Walk the Talk
As a pioneer in Sustainability Investing, we are as committed to applying best practices within our own company as we are to promoting sustainability around the world.
10 Years CO2 neutral
In 2001, SAM became the first company in Switzerland to receive CarbonNeutral® status. Ever since then, SAM has been offsetting all of our annual CO2 emissions through investments in CO2 reduction projects. SAM supports the Uchindile-Mapanda reforestation project in Tanzania, which contributes to carbon sequestration, as well as the Candelaria Hydro Power project for the generation of renewable energy in Guatemala.
The lighting concept of our new building is designed to save electricity
SAM's office lighting system is equipped with motion detectors ensuring that lights are automatically shut off when no one is around. Automated blinds reduce the use of energy intensive cooling. In addition, the server infrastructure is optimized to use less energy by reducing the number of servers. Additionally, every workstation has a standby mouse (an electricity saving function) that can be used to quickly turn off all electrical equipment at that workstation when not in use.
We reduce the environmental impact to reduce paper usage
All printers at SAM are programmed to print double sided by default. All of our presentation booklets are printed on size A5 (small paper) to reduce paper use. SAM exclusively uses FSC paper produced in Switzerland. In addition, each all emails contain a signature reminding users to think before printing.
We make a best effort to ensure that our suppliers comply with eco-efficiency standards.
For the events we organize, we only choose locations, caterers and hotels that adhere to sustainable business practices. For bulk mailings SAM partners with a workshop that employs disabled people. Whenever possible, we prefer the zero-emission transport, therefore, we use bicycle courier firms for the distribution of mailings within Zurich.
We make an effort to reduce its waste
Glass and paper is separated from other garbage and admitted to the waste management system provided by the communal authorities. The mineral water is provided in glass bottles to reduce plastic, it is always sourced locally and we recycle the glass bottles
We encourage use of public transport
SAM encourages employees to use public transportation and subsidizes employees' public transportation costs.
Support of sustainable projects
We place great value on contributing actively to selected sustainability projects. Rather than sending out year-end gifts to clients and business partners, for example, we make special donations to projects that we believe help advance our mission – the promotion of global sustainable development.
Keep reading to learn more about the projects we have supported in recent years.
2011 – A big step into a better future
Sustainable is what endures and offers long-lasting support: a solid foundation for a roof that offers protection, for example. Or a village community that takes up children who were living on the fringes of society. That’s what the aid project "The Little Nazareno" is all about: giving street children in Brazil a new future. Every day, more than 25,000 homeless children fight for survival on Brazil’s streets. Hunger, drugs, abuse and exploitation, constant fear and lack of orientation are their everyday companions. Some of these children find a new home and a new future in Nazareno villages. They all share one dream: being able to offer their own children a better home one day – a dream that SAM gladly supported with its special donation in 2011. Learn more about this initiative at http://www.nazareno.ch.
2010 - “Small moves, big change”
Arguably, there is nothing that is more sustainable than to give children long-term perspectives. The Austrian organization BRAVEAURORA is doing just that – by supporting an orphanage in the north of Ghana, a country with more than 1.1 million orphans. Their motto is “small moves, big change.” SAM couldn’t agree more. In 2010, we helped provide for these children by making a donation to the organization that gave itself a name composed of the words “brave” and “aurora” (Latin for sunrise) as a reminder of “the brave orphans who every morning anew draw courage from the blazing African morning sun and believe in their chance of a better life.”
Find out more about this initiative at www.braveaurora.com.
2009 - “Bridge of solidarity”
Worldwide, 2.4 billion people still have no access to proper sanitation infrastructure. Among them are the poor Maya communities in the mountain regions of Guatemala. In 2009, SAM supported a project dedicated to the installation of sanitation facilities in Guatemala, which is part of a wider self-help initiative run by an organization called El Puente, “the Bridge.” It was a natural fit for SAM: While Healthy Living is one of the key sustainability themes that we believe will shape our world for years to come, it can mean very different things for different communities – fitness drinks and spa treatments for some, latrines and septic tanks for others. By supporting El Puente, SAM sought to make its own small contribution to bridging this divide.
Find out more about this initiative at www.elpuente-info.ch.