With "low risk" at first go 3rd place achieved
Since 1992 Sustainalytics has been assessing German companies with regard to their ESG risks. ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. This trio forms the criteria that have become accepted as an assessment of sustainability in companies. For the rating, Sustainalytics first defines the ESG risks that are relevant for the respective industry before checking how well a company has identified these industry-specific risks and manages them.
Pfleiderer has recieved a positive rating of "low risk" as a result of an industry risk rated as "medium" and the company‘s management being rated as "strong". Sustainalytics congratulates Pfleiderer on this exceptional result, which is extremely rare, especially for companies participating in the ranking for the first time. It underlines Pfleiderer's commitment to consider ESG within every decision and action and the great importance placed on sustainability. Pfleiderer was ranked third out of a total of 135 companies in the industry.
"Sustainability is of central importance in all aspects of entrepreneurial activity for our self-image and our strategy," emphasizes Dr. Boris Gorella, CEO of Pfleiderer. "We are very pleased about the excellent rating, which underlines our high level of commitment in this field in recent years."
Positive Rating is result of consequent strategy
This milestone was achieved through a targeted, comprehensive and coordinated strategy to not least reduce CO2 emissions, which Pfleiderer has been implementing for many years - and which will be further expanded, as Dr. Frank Herrmann, COO at Pfleiderer, emphasises: "This exceptional performance at the first time of asking makes us very proud and is both an incentive and an obligation to continue along the path we have chosen. The goal of climate neutrality, but also compliance with high social standards and a commitment to responsible corporate governance, accompanies our business activities."
The ambitious goals are laid down in our ESG framework. In the area of materials, we are committed to increasing the proportion of recycled wood used from 40% in 2020 to 50% in 2025, to procuring the thinned and residual wood used exclusively from suppliers who demonstrably work in accordance with FSC® or PEFC guidelines, and to manufacturing at least 10% of its particleboard (by volume) using bio-resins.
In the area of "Climate", we are committed to ambitious short- and medium-term reduction targets for greenhouse gases, the achievement of which should enable the company to make the transition to climate neutrality. Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions from its own energy production and procurement are to be reduced by 21% by 2025, thus fulfilling our obligation to achieve the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement. In addition, we aim to reduce the greenhouse gas balance of manufactured products in connection with purchased chemical products by 21% by 2025 (Scope 3).
Last but not least, in the area of "people", we have set high target requirements for occupational health and safety, diversity and further training for its employees.
"Our customers, employees and other stakeholders can be sure that they have a visionary and future-oriented partner in us," says Pfleiderer CEO Gorella. "This applies to verifiable sustainability, but also to our other qualities: customer focus, high quality and innovative products that set standards in the sector - and which in turn also contribute to the issue of sustainability.“
Dr. Boris Gorella
CEO
More information
For more information on sustainability and ESG at Pfleiderer, please visit our sustainability section of the website.