Sustainable Development Goals
Guided by the company values, the Schaeffler Group creates the conditions for long-term, profitable growth. In terms of the company’s understanding of sustainability, this means being economically successful while at the same time assuming responsibility for the environment and society. The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form the foundation of the company’s sustainability engagement. The following clickable overview shows how the Schaeffler Group specifically contributes to the SDGs.
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Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being
The health and well-being of the employees are important to the Schaeffler Group. The company is committed to reducing the frequency of occupational accidents by an average of 10 % annually until 2024. To achieve this strategic goal, the "Safe Work@Schaeffler" project was initiated. Its objective is to further raise the necessary awareness of occupational safety among all employees and managers. In addition, a global "Mental Health" day was held for the first time in 2022, with online presentations and classroom events.
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Goal 4: Quality Education
The Schaeffler Group places a high priority on high-quality training and further development of people entering the workforce. In 2022, the company employed 2,469 apprentices worldwide. In order to ensure the high quality of training in the Schaeffler Group and to continuously develop it further, global standards and framework conditions will be created or expanded. For example, modern learning environments and current learning methods are used to support the self-learning skills of trainees and students, preparing them for lifelong learning as part of their working lives.
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Goal 5: Gender Equality
With its engagement for equal opportunities and further training as well as its social commitment, the company strengthens gender equality. The target quotas set in 2017 of 8 % women at the first management level and 12 % women at the second management level below the Board of Managing Directors were already achieved for the Schaeffler AG in 2020 and 2021. To further promote the cause, a target quota of 20 % for top management in the Schaeffler Group was adopted in 2022.
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Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
The scarcity of global water resources is steadily progressing. The issue of water was integrated into Schaeffler’s risk management in order to respond to potential water shortages in certain regions. Water dependence is systematically being reduced in an effort to minimize water-related production risks. For this reason, a long-term target was adopted in 2020 to reduce freshwater withdrawal by 20 % until 2030. Schaeffler locations treat industrial wastewater with appropriate plant technology so that it can be reused.
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Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
Yet while electricity from wind, sunlight, and hydropower is becoming increasingly affordable, availability fluctuates and is unequally distributed around the world. As a universal energy source that is both storable and transportable, hydrogen plays a decisive role. The cross-divisional approach is aimed at developing technological solutions that enable both the production and use of hydrogen. The Industrial division supplies key components for electrolyzers. As a partner of the energy industry, the Schaeffler Group promotes the expansion of renewable energy production with its products, e.g., for wind power.
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Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
For the Schaeffler Group, respect for human rights is an essential component of corporate responsibility. The company rejects any form of human rights violations or discrimination - for instance, based on origin, skin color, or gender. Respect for human rights is an integral part of the Group-wide Code of Conduct as well as the Supplier Code of Conduct. In 2022, the Schaeffler Group implemented the Human Rights Risk Assessment (HRRA), a systematic risk identification and reporting system. In the coming fiscal year 2023, the HRRA will be supplemented by additional human rights topics in accordance with the German Supply Chain Risk Management Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz, LkSG).
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Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
The Industrial division supplies key components for electrolyzers, which are the underlying technology in the production of green hydrogen. In addition, efficient bearing solutions for wind, solar, and hydropower energy are being developed to increase the energy yield and the level of efficiency. In the Automotive Technologies division, the company continues to develop bipolar plate components for fuel cells used to convert hydrogen gas directly into power. The Automotive Aftermarket division is responsible for the global spare parts business and supplies innovative repair solutions in original-equipment quality.
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Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities
The Schaeffler Group values the diversity of experience and backgrounds of its employees and views them as strengths of the company. The differences and uniqueness of all employees promote innovation and make the Schaeffler Group more competitive in the future. Through various measures, the company promotes equality as well as belonging and ensures through its Code of Conduct that all employees feel valued and empowered to contribute their experiences and ideas.
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Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
The Schaeffler Group takes a holistic approach to developing innovative product solutions for the demands of the future – Schaeffler Industrial increases energy efficiency in wind turbines with its low-friction bearings. Automotive Technologies develops alternative drive technologies that help reduce the average CO2 emissions of vehicles. Automotive Aftermarket solutions extend the lifecycle of vehicles in accordance with the latest environmental standards.
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Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
The decarbonization of Schaeffler's production is based in particular on increasing energy efficiency, using renewable energy, and converting to climate-neutral production. To this end, the Schaeffler Group is focusing, among other things, on increased self-generation of green electricity and a change in fuel technology. In 2022, for example, a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) was concluded for a volume of approximately 60,000 MWh of green electricity from 2023 for the German Schaeffler sites. This corresponds to around 11% of Germany's electricity requirements.
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Goal 13: Climate Action
In 2022, a holistic Climate Action Plan was developed, which serves as a framework for the design and implementation of the necessary measures. The Schaeffler Group is working to make its own processes as energy-efficient, environmentally compatible, and resource-saving as possible. In doing so, the company focuses on continuously improving all processes relevant to the environment and energy. The company's own production (Scope 1 and 2) will be climate-neutral as early as 2030. By 2025, 75% of production emissions are to be avoided. Emissions from upstream products and raw materials (Scope 3 upstream) generated in the supply chain will be reduced as much as 25 % by 2030. By 2040, the Schaeffler Group will also be climate neutral in this area.
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Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals
To establish a shared understanding of sustainability, the Schaeffler Group is active in a variety of initiatives and associations that promote standardized measures and processes for effective sustainability management. For example, the company is involved in multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the industry dialogue of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights.