Commitment to Climate Protection

Since the Paris climate summit in 2015 adopted the two-degree target, the subsequent climate conferences in 2016 in Marrakesh and in 2017 in Bonn have worked on creating the conditions for its implementation. In Bonn, particular notice was paid to the contribution that nonstate actors need to make to achieve this goal. The final document of the Hamburg G20 Summit even explicitly called for companies, in addition to other groups, to support the implementation of the Paris agreement.

It is clear that companies will be increasingly obligated to act in dealing with the energy efficiency of their business activities. The aforementioned measures outline Schaeffler’s engagement in “fighting climate change and its effects” (SDG 13). Commitment to the fight against climate change is one of the focal topics of Schaeffler’s Sustainability Strategy “Responsibility for tomorrow.” The goal formulated in the strategy of introducing and successively implementing climate neutrality at its production sites confirms the Schaeffler Group’s commitment to making its contribution to fulfilling the SDGs.

Consistent Energy Management

With its energy policy, the Schaeffler Group is not only targeting the optimization of energy costs, but also ensuring a secure supply and increasing energy efficiency. Therefore, starting in 2013, the company began gradually implementing an energy management system according to ISO 50001 as part of its EnEHS management system. In 2017, an energy management system according to ISO 50001 was introduced at four locations.

It is the task of energy management to continuously evaluate and improve the company’s processes with regard to energy requirements. In order to collect the required data around the world, the Schaeffler Group operates a standardized energy data management system (EDMS). The system is used to monitor consumption data, detect potential areas of savings, and assess measures that have been implemented to ensure they are effective. The execution of the corresponding management systems and measures is reviewed at the sites on a regular basis within the scope of internal EnEHS audits by experienced EnEHS specialists and Schaeffler auditors. Furthermore, at least once a year, “management reviews” are carried out as a type of control function in which necessary actions are discussed and agreed on at Group and site level. The respective En and EHS coordinators, plant manager, and site management of each site take part in the reviews. At the Group level, the coordination takes place between the Competence Center EHS unit, Energy, and the Executive Board of Schaeffler AG.

Within the framework of the energy management system, plant objectives are defined at corporate level and considered the minimum to be achieved. In addition, the plants can set their own plant-specific objectives. The group-wide goal is to increase energy efficiency by 40%, compared to 2011, by the year 2020. The company’s environmental management has also set the goal of attaining climate-neutral production at one site per region.

Use of Production-Related Efficiency Technologies

The Schaeffler Group uses a wide spectrum of efficiency technologies. It ranges from energy-saving LED lights to modern cogeneration plants that combine power, heating, and cooling, to efficient absorption chillers to buffer storage for heat or cold that is produced.

In 2016, the company set the goal of realizing climate-neutral production at one production site per region. These locations will be determined in early 2018 in the context of a conference at which around 300 experts from the areas of Energy, EHS, and Maintenance from all regions will participate. These kinds of comprehensive conferences take place every three to five years. In addition, regional conferences are held at more frequent intervals. The purpose of these conferences is a standardized organization of Schaeffler’s environmental and energy management.

At the production site Berndorf-St. Veit, the Schaeffler Group is trying out Industry 4.0 technology in its own production processes in order to test its potential for more energy efficient production. In the context of the pilot project “Holistic Energy Management,” Schaeffler plans to measure the energy and volume flows within the sites with the help of sensor data and to optimize the flows using the company’s new digital platform. In 2017, the project transitioned from the conception to the implementation phase. Currently, the technical concepts are being implemented in the factory and data flows and function building blocks are being integrated into the digital platform. The pilot project also includes a condition monitoring system to monitor the condition of the equipment while it is operating. This is a solution that allows the Schaeffler Group to also offer its industry customers preventative maintenance.

Employee Participation

A positive energy and CO₂ balance depends on the personal engagement of employees, who are in turn regularly made more aware of the issue by their respective energy representatives. Machine stickers and signs about saving energy remind employees of concrete opportunities for conservation at the workplace. And in locations where it makes sense, production facilities will be given an “€CO Mode.” This allows machine operators to put their production equipment into an energy-saving mode with the press of a button and thus save 5 to 30% of their energy in rest mode.

The platform “ideenreich” encourages employees to point out opportunities for energy efficiency in their own area of work. With the additional qualification as an Energy Scout, offered Germany-wide, the company is also introducing its apprentices – as the skilled workers of tomorrow – to the issue of energy efficiency. The Schaeffler Group’s production sites also include their employees in their energy efficiency programs through regular workshops.

At the Schweinfurt site, the company’s second energy day took place in 2017. At an energy trade fair, employees were able to learn about diverse energy topics from the areas of construction, climate technology, and electrical engineering. In a moderated “Speakers’ Corner,” brief speeches were offered and electric vehicles and E-bikes were available to try out from an E-Mobility Station in front of the building. Employees could win one of these electric bicycles, as well as other prizes, in a raffle.

In Herzogenaurach, apprentices at the site built an “electricity stand” in 2017 with expert support. It has since allowed their younger colleagues, as well as the company’s future Energy Scouts, to learn a great deal about energy efficiency through simple experiments. In the future, the intention is to provide other production sites with a similar electricity stand.