Our climate protection strategy
Our motivation:Zero emission!
Climate change presents an immense challenge – one that can only be overcome with bold action. Our climate protection strategy for sugar production is correspondingly ambitious: We think consistently and for the long term.
Prioritising sustainability
Everything we do is determined by our unwavering commitment to climate protection. We are investing in new technologies to make our factories more and more environmentally friendly. Energy production, for example – by phasing coal out of our energy mix, we have lowered our CO2 emissions dramatically. By using biomass from sugar beet pulp, our factories will be even more efficient in the future. By 2040, we aim to obtain 100 percent of our energy needs from renewable resources.
Promises are good. Commitment is better!
Two major targets are taking us to climate neutrality. Our first commitment: By 2030, we will reduce our direct greenhouse gas emissions and our indirect emissions from externally generated energy by 42 percent (Scope 1 and Scope 2).
Our second goal is even more ambitious: By 2050 at the latest, we will achieve net zero for our entire value chain. This means that, wherever possible, we will avoid CO2 emissions completely. Any remaining, unavoidable emissions will be offset through external measures.
Verified sustainability
We have our commitments audited regularly, and for this reason joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2022. With this alliance, we are committing ourselves unambiguously to the 1.5°C target of the Paris Climate Accords.
We are setting ourselves ambitious climate protection goals and are committed to clear targets.
Andreas Dolls, Head of Energetic Transformation
Environmental and energy management
Our energy management has one clear goal: increasing energy efficiency. To this end, we systematically record and analyse our primary energy consumption. From this data and energy footprints, we identify the largest energy consumers and assess their efficiency. From this, we derive targeted measures to further optimise energy use and reduce our CO₂ emissions. At the same time, we aim to become less dependent on fossil fuels such as natural gas.
Role model for climate protection
“Think ahead, live for the future, lead!” This is the motto of the Klimaschutz-Unternehmen e. V. network, an association of climate protecting companies. And we can identify with it so well that we are actively involved as a member of the network’s pioneering initiative. In this way, we help to advance the cause of climate protection together.
Working together for a climate-neutral NRW
We are part of the Industry Pact for Climate Neutrality and Competitiveness in North Rhine-Westphalia. Comprising around 20 industrial companies, 11 associations and the state government, the pact has a single ambitious goal: To make North Rhine-Westphalia the first climate-neutral industrial region in Europe. As the first signatory, we are part of the core team and driving the pact forward vigorously.
