Energy and emissions
- The Schaeffler Group is committed to the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2°C or 1.5°C
- The Schaeffler climate program bundles a variety of measures throughout the value chain
Schaeffler climate program adopted
Part of GNFK StartThe Schaeffler Group pursues an integrated approach to fighting climate change across all divisions, functions, and regions. The Schaeffler climate program addresses the company’s entire value chain and is based on three pillars: supply chain, production, and product. The supply chain pillar includes all of the climate-relevant measures of sustainable procurement, including dialogues with strategically relevant steel suppliers about their climate performance. It also encompasses the topics of sustainable logistics and packaging.
The primary focus of the production pillar is the new Sustainable Sites program and all of the measures dedicated to reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. The aim is to achieve carbon-neutral production worldwide by 2030. The product pillar addresses topics such as life cycle assessments and product innovations for an improved carbon footprint.Part of GNFK End
Measures
Sustainable Raw Materials
- Analysis and reduction of Scope 3 emissions of purchased materials
- Transparency in the supply chain under economic, ecological and social aspects
Sustainable Packaging
- Determination of CO2 values for the packaging materials portfolio by the end of 2021 for targeted identification of optimization potential and subsequent implementation
- Developing a reusable packaging system for large-diameter bearings, especially for wind power OEM customers
Sustainable Logistics
- Monitoring transport CO2 emissions
- Involvement of transport CO2 emissions in the strategic planning and optimization of the own supply chain
Energy Efficiency
- Implementation of measures for optimized heating and compress air systems
- Implementation of measures for optimized machines and machine cool
Renewable Energy
- Increasing the share of purchased green electricity to 100%
- Increasing the share of self-generated renewable energy
Life Cycle Assessment
- Standardized analysis of the carbon footprint of Schaeffler products
- Conducting scenario analyses and deriving CO2 optimization potentials
Product Innovation
- Active support of the Schaeffler Group’s customers in designing environmentally and climate-friendly products and technologies
- Product solutions in five focus areas: CO2-efficient Drives, Chassis Applications, Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Renewable Energy, and Aftermarket Solutions & Services
Carbon-neutral production
CO2 reduction by 2030 compared to base year 2019
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production SDG 13 Climate ActionThe growing importance of life cycle assessments
To reduce the environmental impact of its products, the Schaeffler Group is increasingly dedicated to circular economy and is conducting life cycle assessments (LCAs). These can reveal a product’s environmental impact throughout its entire life cycle and be used to develop measures for improvement.
Increasing energy efficiency
Part of GNFK StartThe fundamental aim is to increase energy efficiency in relation to business development. The Schaeffler Group’s energy management defines minimum targets for all plants. The plants also set their own targets, with internal EnEHS audits conducted to verify implementation.
The Schaeffler Group determines energy consumption throughout the company as a foundation for improving energy efficiency over the long term. In 2013, the company began rolling out an energy management system in accordance with ISO 50001, ultimately achieving a coverage rate1) of 99.3 % in 2020 (prior year: 98.0 %).
Internal EnEHS specialists and auditors monitor the development of energy consumption using a standardized, global energy data management system.
100
measures achieved improvements of energy efficiency equivalent to more than 27 GWh
In 2020, the Schaeffler Group started bundling all relevant resources in a single energy efficiency program through an interdisciplinary team of specialists on a plant, regional, and central level with the aim of increasing cumulative annual energy efficiency of 100 GWh from 2020 to 2024. The sub-target for 2020 was to implement energy efficiency measures that would lead to annual savings of at least 25 GWh from 2021 onwards. During the reporting year 100 measures achieved improvements of 27.4 GWh worldwide. Measures included intelligent LED lighting concepts as well as optimizing heating and compressed-air systems and production facilities.
