldfoundation theNetherlands
There are currently over 320 Ronald McDonalds
Houses in 52 countries. Ronald McDonald Houses
oer a place to stay or amilies whose children are
receiving treatment in hospital. Every night, Ronald
McDonalds Houses provide over 7,200 bedrooms to
amilies around the world.
Forbo Flooring in the Netherlands supports the
Ronald McDonald child und nancially and in other
ways such as, or example, sponsoring the oor
coverings in the Dutch Ronald McDonald houses.
The Ronald McDonald Child Charities in the
Netherlands has 15 houses, two holiday sites and
a sports location. Every house has two or three
paid sta, but is urther run mainly by volunteers.
Furthermore, every house is independently nanced
and has its own governing board and, generally, its
own ambassador, too.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
40/49
40Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Outward Bound UK
Forbo Flooring Systems is involved with the Outward
Bound Trust, an educational charity that helps young
people to realise their potential through learning
in nature. In addition to contributing to the cost o
sending classes o school children away or weeklong
trips, Forbo Flooring Systems also asks employees to
become involved as mentors.
This pretty much summed up the days ahead. During
the week there were opportunities to build seagoing
rats, ace down any ear o heights by umping o a
etty into an estuary, build shelters solely rom oraged
materials, and to learn to read maps, explore cavesand participate in many more group proects and
problemsolving tasks.
Enjoy and achieve!
they were told. This is
not a school, but you willbe learning its not a
holiday park, but you will
have fun its not a boot
camp, but at times it will
be tough and challenging.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
41/49
41Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Garden project Hazleton, Pennsylvania,USA
The Butler Township Community Garden is a
great example o educating a community about
sustainability like organic gardening, composting,
box gardens, gardening in an urban environment
and grow local by local, all to support the community
in which you live. All educational programmes are
ree as the garden has a summer programme or kids
and or those rom the local assisted living homes.
Community members can rent a small garden area
or $7 to $15, depending on the size, or the entire
summer, making growing your own vegetables
un and inexpensive. On any weekend, you will see
amilies together working their garden, garden classes
well attended, and people helping people.
Forbos involvement as ounding member is not
limited to sponsoring but also involves educating
everyone taking part, employees and the wider
community about how one can contribute to
sustainability through recycling and composting.
Not only was a system set up or composting organic
ofce waste rom the local county, but ertilizing is
also done with compost rom Marmoleum scraps. Its
been a great education experience or our employees
at the ofce and at home.
Workingwith the community
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
42/49
42Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Economic
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
43/49
43Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Oureconomic impact
D veme
Central to our obective in becoming a sustainable
organisation is maintaining a strong economic
position something that will be enhanced by
continuous improvement and innovation in the
design, service, perormance, scope and quality o our
oer to all our stakeholders. O course, we will achieve
this while respecting the responsibilities covered by
Corporate Governance, risk and crisis management,
codes o conduct and compliance with international
laws and regulations.
Bue e
Forbo Flooring Systems insists on integrity, honesty
and equality in all aspects o our business and
we seek the same rom those with whom we do
business, directly and indirectly. No employee may
directly or indirectly oer, pay, solicit or accept a bribe
or other such payment that may be construed as
such, in any orm.
Forbos Code o Conduct applies to all our employees
and clearly stipulates that the company will not
engage in or tolerate any disputable or corrupt
business practices. The Code o Conduct is part o
Forbos education programme and is mandatory
training or all relevant employees via, or instance,
online training modules. To yearend 2012, more than
1,100 Flooring employees had successully completed
the programme.
r meme
Risk management and risk assessment is an
integral part o Forbos organisational processes
and is included in every decisionmaking process.
Periodically, nancial and hazard risks are identied
and assessed internally or by third parties. Once risks
have been identied and assessed, all techniques to
manage the risk all into one or more o the ollowing
our maor categories:
Avoidance(eliminate)
Reduction(mitigate)
Sharing(outsourceorinsure)
Retention(acceptandbudget)
r eme
Forbo Group conducts an annual risk assessment
that analyses 100% o the business areas within the
company. The assessment covers internal controls
and business risk, and includes targeted questions
concerning raud and corruption. An additional and
more ocused risk assessment devoted entirely to
raud and corruption is conducted annually with key
executives. This risk assessment addresses corruption
in business areas on a materiality basis.
