OTS - Xella commits to an ambitious, science-based target for CO2 emissions reduction. (part 1)
2023. April 04. 12:02
Duisburg, 4 April, 2023 (APA/OTS) - Company launches its
Sustainability Report for 2022 - Xella Group, a leading European
building materials provider of sustainable, efficient, and
affordable walling solutions, publishes its 2022 sustainability
report today. In addition, Xella announces it has submitted its
2030 CO2 emission reduction targets to the Science Based Targets
initiative for validation. With this commitment, Xella aims to
ensure that its reduction pathway, including emissions from its
supply chain, is in line with the robust pathway recognized by
climate scientists to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5
°C (Paris Agreement).
Xella´s ESG strategy is based on three pillars: reducing CO2
emissions across all operations and more globally along the full
value chain, developing the circularity of its materials, and
ensuring a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace. The latest
sustainability report highlights continued progress in all three
pillars of Xella's ESG strategy.
Emissions significantly reduced.
In 2022, Xella has reduced its CO2 market-based emissions by 8
percent vs 2021, thanks to the deployment of its energy efficiency
actions. In addition, Scope 3(1) CO2 emissions have been assessed
precisely in 2022, representing 84 percent of Xella's total(2) CO2
emissions. When Xella completes the process of setting up a
science-based target, it will also add an absolute reduction target
for its Scope 3 emissions, beyond a more ambitious target for scope
1 and 2 emissions. Xella is committed to working with suppliers to
find ways to decrease CO2 emissions in some categories of raw
materials in the years ahead.
Xella aims to drive circularity.
Xella used 4 percent less input materials in 2022, and sand
consumption decreased thanks to an increased use of crushed return
material from production. This is aligned with Xella's commitment
to stop putting production leftovers to landfill by 2025 and is the
first step of its strategy. Xella is dedicated to further enhance
the circularity of its products and production. This includes
decreasing scraps generated by production and investigating new
ways to use leftovers, sort-clean cuts-off, and processed waste
from demolition in Xella's production rather than virgin raw
material. It also includes rolling out digital services such as
Xella's blue.sprint digital solution, which contributes to decrease
mistakes and optimizes the use of its products.
Xella can rely on its own research & development facility Xella
Technologie- und Forschungsgesellschaft mbH (T&F), to develop new
methods and formulas to make its production more sustainable.
Safe & diverse workplace.
In 2022, Xella spent €4.1 million in health and safety
improvements. This included capital investments such as safer
machinery or protection fences. The company invested in training,
including the further roll out of a Total Safety Leadership Program
(TSL), a Xella-wide program dedicated to empowering individuals to
take personal responsibility on safety.
Xella is also progressing on gender diversity, with the
proportion of female managers across the Group rising to 20% in
2022.
Cécile Fages, Chief Sustainability and Communications Officer
of Xella, comments: "We are very proud of the progress we made in
2022 in terms of our ESG efforts and the increasing commitment of
our employees in this area. However, we strive to achieve even
more. As one of Europe's leading building materials providers, we
have the means and responsibility to accelerate the reduction of
CO2 emissions and a more efficient use of resources as the world is
highly impacted by climate change. Xella is and will be able to
provide the right solutions to answer the sustainability challenges
of the construction industry."
The sustainability report has been prepared in reference to GRI
Standards 2021 and part of the content is assured by independent
external auditors (PwC) with limited assurance.
Further information is also available on the Xella Group
website:
www.xella.com/sustainability
- Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) -
(1) Scope 3 emissions encompass emissions that are not produced
by the company itself, and not the result of activities from assets
owned or controlled by them, but by those that it's indirectly
responsible for, up and down its value chain.
(2) Total emissions mean scope 1 & 2 (emissions owned or
controlled by the company) & scope 3 emissions
(continues)