Targets and performance*

* The results and targets are measured against our 2019 baseline

Impact in action

Our ambition is reflected in our targets and in various projects and initiatives, such as the following cases illustrate.

Transition plan

Aware of our impact, we have tracked emissions, from our own operations, such as emissions from electricity consumption or our company fleet since 2009. As a growing company, we face the challenge of decoupling our emissions from our growth. This means that we must optimise our operations and products to reduce our footprint while we grow our business.

In 2021 we joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

This commitment aligns our goals with the latest climate science and ensures that they contribute to limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Around 94% of the company’s emissions come from the extended value chain, which underscores the importance of engaging with partners and suppliers in our journey towards net-zero emissions.

To drive this effort, we have launched a Supplier Engagement Programme in our Hearing Aids business and through a similar initiative in the Diagnostics business, we succeeded in lowering emissions from transport – in 2024 both business areas reached a 16% emissions reduction from transportation.

As part of our corporate climate accounting, and aligned with the SBTi, we established a Baseline recalculation policy, to define the situations in which our baseline emissions are required to be updated to account for significant changes.

Closing the circle

We know that it is critical to transition towards a more circular economy to minimise our environmental impact, our resource consumption, our waste generation and to maximise resource efficiency. Below, we highlight some of our actions across business areas in this area.

Testing, Sharing, Caring
We have developed a special test hearing aid that can be used by multiple individuals over a trial period. After each trial, it is returned to us, thoroughly cleaned and prepared for the next user.

Rethinking packaging
Is it possible to reduce the carbon footprint of each hearing aid unit’s charger packaging by 80%? Yes, it is, with our plastic-free charger packaging launched worldwide across all brands. The Diagnostics business has also incorporated recycled materials into its packaging, using recycled polyethylene plastic in the plastic bags and cardboard made out of to 98% of recycled materials.

More innovation, less plastic
Each of our hearing aids comes with a small plastic container for storing replaceable filters that keep earwax out of the device. These filters need to be changed often, so we have redesigned the container to use less plastic. By improving the moulding process and redesigning the container, we have cut plastic use by 53% per unit.

Prolonging lifespan
We perform numerous repairs to ensure our users’ hearing aids stay in great condition and extend their lifespan. Maintenance and repair services are available for all hearing aid models and brands for up to five years after they are discontinued. For our diagnostic devices, we offer maintenance services to our customers to ensure that normal wear and tear does not affect their usability or quality. We also provide worldwide repair service if required.

Onboarding new materials
We have introduced a new material for the inlets inside our hearing aids to eliminate the use PFAS in this component, making our inlets easier to recycle. We continuously work towards eliminating these chemicals without compromising the quality and safety. Additionally, we have been using recycled plastic in our diagnostics devices since 2014 in collaboration with our largest supplier. This material comes from waste generated during our supplier’s internal plastic production.