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
44/49
44Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Ou ecoomcpeomce
Forbo Flooring Systems consolidated nancial result
or 2012 is including the divisions new building and
construction adhesives activity.
Signicant indicators or the generation and
distribution o value plus the organizations total
capitalization with breakdown in debt and equity in
accordance with GRI requirements can be ound in
the Forbo Group Annual Report:
www.obo.com/e/iveo-reo/
c-Pubco/au-repo-2012/
seeco o oc beduppeForbo Flooring Systems pursues a procurement policy
that ocuses on low costs, saety and independence.
Beore a collaboration agreement can be concluded,
a multiplestage risk analysis and assessment
including environmental and social risks is carried
out or every new supplier (see also SA8000 section).
Wherever possible, we buy goods and services rom
local businesses. However there are no directives
regarding preerential treatment o local suppliers or
rom certain countries.
For more inormation on topics covered in this
report, please contact Forbo Flooring Systems at
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
45/49
45Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
G3.1 Content Index
STANDARD DISCLOSURES PART I: Profle Disclosures
1. Strategy and Analysis
Profle Disclosure Description Reported
1.1 Statement rom the most senior decision-maker o the organization. 5
2. Organizational Profle
2.1 Name o the organization. 1, 3
2.2 Primary brands, products, and/or services. 13, 14
2.3 O peratio nal struc ture o the organizatio n, including main divisions, operating companies, sub sidiaries, and joint ventures. 12
2.4 Location o organizations headquarters. 12
2.5 Number o countries where the organization operates, and names o countries with either major operations or that are specically
relevant to the sustainability issues covered in the report.
12
2.6 Nature o ownership and legal orm. 4, 11
2.7 Markets served (including geographic breakdown, sectors served, and types o customers/beneciaries). 13
2.8 Scale o the reporting organization. 12, 32, 44
2.9 Signicant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure, or ownership. 4
2.10 Awards received in the reporting period. 17
3. Report Parameters
3.1 Reporting period (e.g., scal/calendar year) or inormation provided. 9
3.2 Date o most recent previous report (i any). 9
3.3 Reporting cycle (annual, biennial, etc.) 9
3.4 Contact point or questions regarding the report or its contents. 9
3.5 Process or dening report content. 9
3.6 Boundary o the report (e.g., countries, divisions, subsidiaries, leased acilities, joint ventures, suppliers). See GRI Boundary Protocol
or urther guidance.
10
3.7 State any specic l imitations on the scope or boundary o the report (see completeness principle or explanation o scope). 10
3.8 Basis or reporting on joint ventures, subsidiaries, leased acilities, outsourced operations, and other entities that can signicantly
aect comparability rom period to period and/or between organizations.
10
3.10 Explanation o the eect o any re-statements o inormation provided in earlier reports, and the reasons or such re-statement
(e.g.,mergers/acquisitions, change o base years/periods, nature o business, measurement methods).
10
3.11 S ignicant changes rom prev ious reporting per iods in the scope, boundary, or meas urement methods appl ied in the report. 10
3.12 Table ident iying the locat ion o the Standard D isc losures in the re port. 45
4. Governance, Commitments, and Engagement
4.1 Governance structure o the organization, including committees under the highest governance body responsible or specic tasks,
such as setting strategy or organizational oversight.
11, 12
4.2 Indicate whether the Chair o the highest governance body is also an executive ocer. 124.3 For organizations that have a unitary board structure, state the number and gender o members o the highest governance body that
are independent and/or non-executive members.
12
4.4 Mechanisms or shareholders and employees to provide recommendations or direction to the highest governance body. 12
4.14 List o stakeholder groups engaged by the organization. 10
4.15 Basis or ident icat ion and se le ct ion o s take holders with whom to engage. 10
NR: Not Reporting P: Partial
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
46/49
46Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
STANDARD DISCLOSURES PART II: Perormance Indicators
Economic
Indicator Description Reported
Economic perormance
EC1 Direct economic value generated and distributed, including revenues, operating costs, employee compensation, donations and other
community investments, retained earnings, and payments to capital providers and governments.
