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Sustainability at the Burkhalter Group

The Burkhalter Group’s building technology services – particularly refurbishing and renovating poorly insulated older buildings and replacing fossil fuel heating systems – are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The Group is thereby supporting its customers in achieving their climate targets and is contributing to implementation of the Swiss Federal Government’s Energy Strategy 2050 and the Paris Agreement. 

Our commitment to sustainability

Material topics

We updated our material topics in 2025 in line with the principles of double materiality. In doing so, we identified the topics in which the Burkhalter Group has a material impact on the environment or people and from which major opportunities and risks arise for the Group. Our materiality analysis met the GRI standards and the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO Art. 964a–c). We have used our new materiality matrix to refine the impacts, risks and opportunities, while pursuing our goal of aligning our non-financial report more strategically with the legal requirements and our stakeholders’ expectations. Our 2025 review of the material topics included interviewing some of our key stakeholders, so that we could reflect their perspectives in our future sustainability activities. 

Contribution to our core SDGs

By taking measures in relation to our core SDGs (3, 11, 12 and 13), we are focusing on the areas where we believe we have the greatest leverage and the greatest responsibility, so that we can make a meaningful contribution, directly or indirectly, to the Group’s sustainable development and to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

SDG 3: Health and well-being of employees

The Burkhalter Group attaches great importance to attractive working conditions, continuous training and education, and the health and safety of its employees.

 

Material topics
  • Working conditions
  • Occupational health and safety
Contribution
  • Modern working conditions, including a 4.5-day working week
  • Vocational training to enhance future job prospects, a wide range of educational programmes, and opportunities for internal promotion
  • An ISO 45001-certified occupational safety management system and training to reduce the risk of accidents
  • Awareness training and coaching to prevent burnout
Goals and ambitions
  • Reduce the group-wide staff turnover rate from 14.5% to 12% by the end of 2030
  • Reduce the accident rate from 15.3 (2025) to 14 by the end of 2030
SDG 11: Energy-efficient buildings

The Burkhalter Group’s services are helping to reduce CO2 emissions from the Swiss and Liechtenstein building stock and thereby contributing to implementation of the Swiss Federal Government’s Energy Strategy 2050.

Material topics
  • Energy-efficient buildings
Contribution
  • Expansion of services to improve the energy efficiency of buildings
Goals and ambitions
  • Decarbonisation of the Swiss and Liechtenstein building stock by working together across all trades
  • Replacement of fossil fuel heating systems with e.g. heat pumps
  • Installation of solar panels and charging stations
SDG 12: Responsible handling of materials and waste

The Burkhalter Group is committed to handling materials, recyclables, and waste in a responsible way and, as a member of the Swiss Plastic Pipe Recycling (SPPR) initiative, to establishing a nationwide take-back and recycling system for pipe fittings and plastic pipes. 

Material topics
  • Working conditions
Contribution
  • ISO 14001-certified, standardised environmental management systems
  • Involvement in the Swiss Plastic Pipe Recycling (SPPR) initiative to establish processes for recovering and recycling plastic waste
  • Digital planning (BIM, BIM2Field) for tailored use of materials
Goals and ambitions
  • Reduce the proportion of surplus or incorrectly ordered material, minimise returns to wholesalers and reduce material and waste through digital planning
  • Examine initiatives that are relevant to our business model for advancing a circular economy
  • Increase the number of ISO 14001-certified Group companies to 34 by the end of 2026
SDG 13: Climate protection

The company’s own greenhouse gas emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) stem primarily from fuel consumption by its vehicle fleet and, to a lesser extent, from the energy demands of the buildings at its locations. Greenhouse gas emissions in the upstream and downstream value chain are many times higher. Based on the business model and previous calculations or estimates, the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 3 are Categories 1 (purchased goods and services) and 11 (use of sold products).

Material topics
  • Energy and greenhouse gases
Contribution
  • Replacement of our vehicle fleet with electric ones to reduce our own greenhouse gas emissions
  • Strengthening the engagement dialogue with our contractual partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the upstream value chain
  • Identification of additional sources of greenhouse gas emissions and scope for reducing emissions throughout the entire value chain
Goals and ambitions
  • By the end of 2028, around two-thirds (67%, or 400 out of 600 vehicles) of all of our management vehicles (vehicles used by business and project managers) will be fully electric
  • By the end of 2030, more than 50% of our contractual partners (measured by their Scope 3, Category 1 emissions) will set ambitious climate targets