HEIDENHEIM/STUTTGART. Voith has been awarded the Green Controlling Prize by the Péter Horváth Foundation. During the 29th Stuttgart Controller Forum, the technology group was presented with the accolade for its longstanding, consistent commitment to green controlling.

Since 2008, Voith has been identifying the economic and ecological efficiency potentials of its business activities, making them measurable and controllable and systematically implementing appropriate improvements. As a result, the company has been able to boost its competitiveness and reduce environmental impacts. Measures to improve energy, water and material efficiency have brought Voith annual savings amounting to € 6.5 million, while every year, a total of 52,704 megawatt hours energy, 737,078 m3 water and 1,907 metric tons material have been saved. “The Green Controlling Prize shows that we are on the right track and that business success and acting sustainably go hand in hand. We are absolutely delighted to receive this award,” says Torsten Kallweit, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Voith.

The basis for the improvements is Voith's Green Controlling Solution, which is derived from conventional controlling processes. In this context, the key success factor is the standardized, group-wide implementation of the system with the help of an appropriate IT solution. As Kallweit explains: “We aim to be specific, transparent and measurable – throughout the entire Group. From the outset we were convinced that a lasting economic and ecological contribution would only be achievable on the basis of a conventional controlling solution.”

Voith’s system maps the traditional data capture, analysis and reporting process and at the same creates a high level of transparency within the company. “An additional benefit is that the extensive transparency provides pointers to best practices and creates a competitive spirit between the company’s various locations,” says Kallweit. At all levels, from Group headquarters through to the individual locations, the focus is on both economic added value and ecological benefits. In each case, the results are benchmarked against specific targets, which resulted in the improvement in the recent years. Voith has also other ambitious goals for the near future: by fiscal year 2017/18 the company wants to reduce energy consumption by 20 percent, waste by 25 percent and fresh water consumption by 10 percent relative to sales (based on fiscal year 2011/12).

The Green Controlling Prize

In keeping with the theme “Get into the black with green!”, the Péter Horváth Foundation awards the Green Controlling Prize annually in collaboration with the ICV - International Controller Association. The accolade is presented every year for the most innovative and effective "green" controlling solution for shaping and managing ecological strategies, programs, projects and measures in companies and public institutions. The award was presented during the 29th Stuttgart Controller Forum by the Foundation’s President, Prof Dr Péter Horváth and Siegfried Gänßlen, Chairman of the International Controller Association (ICV). Please find more information on Voith's activities in the sustainability report:
www.voith.com/de/Voith_NHB_E_2014_WEB.pdf.

Voith sets standards in the markets energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith employs more than 39,000 people, generates € 5.3 billion in sales, operates in about 50 countries around the world and is today one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe.