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Roadmap to climate neutrality: thyssenkrupp Materials Services leads the way
thyssenkrupp Materials Services is a global company with around 380 locations in over 30 countries, 15,300 employees, and 250,000 customers. Such a presence carries responsibility – and the opportunity to drive positive change.
The times call for ambitious goals. That is precisely what our colleagues at Materials Services have set themselves: by 2030, the materials distributor will be completely climate-neutral, 20 years earlier than planned. "By 2030 we will have reduced all direct emissions at our own sites and all our own indirect emissions from our energy consumption as far as possible," explains Martin Stillger, spokesperson of the Executive Board of thyssenkrupp Materials Services.
Good for the climate: Efficient materials management.
The roadmap to climate neutrality
Essential to the strategy and to achieving the goal, are three words: Reduce, Replace, Remove. Reducing emissions through more efficient utilization, replacing the vehicle fleet, and replacing antiquated energy sources with renewable ones. In this way, Materials Services will reduce their CO2 by more than 100,000 tons per year from 2030. This is around 60 percent less than in the fiscal year 2017/2018 (187,220 tons), and, above all, this target goes far beyond legal obligations.
Martin Stillger has clear words for thyssenkrupp Materials Services' ambitious goal: "We mobilize people and set large and small levers in motion." However, what levers do the colleagues have in their hands?
1. Product Portfolio
When it comes to the product portfolio, steel plays a particularly important role. The first batches of C02-reduced steel are already available to customers. However, the development of a sustainable product range has also begun for other materials, such as plastics.
2. Renewable Energies
A major component in achieving the goals is the internal energy turnaround. In concrete terms, this means switching to green electricity, investing in photovoltaics, and switching to LED lighting. The entire vehicle fleet is also being converted to electric mobility wherever possible.
Renewable energies are not only good for the climate balance: "We invest sustainably in photovoltaics to achieve a higher degree of autonomy," says Martin Stillger.
3. Digitalization
In the words of Ilse Henne, Chief Transformation Officer of thyssenkrupp Materials Service: "Bits replace tons". Using digitalization and artificial intelligence has a positive impact on the climate footprint in various areas. Particularly in material handling, the avoidance of wasted resources and empty truck runs.
4. Supply Chains and Services
Supply chain optimization benefits from digitalization. However, it is not enough on its own: "We are working on improving traceability along the supply chain, developing recycling solutions and a green product line," says Stillger. Furthermore, the company uses a range of services to make its supply chains more sustainable. Additionally, a range of services can be used to make not only the company's own supply chains more sustainable, but also those of its customers. These include solutions for avoiding greenhouse gases and for recycling products. Thereby, our colleagues maintain and optimize standards along the entire supply chain. In this way, thyssenkrupp Materials Services is also establishing itself as an attractive partner for the future.
5. Compensation & Investment
As things stand at present CO2 emissions cannot be avoided everywhere. Where technical or infrastructural solutions are currently lacking – for example, parts of the Group's own truck fleet, special machinery, and vehicles in the area of steel mill services – emissions are offset by climate protection projects. At the same time, investments are being made in other solutions.