Now Arburg has it in writing. The category “B” CDP score officially confirms that the company performs better than average in the areas of climate protection, ecology and CO2 emissions compared to other industry players. The classification as part of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) was based on the company's answers to a detailed list of quantitative and qualitative questions on minimising emissions. The CDP score, like the recently published sustainability report, is an important component of the “arburgGREENworld” program, in which Arburg has pooled its activities in relation to resource conservation and the circular economy.
“Arburg participated in the Carbon Disclosure Projects for the first time and we are more than satisfied with the result,” said Bertram Stern, Sustainability Manager at Arburg, explaining that the score confirmed that Arburg was doing very well with its activities in terms of sustainability and environmental protection – topics that had played an important role throughout the company for decades – while also showing that there was potential for further improvement in this respect.
Bertram Stern, Sustainability Manager at Arburg
CDP: Global data on climate change, water and forests
The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an international non-profit organisation founded in London in 2000, collects and publishes global environmental data from companies and institutions on the three topics of climate change, water and forests. Companies are invited to cooperate in the collection of this data at the instigation of investors or major customers. A score is then determined from the information provided, which the participating companies use as a basis for further efforts and activities. The CDP score in categories A to D enables companies to learn which categories require additional attention in order to achieve greater sustainability. This benchmarking and comparison with other companies helps participants make progress towards environmental responsibility and to continuously improve their own climate policy.
Measures in place, strategies to be further developed
With a “B” score, Arburg is at what is known as “Management” level, which means that coordinated measures are being taken on climate issues and the company's own strategies in this regard are being further developed. This is higher than a “C” score, or “Awareness” level – the European average – which certifies that companies with this score have “knowledge of the impact of climate issues”. The average in the mechanical engineering sector is at an even lower level with a “D" score. These companies are merely “transparent on climate issues”.
The aim is to keep getting better
Arburg is well above the average for its own industry in most CDP assessment categories, for example in the areas of target tracking, disclosure of risk factors, initiatives to reduce emissions and in the business strategy and financial planning segment. However, there are still areas with potential for development. These include emissions and active engagement on climate and sustainability issues in and along the value chain.
With regard to the goals resulting from Arburg's CDP score, Bertram Stern commented: “We will remain at Management Level B in 2021 and, where possible, develop further. To achieve this, we will intensify our medium- and long-term efforts throughout the company and improve in the categories in which we have been scored “C”, both at our headquarters in Lossburg and in all of our subsidiaries. We will try to further reduce any emissions that we can directly influence and to integrate a sustainability strategy into our supply chain management that is specifically geared towards our suppliers.”
All-encompassing view
To achieve this goal, an all-encompassing view of the company's efforts on its CO2 emissions, climate risks, and reduction targets and strategies is required. For example, comprehensive carbon accounting via the Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) is one of the bases for the Carbon Disclosure Project. According to Bertram Stern, Arburg's first participation in the initiative provided additional important insights into the systematisation of data quality and availability, as well as raising awareness of climate risk and opportunity management, emissions targets, savings potential, and cost tracking.
