REPORTING PROFILE

Reporting practice

Sonova reports in an annual cycle. The 2021/22 reporting period covers the financial year from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The most recent previous Annual Report and ESG Report were released on May 18, 2021. The Sonova ESG Report for 2021/22, when combined with the 2021/22 business and financial report, complies with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and forms an integral part of Sonova’s UN Global Compact Communication on Progress. Please see our GRI content index for details about how the report content maps against the GRI Standards and UNGC principles. See our SASB index for details about how the report content maps against the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards governing sustainability disclosure topics and accounting metrics for the medical equipment & supplies industry. Additional relevant information about economic performance and remuneration is provided in the compensation report, corporate governance report, and financial review chapters of the Annual Report.

Organizational profile

Sonova was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland. The Group offers innovative hearing care solutions: from personal audio devices and wireless communication systems to audiological care services, hearing aids and cochlear implants. Sonova operates through four businesses – Hearing Instruments, Audiological Care, Consumer Hearing, and Cochlear Implants – and the core brands Phonak, Unitron, AudioNova, Sennheiser (under license), and Advanced Bionics as well as recognized regional brands. The Group’s globally diversified sales and distribution channels serve an ever growing consumer base in more than 100 countries. Sonova sells several million hearing instruments annually to B2B as well as B2C markets across both the private and public sector. Sonova has own Group companies in over 30 countries, with main manufacturing sites located in Switzerland, Vietnam, China, and the United States. Sonova Holding AG is a Swiss public limited company. More details on our products, services, brands, and activities as well as financial information, including a list of significant shareholders are provided in the 2021/22 financial report and business report.

Restatements and significant changes

On March 1, 2022, Sonova Holding AG completed the acquisition of the Consumer Division of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG, Wedemark (Germany). The Sennheiser Consumer Division concentrates on the business of headphones and hearables for private customers, and has around 600 employees worldwide. As part of the acquisition, Sonova has secured a perpetual license for the Sennheiser brand, under which both existing and new consumer hearing devices will be marketed. On March 1, 2022, Sonova Holding AG completed the acquisition of Alpaca Group Holdings LLC, Delaware (USA). Alpaca Audiology is one of the largest independent networks of audiological clinics in the US. The company has over 500 employees and operates around 220 clinics across the country. The Sennheiser Consumer Division and Alpaca Audiology are not yet included in the ESG reporting, unless explicitly noted.

During 2021/22, Sonova measured its full Scope 1–3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2019 –2021, whereby some methodological improvements were made that affect previously stated GHG categories. Scope 1 and 2 energy consumption as well as Scope 1–3 GHG emissions were restated for 2019 and 2020. Additionally, hazardous waste values were restated due to data quality improvements for 2019 and 2020.

The list of material topics was last updated in 2019/20 as described in the section IntACT – Sonova’s ESG Strategy.

Entities

The information and data provided relate to Sonova Holding AG as a whole, including its Group companies, unless explicitly noted. The recently acquired Sennheiser Consumer Division and Alpaca Audiology are not yet included in the ESG reporting, unless explicitly noted. Some ESG data stem from actual data collection, whereas other data from particular Group companies were only estimated.

Declaration and assurance

This report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards: Core option.

PricewaterhouseCoopers AG has provided independent assurance on specific data presented in this report; for more detail, see the Independent Assurance Report. The compensation report, the consolidated financial statements, and the financial statements of Sonova Holding AG in the 2021/22 Annual Report have been audited by a statutory external auditor.

Contact

If you have questions regarding this ESG Report or its contents, please contact Sonova AG, Laubisrütistrasse 28, 8712 Stäfa, Switzerland.
Phone: +41 58 928 01 01 | Email: responsibility@sonova.com