HHM Group & Sustainability

1) Sustainability and HHM

Key values from the mission statement underscore our long-term orientation and responsibility toward our stakeholders. Nevertheless, HHM will begin 2022 with the consistent implementation of its sustainability strategy. With our building technology planning and engineering, we aim to leverage those levers that increasingly have an ecological and economic impact on our stakeholders. We are at the beginning of a journey that is part of our identity, and the systematic approach is now becoming concrete.

2) Fundamentals and sustainability focus

Sustainability strategy

Given the high environmental impact of buildings, companies in the construction industry can create ecological value through sustainable innovations. HHM aims to make a substantial contribution to these projects. This is also based on the conviction that sustainability-oriented engineering simultaneously opens up economic opportunities.

The sustainability strategy was developed to substantiate and utilize this potential. A guiding principle for sustainable building technology serves as its strategic foundation. According to this strategy, building technology systems are considered sustainable if no greenhouse gases are emitted during construction and operation, the use of resources is minimized, the use of technology is optimized, and energy efficiency and the production of renewable energy are maximized. Compared to current standards, no additional costs or loss of quality and comfort should arise over the entire life cycle of the systems. This guiding principle has not yet been realized. With the sustainability strategy, we are working towards this goal.

HHM employs specialists who can contribute to and expand a sustainable building technology concept. This broader perspective requires a greater focus on reducing resource consumption in building technology planning and construction. With an innovation project supported by Innosuisse, we are taking a first step toward circular construction.

Materiality matrix and objectives

The first materiality analysis was conducted in 2021. In addition to employees and management, selected individuals from the project environment and the HHM ecosystem were surveyed. Their assessments were compared with those of HHM and presented in the materiality matrix.

Key findings: “Economic performance and stability” (1) form the foundation of long-term business success. We fulfill our role as a member of society primarily through the targeted development of our employees (9) and adherence to values (2) vis-à-vis our stakeholders. In our projects, we contribute to the long-term preservation of value and reduced environmental impact of Switzerland’s building stock through a strong focus on quality (3) , forward-looking engineering, and more conscious use of natural resources (4)
. To ensure that activities in key sustainability topics can be monitored, HHM sets measurable and impact-oriented goals and derives concrete measures from them. The process for defining medium- and long-term sustainability goals is underway.

Five key sustainability dimensions

Economic performance and stability: a starting point for expanded impact : Solid finances are the fundamental prerequisite for HHM to invest in social and environmental values beyond its economic activities. Ideally, profitable business models with a demonstrably positive impact on society and the environment are developed.
Training and continuing education: The foundation for long-term future security : HHM invests heavily in employee development. Key initiatives include its own HHM Academy and the Foundation’s commitment to education. Maintaining the high quality of Switzerland’s building stock and mastering the energy transition requires qualified specialists and a sustainable learning culture.
Quality in engineering and planning: Quality belongs on the long-term scrutiny track: Engineering quality in the broadest sense can be understood as a prerequisite for sustainability; it promotes long-lasting buildings. Far-sighted planning and clever concepts are also prerequisites for a lasting positive impact.
Fairness, integrity, and reliability: Values are part of our identity. When values such as fairness, integrity, and reliability are consistently practiced and enforced, HHM becomes a strong and credible brand. Therefore, the results someone achieves mean nothing to us if our values aren’t lived.
Resource management: Consistently leveraging key levers: We are capable of designing energy- and resource-efficient buildings that make a significant contribution to the energy transition. It is crucial that we can systematically incorporate this into our projects as a matter of course.

3) Results and outlook

The results section will be systematically developed in subsequent years. It is a central component of the reporting. It is intended to clearly demonstrate HHM’s impact on project work. We have summarized key focus topics that concern us in the internal service bulletin. We report on other selected engagements outside of project work in the current HHM annual reports.

outlook

The HHM sustainability strategy will be further refined, implemented, and continuously developed. We aim to gradually move closer to the guiding principle of sustainable building technology. These efforts are intended to make HHM a competent partner for private and public building clients.

A first milestone can be achieved as early as 2022. A project idea submitted by Innosuisse as part of the NTN Innovation Booster – Circular Building Industry will be supported. The goal is to test and further develop a prototype model for the planning of circular building technology systems in order to be able to offer these types of concepts to building owners in the future.

4) HHM Group at a glance

Organization: The HHM Group is an independent engineering company with offices in Aarau, Basel, Bern, St. Gallen, Zug, and Zurich. Its core competency is electrical and comprehensive building services engineering for building construction and infrastructure projects. It also specializes in energy, lighting, building automation, security, and fire protection. Over 280 employees work for the HHM Group.

HHM Holding holds majority stakes in the HHM location companies; HHM 4U acts as a service provider. Digireal AG , Building Information Technology AG , and Moor Elektroplan AG are subsidiaries of the HHM Group. The holding structure has existed since 1999. The shares are wholly owned by management employees.

Memberships of HHM and employees: www.hhm.ch/hhmgruppe/engagements
HHM was the first electrical engineering firm in Switzerland to be certified according to ISO 9001 in October 1994. Since September 2018, this has also applied to the ISO 14001 environmental management system.

Corporate strategy: In the rapidly changing industry reality, strategy no longer describes the ideal path to success; instead, it is becoming an agile bridge builder into the unknown future. With the hybrid business model developed in 2019 and the unique success factors built over the years, the HHM Group is transforming itself from an electrical planner to a digital, integrated building services planner.

Ethics and integrity: Our mission statement contains unwavering moral principles and values that we consistently live by. Core values and exemplary behavior build trust in the company and promote employee commitment and loyalty. These values are also embodied in the HHM Code of Conduct .

Corporate governance: The company’s development and the interests of our employees and shareholders are of particular importance. In generating profit, we strive for economic sustainability through continuous development of our company; social sustainability by working to secure jobs and uphold values such as integrity; and ecological sustainability by incorporating environmental and resource considerations into our behavior and work.

Stakeholder involvement: Transparent and consistent information is ensured through institutionalized bodies and channels and represents a central component of HHM’s culture of trust. Examples such as the HHM Innovation Journey, with its targeted exploration and design of the HHM ecosystem, or core membership in Switzerland Innovation Park Central are part of HHM’s future work, which is based on cooperation.

Contents

Christoph Wey

Head of Communications and Marketing

Neumattstrasse 13
PO Box
5001 Aarau