Energy Efficiency
100 GWh cumulated annual efficiency gains through implementation of energy efficiency measures by 2024
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production SDG 13 Climate ActionAs a result of ongoing improvements in energy efficiency and the initial results of the switch to renewable energies, the Schaeffler Group’s absolute direct and indirect CO2 emissions2) fell by around 27 % compared to the prior year, from 1,026,057 to 754,656 tons of CO2. All German production sites have exclusively used green electricity since 2020. However, the significant drop can be also explained due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Own greenhouse gas emissions in t CO2, including Scope 1 and Scope 2 (market-based)1)2)
1) The calculation of greenhouse gas emissions is based on the emission factors of the VDA (2017) and the Probas database of the German Federal Environmental Agency. Emission sources covered: Scope 1 (natural gas, fuel oil, propane) and Scope 2 (electricity, district heating). Supplier-specific emission factors were used to determine Scope 2 “marketbased”.
2) The reduction is primarily due to the purchase of 100 % green electricity in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Mexico, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Renewable Energy
100 % purchased power from renewable sources by 2024
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy SDG 13 Climate ActionProjects were carried out to identify, classify, and potentially reduce Scope 3 emissions. Emissions were calculated for the entire purchasing volume on the basis of macroeconomic input-output models. Material emission sources were then identified through hot spot analysis.Part of GNFK End
Total greenhouse gas emissions, including Scope 1, Scope 2 (market-based), and Scope 31)
1) The calculation of Scope 3 currently includes four upstsream categories.
2) The calculation of greenhouse gas emissions is based on the emission factors of the VDA (2017) and the Probas database of the German Federal Environmental Agency. Emission sources covered: Scope 1 (natural gas, fuel oil, propane) and Scope 2 (electricity, district heating). Supplier-specific emission factors were used to determine Scope 2 “market-based”.
3) Scope 3.1, Scope 3.4, and Scope 3.5 greenhouse gas emissions are calculated on the basis of a recognized input-output model that uses the method of multiregional input-output calculation and quality-assured data from international environmental, resource, and social statistics (OECD, BEA, World Bank indicators, and EXIOBASE). Calculation is based on Schaeffler’s purchasing volume in 2020 and takes additional steel-specific factors into account.
4) Not contained in Scope 1 or 2. Scope 3.3 greenhouse gas emissions are calculated on the basis of the emission factors of Defra (2020) and the emission factors of the German Federal Environmental Agency (2018, emission values of renewable energy sources). Upstream chain emissions and T&D losses are calculated on the basis of the emission sources considered for Scope 1 (natural gas, fuel oil, propane) and Scope 2 (electricity, district heating).
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2020 |
|
2019 |
|
2018 |
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---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy consumption, total in GWh1) 2) |
|
3,005 |
|
3,290 |
|
3,367 |
||||||||
Electricity consumption in GWh2) 3) |
|
2,083 |
|
2,316 |
|
2,365 |
||||||||
Natural gas consumption in GWh2) |
|
825 |
|
872 |
|
877 |
||||||||
Fuel oil consumption in GWh2) |
|
5 |
|
7 |
|
9 |
||||||||
District heating consumption in GWh |
|
48 |
|
48 |
|
63 |
||||||||
Propane/LPG consumption in GWh2) |
|
44 |
|
47 |
|
53 |
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|
Shorter routes – better capacity
Part of GNFK StartDuring the reporting period, supply and traffic flows were further optimized in order to improve their energy and carbon footprint. Additional sea transports were also reallocated to selected intercontinental rail routes. Meaningful key figures are important for the targeted reduction of CO2 emissions in logistics. Therefore, the Schaeffler Group is working on collecting data on Scope 3 emissions across the group in the future.Part of GNFK End
More information on logistics emissions can be found in the chapter Global spare parts business.
1) Relating to employees on the production sites
2) The calculation of greenhouse gas emissions is based on the emission factors of the VDA (2017) and the Probas database of the German Federal Environmental Agency. Emission sources covered: Scope 1 (natural gas, fuel oil, propane) and Scope 2 (electricity, district heating). Total of Scope 1 and Scope 2 (market-based).