Policies

ESRS 2 MDR-P; E5-1

We engaged diverse stakeholders across the value chain to map the Group’s IRO landscape. The DMA identified key issues: reliance on virgin copper and waste from production. Details are in the General information.

HUBER+SUHNER manages resource use and circular economy impacts through its Environmental Policy, which promotes the efficient use of materials, energy and water. The policy incorporates life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impacts across the entire value chain, including internal operations as well as upstream and downstream activities. Eco-design principles are embedded into our product development process to support innovation, reduce material consumption, lower environmental impacts, and promote the adoption of more sustainable materials. While our Procurement Policy does not explicitly reference resource use or the circular economy, it aligns with our Supplier Code of Conduct, which requires suppliers to apply principles of resource efficiency, including for raw materials and packaging. The Code also outlines supplier obligations to manage waste responsibly and to avoid environmentally harmful disposal practices.

We ensure compliance with Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations through a range of measures. We maintain up-to-date substance usage records and manage material safety by leveraging supplier data and cross-functional collaboration. To support transparency and regulatory compliance, documentation is made available to relevant customers.

Targets

ESRS 2 MDRT-T; E5-3

We are committed to increasing the proportion of waste diverted from disposal, with the goal of reducing reliance on landfill and incineration. To support this commitment, we have set a target to reduce the intensity of waste sent to landfill or incineration by 25% by 2030, using 2021 as the baseline year (see Table 8).

As part of our product development process, we are committed to decreasing the use of primary raw materials. We closely collaborate with suppliers to improve the measurement of material inflows, optimise the amount and the associated environmental impacts. These efforts support the development of future targets for resource efficiency. Furthermore, we are defining new objectives to reduce the environmental footprint of our packaging and packaging waste, in alignment with the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

Actions and resources

ESRS 2 MDR-A; E5-2; E5-6

We are committed to reducing resource consumption through targeted initiatives. Our efforts center on eco-design and material efficiency to ensure responsible resource use across the value chain. For each key area outlined below, we set specific objectives and maintain a consolidated action plan at the group level.

Eco-design and material efficiency in our products: Although our cables and cable systems typically are designed for long lifecycles, we continuously strive to extend product longevity to enhance quality, safety, and reliability while also reducing environmental impact. Our products are designed to be lightweight to minimise material use wherever possible. In 2025, we launched cables made from 100% recycled copper. These cables meet industry standards while significantly reducing environmental impact without compromising performance.

Eco-design and material efficiency in packaging: We apply the same eco-design and material efficiency principles to packaging development as we do to product design. Our ecoPack project specifically targets the creation of more sustainable, resource-efficient, and cost-effective secondary packaging. This is achieved by using eco-friendly materials and optimising space through a “Tetris” approach that strategically arranges items to maximise efficiency. In addition to secondary packaging, we are reducing the environmental impact of primary packaging by gradually replacing single-use plastics with more sustainable materials such as paper and cardboard.

Many of our cable products are delivered on cable drums designed for up to eight reuses, making their integration into a circular system a natural and sustainable choice. In 2025, HUBER+SUHNER, in collaboration with Axjo, launched a pilot project in Germany for a circular system of cable drums used in cable transportation. By returning, repairing, and recycling drums, we significantly reduce material consumption, waste, and emissions throughout the value chain.

Waste minimisation, in particular hazardous waste: For several years, HUBER+SUHNER has established internal and external targets to increase the proportion of recycled waste, thereby reducing the volume sent to landfill or incineration. As part of our continuous improvement efforts, we also focus on the conscious use of resources to minimise scrap generated throughout every production process.

Anticipated financial effects from material resource use: Copper is a key resource in our power cables. However, global copper demand may exceed mine production in the future, a situation compounded by declining ore grades, regulatory and environmental challenges, and weather-related disruptions. Additionally, the availability of high-quality scrap copper is currently limited. These factors could impact the global supply and pricing of copper, potentially leading to supply chain disruptions and increased costs. To mitigate this risk, we employ a proactive, risk-based sourcing strategy and long-term supply agreements. In parallel, we are working on copper replacement solutions for certain applications. Copper availability posed no constraints in 2025 and consequently had no financial implications.

Metrics

ESRS 2 MDR-M; E5-4

Resource inflow

The company has identified its major resource inflows across operations as follows: metals, in particular copper, as well as plastics and glass fibre. For product packaging, the primary materials are wood and cardboard.

Water plays only a limited role in the company’s global operations. Based on the European Union’s definition of critical raw materials, the company uses significant amounts of copper and aluminium. HUBER+SUHNER has not identified any significant amounts of rare earth elements under this definition.

Table 7: Material inflow

Material consumption declined by 19% in 2025, largely as a result of the completion of a major project in India.

The estimated recycled content for key materials is as follows: approximately 30% for copper, based on the standard copper grades we source; approximately 99.9% for the standard tin used; 0% for glass fibre; approximately 80% for silver; and approximately 72% for gold. All brass scrap and certain compounds are reprocessed through a closed-loop supplier take-back arrangement and are therefore diverted from disposal. Renewable resources are currently only accounted for in packaging, with an assumed share of 72% (PY 71%).

Resource outflow

E5-5

In 2025, the intensity of waste sent to landfill or incineration increased by 1% relative to net revenue compared with the previous year (the prior year was measured relative to value added: -6%). Overall, waste sent to landfill/incineration decreased by 3% compared with the 2021 baseline (-5% on a value-added basis). Despite the current trend, ongoing development projects are expected to deliver the necessary improvements, and we remain confident in achieving our target to reduce the intensity of waste sent to landfill/incineration by 25%.

Methodologies and assumptions

E5-4; E5-5

Our reporting period aligns with the calendar year 2025. In cases where significant delays in evaluation were anticipated, data for December 2025 were estimated. We estimate the deviation from the calendar-year period to be less than ±5%. We are committed to continuously improving the quality and granularity of our data.

For material inflow, the disclosure is based on the recorded purchases of HUBER+SUHNER main raw materials during the reporting period. The percentage of renewable materials, such as wood, used is calculated using the total weight of biological materials and the total weight of raw materials.

Due to the diversity of our product portfolio and supplier base, we are currently unable to reliably quantify the total weight and proportion of secondary materials used in the manufacture of our products. This limitation reflects incomplete supplier-level data rather than an absence of secondary material use. We remain committed to improving data availability and quality through ongoing supplier engagement, with the aim of enabling more comprehensive disclosure in future reporting periods.

The proportion of recycled components in purchased raw materials reported here is based on primary data provided by suppliers. However, certification of recycled content remains limited, and the data is subject to uncertainty.

Waste data was gathered from our production and office sites. Based on feedback from these locations, we estimate that 90% of the reported data reflects actual measured weights, while 10% is estimated using data from comparable sites, activities, and employee numbers. Treatment methods are determined using a combination of reported treatment categories and type-based assumptions, particularly for smaller facilities where detailed data may be limited. Our waste prevention efforts include process optimization, product design enhancements, and a spool return program; however, precise quantification of waste prevented remains challenging at this time.

In 2025, the definition of “intensity value” was revised from “added value” to “net revenue” (“net sales” in the Financial Report).