Sustainable success

Step-by-step into the future

As a family-owned company, Endress+Hauser has always maintained a generational mindset. This is becoming even more urgent in light of climate change, which is why Endress+Hauser used the past year to anchor sustainability deeper still within the Group. Actions included the creation of a new post, Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, which also monitors human rights aspects. The Executive Board now has a member responsible for sustainability matters. In addition to creating regional sustainability networks across the globe, sustainability managers were brought in at the individual unit level. Furthermore, the Group determined its CO₂ footprint along the entire value chain.

There are plans for more major sustainability advancements in 2023. Endress+Hauser is ­committed to developing a climate strategy in line with the Science Based Targets initiative. This has created an ambitious framework of best practices for companies to define their climate protection goals, helping them to set science­based reduction targets in support of the 1.5 degree target outlined in the Paris Accords. By once again placing at the top end of the EcoVadis sustainability rankings, Endress+Hauser demonstrates that it is on the right track: in 2022, the Group scored 76 out of 100 points for the second consecutive year. That puts Endress+Hauser in the highest percentile of comparable companies and brings platinum status once again.

3 questions for Julia Schempp

As the person responsible for corporate social responsibility and human rights at Endress+Hauser, Julia Schempp is accelerating the Group’s sustainability strategy and driving improvements in ecological, ethical and social matters of importance.

marketSTEEL: Last year, Endress+Hauser focused in particular on the issue of climate protection. What’s behind all of this?

Climate change is one of humanity’s greatest challenges, given its grave social and economic risks. As a family-owned company, Endress+Hauser pursues long-term goals and strives to effect positive change. That’s why we are shouldering responsibility in this area and making an effort to combat climate change.

marketSTEEL: Where does Endress+Hauser stand at the moment?

We are already on the path to extensive decarbonization. We are building energy-efficient and climate-neutral buildings, utilizing renewable energy sources, encouraging electromobility and starting to do our bit after joining the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2021.
We want to continue vigorously down this path, especially given the growing demands from all sides. We are currently identifying emissions drivers along the entire value chain and developing a Group-wide strategy based on the findings.

marketSTEEL: Where do the challenges lie?

One of the biggest is collecting and standardizing the data from all Group companies. Furthermore, indications are that our carbon footprint consists largely of indirect emissions from purchased intermediate products and components. Hence, our future focus will be on working together with our partners to transform the value chain.

Acting ecologically, socially and ethically – Endress+Hauser considers this part of its corporate responsibility. That’s why the company’s investments are geared not only toward business growth, but also increased sustainability.

• 2014 The year Endress+Hauser began issuing a sustainability report alongside the annual report.
• 76/100 76 out of 100 points scored in the 2022 EcoVadis sustainability ranking, giving
  Endress+Hauser platinum status for the second time.
• 95 % of Endress+Hauser’s CO₂ footprint accrues from upstream and downstream value chains.

Photos: Endress+Hauser