Together for a sustainable future

We know that sustainability is an ongoing process that requires continuous efforts. However, we are determined to continue pursuing this ambitious path, to persevere with our efforts, and to keep on reaching our sustainability milestones, in order to create a future worth living in for the coming generations.

Dr. Erwin Mayr, CEO

Our ambition

We want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by an ecologically necessary and politically driven transformation of the economy. The basis for this is our claim "Creating value for generations", which is an integral of the Wieland Group's corporate strategy. This strategy is based on three pillars: safeguarding the core business, strengthening the core business and pursuing growth options. We are guided by the principles of results orientation, commitment, consistency, familiarity and openness.

CO₂-Emissionen

Our current Group-wide carbon footprint is approximately 1.7 million metric tons of CO₂.

We aim to reduce our CO₂ emissions by 46.2% (Scope 1 & 2 and Scope 3) by 2030. We have identified key levers to achieve this, from generating our own electricity from renewable energy sources to expanding heat recovery and increasing the use of recycled materials in our production. Our decarbonization roadmap sets out the steps we need to take.

Our renewable energy efforts

In addition to expanding photovoltaic power generation at our own sites, we are also investing in regional photovoltaic systems. This year, for example, a solar park will be built in Erbach, near our plants in Ulm and Vöhringen (Germany). It is expected to generate 29 GWh per year, which corresponds to about 7% of the Wieland Group's energy requirements in Germany. The 24-hectare site will reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 18,000 tons per year.

Our goal is to increase the recycled content in our products to over 90% by 2030. To achieve this, we are increasingly focusing on the use of materials with high recycled content and copper scrap. Through Total Metal Recycling, we provide the industry with comprehensive recycling, dismantling, destruction and asset management services. Two new recycling centers in Germany and the United States will complete our efforts to create a circular economy.

We are continuously working on developing more eco-friendly products in order to reduce negative environmental impacts. To this end, we make targeted investments in research and development. As a result, we are already increasingly able to dispense with alloy elements that are harmful to health and the environment and increase the proportion of certified input materials. Through partnerships, we are continuously expanding our expertise and technologies in this area, utilizing synergies and making our knowledge available.

To permanently reduce the environmental impact of our products, we are working intensively on calculating the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF). We currently calculate our PCF using a top-down, cradle to gate approach. The value is an average across our entire product portfolio. In the future, we want to obtain more precise and product-specific values. To this end, we plan to introduce a new calculation method in 2024.

Toward a lead-free future

We have not been developing new lead-containing alloys for decades. Instead, we are researching how copper alloys can be easily machined and formed despite containing less lead. At the same time, properties such as conductivity and corrosion resistance should be retained. As a result, the absolute amount of lead used in the product portfolio is being continuously reduced. Our ECOBRASS alloys, some of which have already received Green Circle recertification, are proof of this.

See the lead-free product portfolio

Our global occupational safety strategy

Nothing is more important to us than the safety and health of our employees. We are committed to creating a work environment that minimizes accidents, injuries and health complaints. We continuously improve the safety of our employees through a global safety strategy. Its core message is that all employees go home safe every day.

In 2023, our global safety strategy will be introduced at all Wieland Group sites. In the coming years, we will establish new safety standards so that the safety strategy is fully embedded in our daily activities.

LTI rate reduction

Our long-term goal is to reduce the lost time incidents rate (LTI rate) by 90% by 2030 compared to FY 2019/20. Currently (FY 2022/23), we have already achieved a 69% reduction to 0.8.

Diversity and inclusion are deeply embedded in our culture. We treat our employees fairly regardless of their religious beliefs, cultural or ethnic background, political orientation, sexual orientation, age, gender, health status, and mental or physical limitations. Our goal is to further promote diversity in our workforce and to contribute to an inclusive society.

We practice diversity and inclusion through intercultural workshops, team building, awareness raising and training for our employees. One focus at Wieland is on women in leadership roles: We have set ourselves the goal of increasing this figure to 20 percent by 2030.

As a company with a long tradition and global operations, civil engagement has long been a major pillar of our business. Not only because it is our responsibility, but also because it is who we are. We focus on four key areas: Education & Science, Social Affairs, Health & Sports, and Arts & Culture.

We prioritize projects and organizations that benefit the communities in which we operate. For more information, please see our Donation and Sponsorship Guidelines. In addition, our support should reach a larger group of people, such as teams, and provide long-term, tangible assistance. In particular, we want to support organizations in which our employees are involved or can participate.

Learn more

As a global company, we are committed to ensuring environmental and social standards in our supply chain. We implement our due diligence obligations by clearly defined processes and in close cooperation with our suppliers. Key principles are outlined in our Supplier Code of Conduct and our Sustainable Procurement Policy.

The sustainability standards for our supply chain are documented in our Supplier Code of Conduct, last updated in April 2023. It includes minimum requirements for compliance with internationally defined human rights, based on the fundamental principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related UN documents. It also formulates expectations with regard to climate and environmental protection. Based on the German Supply Chain Duty of Care Act (LkSG), we audit our suppliers on a regular and ad-hoc basis.