Sustainable Development Goals
The objectives of Swiss Prime Site are based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN member states. The 17 SDGs and their 169 constituent targets came into effect on 1 January 2016 for a period of 15 years. They are part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and are aimed at governments, the private sector, the scientific community and civil society. Companies can use the SDGs as points of reference to link their commitments and key performance indicators to sustainable development at the global level.
Contribution of the Swiss Prime Site Group
In accordance with the principle of materiality, Swiss Prime Site determined which SDGs it can influence most significantly with its business activities. To this end, the Company first assigned all SDGs to the six dimensions of the sustainability roadmap. The following goals are less relevant to Swiss Prime Site or cannot be influenced by it: SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life On Land), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). In addition, due to the clearly defined statutory provisions that apply to employers and employees in Switzerland, SDG 5 (Gender Equality) was excluded on the grounds that all businesses are expected to observe the goal anyway as a matter of course.
| Determination of goals | ||
| Stakeholders |  |    |
| Finance |  | |
| Infrastructure |  | |
| Innovation |  | |
| Ecology |   |    |
| Employees |  |     |
Material to Swiss Prime Site
| Strategic goals | ||
| Partnership Goals Strategic goals | | |
| Corporate Goals Group and project goals | | |
Swiss Prime Site core business
In a second step, seven of the 17 SDGs which were identified as priorities in the initial process were then mapped onto the structure of Swiss Prime Site and its business fields using an additional matrix. The following goals were considered to be material to Swiss Prime Site: SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
From these seven SDGs, Swiss Prime Site derived the following adapted goals:
| SDG | UN goal description | Adapted goals for Swiss Prime Site |
| Ensure inclusive, fair and high-quality education and promote opportunities for lifelong learning for all | Sponsor individual professorial chairs and continue to develop training and education opportunities as a learning environment for all |
| Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all | Raise profitability while increasing the efficiency of resource utilisation and maintaining corporate values and principles of equal treatment for all |
| Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation | Invest in new technologies and sustainable buildings with innovative floorspace utilisation concepts and offerings |
| Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable | Use existing properties more intensively and take a participative approach to new projects and large site transformations which incorporates their utilisation by local communities |
| Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns | Define and monitor sustainability criteria for the entire product life cycle from construction to demolition |
| Develop measures to combat climate change and its effects as a matter of urgency | Reduce resource consumption and implement measures to protect against climate-related risks and dangers |
| Revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development | Establish national and regional partnerships for knowledge transfer, joint developments and shared projects |
Focus on safe, resilient and sustainable cities and settlements
It had already been suggested during the 2017 Stakeholder Panel that a guiding principle be defined for the Swiss Prime Site Group’s corporate responsibility. The Company considers SDG 11 «Sustainable Cities and Communities» to be a suitable starting point for such a guiding principle, as several trends that have a significant influence on the core business can be classified under it. Among others, these include urbanisation, intergenerationality and climate-adapted design of living spaces. Focusing on individual goals not only fosters communication with stakeholders but also opens up the development of new products and services. Swiss Prime Site is therefore aiming to make its own contribution to the «Smart City» strategy, which is based on SDG 11. This will be the responsibility of the Sustainability Board that was newly appointed in 2019.