44-P
EC2 Financial implications and other risks and opportunities or the organizations activities due to climate change. NR
EC3 Coverage o the organizatio ns dened benet p lan o blig ations. NR
EC4 Signicant nancial assistance received rom government. NR
Market presence
EC5 Range o rat ios o standard entry level wage by gender compared to loca l minimum wage at signicant locat ions o ope rat ion. NR
EC6 Policy, practices, and proportion o spending on locally-based suppliers at s ignicant locations o operation. 44
EC7 Procedures or local hiring and proportion o senior management hired rom the local community at s ignicant locations o
operation.
33
Indirect economic impacts
EC8 Development and impact o inrastructure investments and services provided primarily or public benet through commercial,
in-kind, or pro bono engagement.
NR
EC9 Understanding and describing s ignicant indirect economic impacts, including the extent o impacts. NR
Environmental
Materials
EN1 Materials used by weight or volume. NR
EN2 Percentage o materials used that are rec ycled input materials. 24
Energy
EN3 Direct energy consumption by primary energy source. 22
EN4 Indirect energy consumption by primary source. NR
EN5 Energy saved due to conservation and eciency improvements. 22, 23
EN6 Initiatives to provide energy-ecient or renewable energy based products and services, and reductions in energy requirements as a
result o these initiatives.
NR
EN7 I ni tiat ives to reduce indire ct ene rgy cons umption a nd re duct ions achieve d. NR
Water
EN8 Total water withdrawal by source. NR
EN9 Water sources signicantly aected by withdrawal o water. NR
EN10 Percentage and total vo lume o water rec ycled and reused. NR
Biodiversity
EN11 Location and size o land owned, leased, managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas and areas o high biodiversity value outside
protected areas.
NR
EN12 Description o signicant impacts o activities, products, and services on biodiversity in protected areas and areas o high biodiversity
value outside protected areas.
NR
EN13 Habitats protected or restored. NR
EN14 Strategies, current actions, and uture plans or managing impacts on biodiversity. NR
EN15 Number o IUCN Red List species and national conservation list species with habitats in areas aected by operations, by level o
extinction risk.
NR
Emissions, efuents and waste
EN16 Total direc t and indirec t greenhouse g as emissions by weight. 21
EN17 O ther relevant indirec t greenhouse g as emissions by weight. NR
EN18 Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved. 19, 20, 21, 22
EN19 Emissions o ozone- depleting substances by weight. NR
EN20 NOx, SOx, and other signicant air emissions by t ype and weight. NR
NR: Not Reporting P: Partial
7/27/2019 Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
47/49
47Forbo Flooring Systems Sustainability Report 2012
Indicator Description Reported
EN21 Total water discharge by quality and destination. NR
EN22 Total weight o waste by type and disposal method. 22
EN23 Total number and volume o signicant spills. NR
EN24 Weight o transported, imported, exported, or treated waste deemed hazardous under the terms o the Basel Convention Annex I, II,
III, and VIII, and percentage o transported waste shipped internationally.
NR
EN25 Identity, size, protected status, and biodiversity value o water bodies and related habitats signicantly aected by the reporting
organizations discharges o water and runo.
NR
Products and services
EN26 Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts o products and services, and extent o impact mitigation. 27
EN27 Percentage o products sold and their packaging materials that are reclaimed by category. NR
Compliance
EN28 Monetary value o signicant nes and total number o non-monetary sanctions or non-compliance with environmental laws and
regulations.
NR
Transport
EN29 Signicant environmental impacts o transporting products and other goods and materials used or the organizations operations,
and transporting members o the workorce.
NR
Overall
EN30 Total environmental protection expenditures and investments by type. NR
Social: Labor Practices and Decent Work
Employment
LA1 Total workorce by employment type, employment contract, and region, broken down by gender. 32-P
LA2 Total number and rate o ne