Ascom: Ascom : Sustainability Report 2024

Sustainability Report 2024 Sustainability Report 2024 Sustainability Report Statement of the chairman and the CEO Focus topics and key ambitions Sustainability as a strategic driver Planet Product People Governance Methodology GRI Content Index TCFD General Note Sustainability Report 1. STATEMENT FROM THE CHAIRMAN AND THE CEO Dear shareholders, customers, employees and partners Sustainability is central to Ascom's strategy and purpose. Through our solutions, we care for patients, elderly people, caregivers, and workers across industries. Equally important is our ongoing commitment to care for a sustainability-driven business: We see safeguarding our environment, social responsibility, and strong governance as vital pillars for long-term success. We recognize that by making responsible business choices, we not only protect the planet and people, but also drive business innovation and create value for our customers. A year of progress in ESG Building on our heritage of sustainability and responsible business, which began in 2003 with the publication of Ascom's first Code of Ethical Business Conduct, Ascom has continuously strengthened its environmental and social responsibilities. In 2024, we reinforced our commitment to integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles across our operations. Key accomplishments included completing a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Balance for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. This effort was instrumental in improving the accuracy and transparency of our environmental data. Additionally, we conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for DECT d63, one of our key product groups, allowing us to identify product-related emission hotspots and providing valuable information for our efforts to effectively reduce life cycle emissions. This initiative is complemented by ongoing advancements in product development aimed at building a circular econ- omy, ensuring our solutions are durable, repairable, and manufactured with recyclable materials. In 2024, we completed the transformation of our largest facility in Gothenburg into a sustainable building that now runs on 100% renewable energy. Beyond environmental initiatives, we continued to strengthen our social commit- ments. Our employee development programs now feature enhanced onboarding and trainings for new employees. Moreover, we achieved a 25% representation of female leaders, marking a 3% increase over the previous year and advancing our goals for diversity, inclusion, equality and belonging. For 2024, we are publishing our first TCFD Report (Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures), reaffirming our commitment to transparency and accountability in managing climate-related risks and opportunities. Dr. Valentin Chapero Rueda, Chairman of the Board Nicolas Vanden Abeele, CEO 20 ASCOM Annual Report 2024 Sustainability Report Looking ahead: Sustainability as customer value As we build on the progress of 2024, our focus on driving sustainability in our business is strongly defined by actions that create value for customers. It includes: Reducing CO ₂ emissions: Products, mobility (Business travel and transportation) and buildings (heating & electricity) are the main contributors to Ascom's CO2 emissions. To reduce the product related emissions, the biggest contributor to our Greenhouse Gas Balance, we will focus on developing more sustainable, namely cloud-based solutions, continuously reducing emissions arising from transportation, integrating recyclable design principles and life cycle consider- ations to enable the reuse of products and raw materials. Ascom does not own any production facilities, but we will actively work with both current and new suppliers to improve their own environmental performance. Focusing on Scope 1 and 2, we aim to increase the use of renewable energy sources, as 90% of the Scope 1 emissions are due to the fuel consumption of our fleet. For the electrici- ty and heating of our buildings, we continue to increase the sourcing of renewable electricity. With all these measures, we are helping our customers to better achieve their own sustainability goals. In this way, our measures to reduce emis- sions create added value for our customers. Building a circular economy: By implementing stricter sustainability criteria for suppliers of raw materials and components and designing products that contrib- ute to sustainable life cycles through durability and recyclability, we will reduce the amount of waste of Ascom and our customers. Advancing diversity and inclusion: Ascom continues to increase the represen- tation of female leaders and foster an inclusive workplace culture, as we believe that this improves creativity, innovation and shapes a culture of open mindset and engagement. Enhancing talent development: We expand our training and development pro- grams to cultivate a skilled and engaged workforce. By enhancing leadership effectiveness and implementing