Wieland publishes new edition of Sustainability Report
- New centralized function "Sustainability & Technology"
- Expansion of recycling capacity
- Focus on electrification and in-house manufacturing
- Significant improvements in occupational safety
In the fourth edition of its Sustainability Report, the Wieland Group transparently shows where the company currently stands on the path to "net zero emissions". In addition to the milestones achieved, such as 77% recycled content throughout the product portfolio, the company also presents pioneering projects in the areas of decarbonization and electrification. For example, Wieland has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by ten percent in fiscal year 2022/23, in part by increasing its own electricity generation from renewable sources by more than 42 percent.
"Net zero" and organizational restructuring
The goal is ambitious: By 2045, the company aims to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions through appropriate measures and to remove or offset any remaining emissions from the atmosphere – in line with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Climate Agreement and the criteria of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). To achieve this, the company is not only focusing on individual products, but is also looking at the entire Wieland Group and its emissions. Supporting this effort is the implementation of the new corporate function "Sustainability & Technology" which bundles all competencies from the areas of sustainability, innovation and technology management, health and safety, global engineering, research and development, as well as environmental and energy management, and association work. "We are aware of the problems posed by the global climate crisis and the urgency of transforming our company in a sustainable way. That is why we have made sustainability an important focus of our strategic and organizational orientation," explains Dr. Erwin Mayr, CEO of the Wieland Group.
Efficient use of resources and eco-friendly products
Wieland has taken another step toward its goal of increasing the share of recycled materials in its products to more than 90 percent by 2030 by increasing the current share to 77 percent. Mayr sees the Wieland Group as a pioneer in this field: "In order to obtain even more precise results for the proportion of recycled material, we have developed a calculation method and defined system limits. We have published our approach in a white paper, thereby attempting to establish standards that can be used across all industries. New recycling centers, such as those in Shelbyville, Kentucky (USA), and Vöhringen (Germany), which will open in 2024 and 2025, respectively, are the foundation for increasing the share of recycled material by efficiently processing scrap. The company also aims to set the industry benchmark for eco-friendly products. For example, the use of lead in the alloy portfolio has been reduced by 25%.
Global and local: consistent electrification and in-house production
Melting, casting and forming metals requires a lot of energy. To reduce CO2 emissions in the long term, the focus is on decarbonizing production processes. Key levers include consistent electrification combined with the procurement and in-house production of electricity from renewable energy sources, CO2 savings through district heating, for example, and increasing energy efficiency by expanding heat recovery. An important step in this direction is the solar park in Erbach in the immediate vicinity of the company's headquarters in Ulm, which is currently under construction. "Of course, it is even better to reduce energy consumption overall. Thanks to various measures, our sites were able to save more than 46,000 MWh of energy last year, reducing total energy consumption by 14% compared to the previous year," reports Mayr.
Global occupational safety strategy
The Wieland Group currently has 85 locations in 20 countries and employs almost 10.000 people. Their safety is a top priority, and the company is constantly working to improve it worldwide: In the past fiscal year, Wieland was able to halve the LTI rate from 1.6 in the previous year to 0.8. The global occupational safety strategy, which has been implemented since October, will ensure a further increase in safety through various components and measures. "We see our ambitious contribution to sustainability as our responsibility towards future generations. Whether it's environmental protection, sustainable procurement or the safety of our employees: We know that sustainability is an ongoing process that requires continuous efforts, but we are determined to continue on this path," concludes Mayr.
Read the full Sustainability Report
[PDF]
[Image] Focus on sustainability - Wieland publishes fourth edition of Sustainability Report.
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Wieland Group
Dr. Wolfgang Albeck | Director Corporate Communications
Graf-Arco-Straße 36 | 89079 Ulm | Germany
P +49 152 59719639 | press@wieland.com