The road to zero: Fizelberg has reduced CO2e emissions by 18,6% since 2020

With their climate strategy, Finzelberg and the other members of the global nature network are committed to continuously reducing their CO₂e footprint. And in 2023 once again, the nature network was able to significantly reduce its emissions. Its reduction of 11 percent over the previous year smashed the planned target of seven percent. The nature network’s total CO₂e footprint in 2023 was 254,316 tonnes.

Consistent reductions with TÜV certification

For the fourth time in a row, the nature network calculated its CO₂e footprint in accordance with the internationally recognized Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The findings were again checked and verified by certification body TÜV Rheinland. This external, independent verification ensures that the data are correct, plausible and complete. The nature network has now reduced its CO₂e emissions by more than a quarter (26 percent) since it began measuring them in 2020. Finzelberg makes a significant contribution with savings of 18.6 percent.

SBTi: The yardstick for Finzelberg’s climate strategy

The main components of the Group-wide climate strategy are: measure, reduce, avoid. Only those CO₂e emissions that cannot be reduced or avoided will be compensated for – by funding high-quality, certified climate protection projects. The Group has the progress of its climate protection efforts assessed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In 2024, its climate targets were validated by the SBTi, ensuring that they are credible and founded on science.

How was this result achieved?

One decisive factor in this successful result was the implementation of the Group-wide energy management system. Consumption data are continually recorded, monitored and analyzed at all production sites in order to develop targeted measures for improving efficiency. Those measures include heat recovery projects, for example, but also more routine tasks like checking for compressed air leakage. The nature network is also focusing increasingly on renewable energies: it purchases green electricity and even generates it with its own photovoltaic plants.

Data quality as the basis for sustainable decisions

Calculating a CO₂e footprint requires comprehensive data on energy consumption, waste quantities, and other environmental factors. As the nature network has now been systematically calculating its footprint for four years, its data quality is constantly improving. This ongoing optimization makes it possible to perform more precise analyses and implement targeted and effective emissions reductions measures.

Supply chain transparency: a critical lever

Producing a comprehensive CO₂e footprint requires the entire value chain to be transparent. The nature network has been working closely with its raw material partners since 2020 in order to collect primary data, allowing it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a more targeted way. By 2023, 188 partners had joined in, providing valuable data on relevant factors such as cultivation methods, harvest yields, and irrigation techniques. This level of transparency allows targeted measures to be introduced that make the supply chain more sustainable – and the network of partners is constantly expanding.

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