Ready for the future
With the vision of Clean Mobility, the topic of sustainability is of great importance to Eberspächer. Initiatives and areas of action start with the company's own product portfolio, but also focus on the company's entire business activities. Ulrike Wörz, Chief Strategy Officer, provides insights in this interview.
Ulrike Wörz, where does Eberspächer stand in terms of sustainability?
We are committed to enabling individual mobility without negative climate and environmental impacts. Today, throughout all of our Divisions, we already have the solutions for the mobility of tomorrow in our portfolio. At the same time, we are working very ambitiously to continuously improve not only our products, but also our reporting. The fact that this year we once again received a “B score” from the non-profit organization CDP confirms this. But the demands are continuously rising and we have to be committed in our approach to maintain this status.
Sustainability is a fundamental component of our corporate strategy. We act ambitiously with regard to our products, our areas of action and our reporting.
Ulrike Wörz, Chief Strategy Officer
What does this imply for Eberspächer's Corporate Strategy?
Sustainability is becoming a binding component of our Corporate Strategy. With the update of our MOVE strategy, it is integrated into our Target Picture 2030 as a company-wide area of activity. This is the only way it can be considered and implemented in all functions. We had already previously set ourselves the goal of CO2-neutral production by 2030. Now we’re taking another big step: Eberspächer will be a CO2-neutral company by 2040.
How is this goal to be achieved?
We work iteratively on action plans to achieve CO2 neutrality. We are proceeding according to the basic principle of “avoid or reduce – replace – compensate,” precisely in that order. One important step is the introduction of energy management systems in all plants to reduce our energy consumption. We are also increasing the share of CO2-neutral energy to 60 percent. Sustainability aspects in the procurement and use of products are also being increasingly considered – we are already doing this in some areas. For example, Purem by Eberspächer includes more sustainable steel in its purchasing strategies. And the Bus & Coach Business Unit is investigating natural fiber as an alternative material for covering air-conditioning systems.
What role does the topic of diversity play?
In the People area of activity, the social aspects are set out in our new mission statement. We strive to retain the best employees and create a best-in-class working environment that includes balancing career and family. This also includes actively promoting talent and filling the majority of management positions internally. By 2030, we want to even more firmly embed diversity and inclusion in our corporate culture. We will achieve this through education and raising awareness. We are currently launching an e-learning program and identifying existing barriers. Furthermore, we welcome the formation of networks such as our women’s network.
The Eberspächer Group pursues sustainability measures in the three areas of action Green Footprint - Innovation - People. The annual sustainability report provides information on global fields of activity, successes and our contribution to environmental protection and society.