Environmental Responsibility
Transformation of the glass industry
As a global specialty glass manufacturer, we are part of an energy-intensive industry with a large CO2 footprint. SCHOTT has set out to meet the challenges that the sustainable transformation of our company entails. We have already reached the first milestones.First Successes
Our action plan
On our path toward climate-neutral production (Scope 1 + 2 GHG Protocol), we act according to the principle of “avoid, reduce, compensate.” Our action plan comprises four areas of action.Technology change
Improvement of energy efficiency
100 percent green electricity
Compensation for remaining emissions
Corporate Carbon Footprint
Glass production is energy intensive
As a specialty glass manufacturer, SCHOTT is an energy-intensive company. Specialty glasses and glass-ceramics are melted in large melting tanks at temperatures of up to 1,700 ºC. Until now, we have been heating the melting tanks with the fossil fuels natural gas and heating oil, and in some cases with electricity. Glass processing also requires a lot of energy. Due to this total energy demand, our climate-relevant footprint in 2019 was around one million tons of CO2e.
Our calculations are based on the market-based method of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG). The exact location-based footprint was 641,081.0 tons of CO2e. To calculate our Corporate Carbon Footprint, we consider the emissions of all greenhouse gases. We currently include emissions from our own production (Scope 1 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) and from purchased energy (Scope 2) in the calculation. In order to establish comparability in terms of their climate impact, we report greenhouse gas emissions in CO2 equivalents (CO2e).
Setting standards
Through the use of state-of-the-art technology and continuous process improvements, we repeatedly set standards in the glass industry when it comes to environmental protection.
Continuous process improvements to reduce emissions and energy and water consumption
Responsible use of valuable resources
Natural resources are finite. We must use them responsibly and conscientiously. We have been reducing our water consumption, waste and emissions for decades.
Our internal recyclables loop is already well developed. We are now driving forward with additional solutions in the circular economy. Together with our customers and processing companies, we are developing the first innovative processes in pilot projects.
We want to make greater use of renewable and recycled materials and close material cycles. Furthermore, we want to reduce our water consumption and waste generation relative to value added.
Our long-term vision is to reprocess products in such a way that they can be reintegrated into the production process in an ecologically and economically sensible way.
Integrated EHS management system
Since 1995, we have been using an integrated EHS management system to ensure that high standards of environmental protection and health and safety are maintained at all our sites worldwide. It is based on the international ISO standards 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) and 45001 (Occupational Health And Safety).
In the meantime, the EHS standard for material compliance has also been added. These group-wide standards supplement national laws and regulations where it is important to SCHOTT to uniformly regulate relevant compliance topics and define a worldwide minimum standard.
Other key areas of responsibility
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