| Invested through |
|
|---|---|
| Asset Classes | Listed equity |
| Impact strategy | Impact Equities and Bonds |
| ISIN code | CH0030170408 |
| Industry group | Industrials |
| Aligned with SDGs |
Founded in 1874, Geberit manufactures and sells a complete range of products for the bathroom. These includes products behind the wall, which form the infrastructure of the bathroom (fittings, pipes, supply systems, flushing systems and other building blocks). But following the acquisition of Sanitec in 2015, Geberit is also selling products that are in front of the wall like drains, toilets, bathtubs, sinks and other products for the bathroom. Products all share that they transport water in buildings.
Geberit is mainly active in Europe (revenue share is 90%), where the market for building products is mature. Geberit splits its revenue in 3 main segments: Installation and Flushing Systems (37%), Piping Systems (30%) and Bathroom Systems (33%). No segment margins available.
Investment rationale
Geberit sells sanitary products and as such plays a key role in providing access to water. At the same time, by designing products in such a way that they use less water, Geberit also contributes to a more efficient use of a scarce resource like water. Some 34,620 million m3 of water has been saved to date using water-saving flushing systems. In 2020 alone, the water saved amounted to 3,350 million m3. By providing access to and limiting water consumption, Geberit makes a clear contribution to the Renewable Resources theme.
The WHO states that: "Safe water, sanitation and hygiene (collectively known as WASH) are crucial for human health and well-being. Yet, millions of people globally lack adequate WASH services and consequently suffer from or are exposed to a multitude of preventable illnesses. Lack of safe WASH negatively impacts quality of life and undermines fundamental human rights. Poor WASH services also weaken health systems, threaten health security and place a heavy strain on economies." As it relates to children specifically, UNICEF states that over 700 children under age 5 die every day of diarrhoeal diseases due to lack of appropriate WASH services.