12 Jan 2022. Voith has achieved an ambitious sustainability goal: As of the beginning of 2022, Voith has successfully reduced the CO2 emissions at all its sites to “net-zero”. Therefore, the Group’s operations will be climate neutral from January onwards.
This success confirms Voith’s pioneering role in the decarbonization of industrial production. All Voith sites worldwide undertook enormous efforts to achieve this major accomplishment. Increased energy efficiency and the comprehensive use of renewable energy sources were key factors in reaching the Group’s CO2 reduction goals.
Enhanced energy efficiency and energy from renewable sources
Since fiscal year 2011/12, Voith has successfully reduced its energy consumption by 28 percent. In addition, the Group relies on energy from renewable sources. Until the beginning of fiscal year 2021/22, the proportion of renewable energies in the Voith-wide electricity mix could be increased from 44 percent in the previous year to 87 percent. In addition, the Voith sites are generating more and more energy from solar and hydropower – currently approximately 6 GWh/a. CO2 emissions, which are still unavoidable at the moment, are voluntarily mitigated through carbon offsets.
Sustainable Voith technologies contribute to the decarbonization of industry
Voith also supports its customers in reducing their carbon footprint and achieving their sustainability and climate protection goals.
“Developing sustainable technologies for future generations is at the core of Voith’s DNA. We have already achieved our goal of climate-neutral production today. This clearly demonstrates the Voith team’s strong implementation skills. Our customers can also rely on this strength. We combine our expertise to support them in meeting their climate protection goals.” —Voith CEO Dr. Toralf Haag
Voith products are already saving more CO2 emissions than they produce. This is confirmed by a TÜV-verified analysis of the Voith products launched in 2019/20 and their potential deployment. According to the report, Voith products achieve annual CO2 savings of almost 3 million tons compared to 2.2 million tons produced. The Group is continuously striving to further reduce the carbon footprint of its products during their service life at customer sites.
Independent rating confirms leadership position
Sustainability is a core element of Voith’s corporate strategy. This includes various measures for the improvement of companies, society, and the environment. Their success is monitored and controlled at regular intervals. In 2021, the independent rating agency ISS ESG rated Voith’s sustainability contribution a B minus for the first time. Voith is thus among the three best companies in its industry worldwide and continues to maintain the “Prime Status.”