We do nothing halfway
Since 2022, we have been operating carbon neutrally at all our locations worldwide. Last year, the independent rating agency ISS ESG awarded us a premium rating of B-. This makes us one of the three best-rated companies worldwide in the area of sustainability within the plant and mechanical engineering sector. At the same time, we have a strong focus on diversity and social justice and take responsibility in the regions.
Since 2022, working carbon neutrally at all Voith locations worldwide.
The independent rating agency ISS ESG ranks us among the top three machinery and equipment companies worldwide in the area of sustainability.
We publish a comprehensive sustainability report every year.
Back in 2012, we set for ourselves these ambitious targets that have been successfully achieved. In the future, we will continue to optimize the sustainability of our own activities.
Strongly committed to social justice and diversity.
Worldwide, we are expanding our photovoltaic plants, focusing on the purchase of renewable energies, increasing energy efficiency at our sites and thus gradually reducing our compensation measures.
ISS ESG premium rating in sustainability
Based on over 100 criteria, the Voith Group's performance in the areas of environment, social affairs and corporate governance was rated as above average. This makes us one of the three best-rated machinery and equipment companies worldwide in the area of sustainability.
Voith Paper's XcelLine paper machines won the third German Sustainability Award (DNP) in the Design competition, Vision category. Already today, Voith's XcelLine paper machines are characterized by significantly reduced energy consumption, increased utilization of the paper fiber's potential, and significantly reduced water consumption. Voith Paper's visionary design study for the paper production of the future strives for CO2-neutral paper production that relies on alternative energy sources and does not require fossil fuels.
Read more about this successProven success: We make our actions transparent
In the 12th edition of this annual report, Voith documents the progress made by the company in fiscal year 2020/21 with regard to the implementation of its sustainability strategy and describes future challenges.
READ NOWVoith has been climate neutral since 2022 - what does that mean?
We have been operating carbon neutrally at all locations worldwide since January 2022. A company is considered climate neutral if its processes, products and services do not further increase CO2 in the atmosphere. However, CO2 emissions cannot be completely avoided - companies can purchase offsetting measures for these emissions. The neutral position includes all emissions that occur directly within the company, for example through the use of natural gas or heating oil for heating purposes, as well as indirect emissions that occur through the external purchase of electricity, steam, heating or cooling (= Scope 1 and 2 according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, GHG).
How was climate neutrality achieved? What specific milestones were achieved?
We have been actively working on sustainability issues and optimizing our own activities for over 10 years. With regard to the climate neutrality currently achieved, we have clustered our measures into 4 general fields of action:
- Energy efficiency: Since fiscal 2011/12, we have been able to reduce our own energy consumption by almost a third. This is equivalent to the annual demand of a medium-sized city with 32,500 households. These savings are to be further expanded. Examples at Voith sites include the use of LED lighting, measures to refurbish buildings for energy efficiency, and the recovery of process heat.
- Own generation from renewable sources: Currently, our sites in Germany, Austria, India, and Sweden generate part of their required energy from renewable sources such as solar and hydropower.
- Energy procurement from renewable sources: At the beginning of fiscal 2021/22, we succeeded in almost doubling the share of renewable energy in Voith's wide electricity mix, from 44 percent in the previous year to 87 percent.
- Offsetting: CO2 emissions that are currently unavoidable are offset voluntarily by means of compensation measures. This involves the purchase of certificates that follow the highest international standards (Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard).
What exactly is meant by “unavoidable emissions” in the context of offsetting measures?
These are CO2 emissions that cannot currently be avoided. These are caused by processes that cannot be converted in the short term for technical and economic reasons as things stand today, for example process heat.
What are Voith's next goals in terms of climate neutrality?
As already explained in the third question, four fields of action have been defined for the implementation of climate neutrality:
- Optimizing energy efficiency
- Increasing the share of energy supply from renewable sources
- Further increase in generation of own renewable energy
- Further reduction of compensation measures through the actual reduction of emissions
In our fourth area of action in particular, we see potential for optimization in the future and would like to reduce our remaining, currently unavoidable CO2 emissions and thus the compensation measures step by step to a minimum. The aim is to achieve a CO2 reduction at all sites worldwide in relation to Scope 1 and Scope 2, namely:
- by more than one third by the end of 2024/25,
- by 90 percent by the end of 2049/50.
To achieve this target, we are working on suitable technical and economic solutions. For example, various production processes are being switched from fossil fuels to green electricity. On the way to achieving Voith's climate targets, compensation measures serve as a bridging solution.
Reaching the goal together: Commitment of our worldwide sites
- Expansion of photovoltaics
- Heat recovery
- LED
- Production process adaptation
- Conversion to e-vehicles + e-filling stations
- Conversion of internal processes with the aim of reducing waste
- Pilots for reprocessing of yarns and recycling of materials within the screen manufacturing process
- Pilots for reuse and/or recycling of transport boxes (wood) and steel pipes
- Optimization of the production process, resulting in lower water consumption less cleaning work
- Optimization water pipes & sanitary facilities
Papermaking for Life
Paper is the ideal material on the path to greater sustainability.
With our technologies and solutions, we ensure the most sustainable paper production.
Voith Paper sustainability stories
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