transparent talent management processes, we will prepare our workforce to meet evolving market demands. Commitment to continuous improvement Ascom continues to strengthen its environmental and social responsibilities. We remain steadfast in our mission to drive meaningful change, reduce our environmental impact, and build a more inclusive and resilient organization. Our membership in the UN Global Compact and alignment with seven of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reflect our unwavering dedication to global standards for sustainability, human rights, labor, and anti-corruption. In 2025, we are planing to register for the SBTi (Science-based Target Initiative). Ascom will continue to innovate and lead with purpose, building a sustainable future for generations to come. Thank you for your trust and partnership on this transformative journey. Sincerely, Dr. Valentin Chapero Rueda Abeele Chairman of the Board CEO ASCOM Annual Report 2024 Sustainability Report 21 2. FOCUS TOPICS AND KEY AMBITIONS Materiality Topics Ambitions Focus SDGs Product Planet Governance People 1 Carbon neutrality strategy Mobility Responsible resilient supply chain Energy efficiency Circular design State-of-the-art solutions Data protection information security Value-driven company culture Training & people development 10 Diverse culture & inclusive 11 Health & safety 12 Business ethics & compliance Long-term corporate 13 success as added value for society We achieve full carbon neutrality by 2040 and net zero by 2050 (Basis 2023) with a Science-Based Target decarbonization plan. We build a Circular Economy Model with products and solutions that are durable, re- pairable, recyclable, and secure and with a sustainable value chain We achieve high employee satisfaction and work- place diversity across all company levels, where DIEB and Talent development are anchored values in our Company culture. Our Sustainability Reporting is compliant with all regulatory requirements, supporting our principles in business ethics & compliance. Ascom's Sustainability activities add value for all our stakeholders. Ascom's key ambitions PLANET - Climate-neutral operations based on Science-Based CO 2 Targets (SBTs): Achieve full carbon neutrality by 2040 and net zero by 2050 (basline: 2024). Planed validation by SBTi in 2027. PRODUCTS - Build a circular economy model: Design products that are durable, repairable, and recyclable, with 80% reduction of emissions by use of sold products and 90% recycled or bio-based materials in all products by 2040. And by 2035: 90% of transportation with alternative fuels. PEOPLE - Talent management, learning & development: Improving employee retention rate and employee qualification, with clear people development paths. By 2030, Ascom's yearly retention rate will be above 90%. PEOPLE - Diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging (DIEB): Achieving workplace diversity, with fair representation across all company levels, with 30% of female leaders by 2030. Improving employee satisfaction, engagement, and "preferred workplace profile". GOVERNANCE - Fulfill regulatory requirements: Ascom's Sustain- ability Report fulfills all regulatory requirements. Carbon neutral by 2040 Net zero by 2050 22 ASCOM Annual Report 2024 Sustainability Report 3. SUSTAINABILITY AS A STRATEGIC DRIVER At Ascom, we recognize that sustainability is a strategic driver of long-term success. Our actions are guided by the belief that sustainability creates tangible value for our customers, employees, and shareholders, ensuring that our solutions not only support operational excellence but also contribute to a more sustainable future. In 2024, we strengthened our commitment to environmental responsibility, social impact, and strong governance structures. Our focus was on elaborating a decarbonization strategy, a roadmap to achieve our sustainability goals to which we committed as a group: to be carbon neutral by 2040 and to achieve the net zero goal by 2050. To maintain the focus on topics where Ascom really can have the most efficient impact, we aligned our sustainability strategy, our ambitions and our target with Ascom's Materiality Matrix. Based on this, we agreed in 2024, together with the Board of Directors, on five key ambitions. In 2024, Ascom made significant strides in its sustainability journey. We placed a strong emphasis on improving data quality, enhancing transparency, and expanding our sustainability initiatives. We improved our worldwide data collection process by implementing a new sustainability data management tool, and we run a life cycle assessment on one of our major product categories. Based on the more comprehensive data analysis, we were able to define three emissions hotspots and to elaborate specific measures and targets on how to reduce the emissions effectively: Product & Transportation Travel & Commuting Building & Energy Our sustainability journey is ongoing. In 2024, we prepared our first TCFD Report (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) to