Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2023)
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:10.44 million tCO2e (2023)
Renewable Energy Share:56% (2023)
ESG Focus Areas
- Climate Change
- Resource Management
- People
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25% in 2023 compared to 2022
- Increased recycling capabilities with a new joint venture in China
- 56% of electricity consumed originated from renewable sources in 2023
Social Achievements
- Almost reached the target of 40% women in the Global Management Team
- Reduced lost time incidents by 36% and lost days by 74% in 2023 compared to 2022
- 86% of vacant Global Management Team positions filled internally in 2023
Governance Achievements
- Introduced Heraeus SpeakUp, a new communication channel for reporting compliance violations
- Processed three grievance cases related to mining operations in 2023
- Gold rating from EcoVadis in 2023
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- 100% of mining partners with sustainability targets, measures, and progress
Medium-term Goals:
- Net zero emissions by 2033
- 50% reduction in emissions along the value chain by 2033
- 40% women and 50% non-German employees in Global Management Team by 2025
- Voluntarily implement an exposure limit of 100 ng/m³ for chloroplatinates by 2030
Short-term Goals:
- Carbon-neutral for own operations by 2025 (100% green electricity, 20% less energy consumption)
- Reduce work-related incidents by at least 20% in 2024
Environmental Challenges
- Volatile and cyclic market demands, especially for gold, impacting Scope 3 emissions
- Significant potential impacts mining has on nature and biodiversity
Mitigation Strategies
- Engaging with mining partners to support their decarbonization efforts
- Increasing the proportion of recycled metals in products
- Conducting biodiversity impact assessment for all production and recycling sites starting in 2024
- Gathering quantitative data on water usage from mining partners
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: Regular on-site mine assessments (typically every three years)
Responsible Procurement
- Strict industry standards and guidelines
- Due diligence process
- Collaboration with IRMA
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI, CDP, SBTi (targets submitted but not validated)
Certifications: ISO 14064-3 (Carbon Footprint verified by TÜV SÜD)
Third-party Assurance: TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
- 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)
- 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
- 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
- 13 (Climate Action)
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Circlear (100% recycled precious metals)