va-Q-tec AG
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2021, 2022, 2023)
Reporting Period: 2021
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Environment
- Social
- Governance
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced waste volume to <99.7 percent compared to 2020 (target)
- Reduced energy consumption by 1.5 percent in relation to revenues (target, baseline 2019)
- Generated 1,932,635 kWh of solar power in 2021
Social Achievements
- Employee turnover rate of 3.0% in 2021 (significantly lower than the German manufacturing sector average)
- Return rate after parental leave exceeding 90%
- SA 8000 certification since 2017, demonstrating commitment to labor standards
Governance Achievements
- Established a compliance manual in 2016 to address bribery and corruption risks
- Implemented numerous measures to enhance IT security and data protection
- No unauthorized data taps or reportable data protection violations in 2021
Climate Goals & Targets
- Not disclosed
- Not disclosed
- Reduce energy consumption by 1.5% relative to revenue (baseline 2019)
Environmental Challenges
- Shortage of skilled workers in a competitive labor market
- Increased absolute metrics for energy consumption due to growth and post-pandemic activities
- Significant increase in CO2e equivalents due to improved data recording
Mitigation Strategies
- Proactive recruitment strategies, including employee referrals and university partnerships
- Continuous optimization of production processes to improve resource efficiency
- Development of a more granular data collection system for a more accurate carbon footprint
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: Two-year cycle for significant suppliers
Responsible Procurement
- Compliance with Responsible Business Alliance's international supplier code for foreign suppliers
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Not disclosed
Transition Risks
- Not disclosed
Opportunities
- Increased demand for energy-efficient products due to the European Green Deal and carbon pricing
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: German Corporate Sustainability Reporting Implementation Directive (CSR-RUG), German Sustainability Code (DNK), UN Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG)
Certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, SA 8000
Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Not disclosed
Not disclosed
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), phase change materials (PCMs), va-Q-shell pipe insulation system
Awards & Recognition
- Not disclosed
Reporting Period: 2022
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Employee issues
- Product portfolio
- Sustainable supply chains
- Environmental issues
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced waste generation by 29.7% (530 tonnes in 2022 vs 688 tonnes in 2021)
- Reduced energy consumption by 3.3% (12,048,175 kWh in 2022 vs 12,445,002 kWh in 2021)
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 7.5% (102,181 tCO2e in 2022 vs 109,821 tCO2e in 2021)
- Reduced water consumption by 9.8% (6,702 cubic meters in 2022 vs 7,362 cubic meters in 2021)
Social Achievements
- Achieved a low employee turnover rate of 2.7% in 2022 (2021: 3.0%)
- Kununu awarded va-Q-tec its “Top Company 2022” award
- Implemented va-Q-academy e-learning project
Governance Achievements
- No corruption cases or fines for non-compliance in 2022
- Established a Group-wide anonymous whistleblower system
- Transparent, performance-based and sustainable compensation structures
Climate Goals & Targets
- Not disclosed
- Not disclosed
- Reduce energy consumption as a percentage of revenues by 1.5% compared to the 2019 baseline; save 20,000 kWh through heat/cooling management in CHP; generate an additional 20,000 kWh through baseload analysis or shutdown of Inpow facilities; reduce waste volume to <99.7% compared to 2020; achieve a customer satisfaction rate of at least 90%; reduce the number of occupational accidents to zero and keep the sickness rate below 4.5%; keep the employee turnover rate constant at 3.0%; create a Code of Conduct for suppliers and business partners.
Environmental Challenges
- Shortage of skilled workers
- Extreme weather conditions affecting production sites and supply chain reliability
- Regulatory risks
Mitigation Strategies
- Investing in employer attractiveness (company pension scheme, training courses, flexible working hours, etc.)
- Developing an ESG risk framework to assess, monitor, and manage non-financial risks
- Continuous review of corporate culture and policies
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 6 audits conducted in 2022
Responsible Procurement
- Compliance with Responsible Business Alliance's supplier code for foreign suppliers
- SA 8000 standards for human rights compliance
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather conditions affecting production sites
Transition Risks
- Regulatory changes
Opportunities
- Growing social awareness of climate protection and energy efficiency
- Increasingly stringent regulatory requirements
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: German Sustainability Code (DNK), Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG)
Certifications: ISO 14001:2015, ISO 50001:2018, SA 8000
Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure)
- SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production)
- SDG 13 (Climate action)
Developing innovative and sustainable insulation solutions; reducing resource consumption; reducing waste; offsetting carbon emissions
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- va-Q-lite (reduced PCF)
- va-Q-steel
Awards & Recognition
- German Environmental Award (2018)
- German Founder’s Award (2019)
- TOP 100 Innovator of the Year (2020)
- Financial Times’ “Tech Champion” (2021)
- EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2022)
- Product of the Year 2022 (va-Q-steel)
Reporting Period: 2023
Environmental Metrics
ESG Focus Areas
- Employee issues
- Product portfolio
- Sustainable supply chains
- Environmental issues
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced energy consumption as a percentage of revenues by 21.3% compared to 2019 baseline.
- Reduced volume of waste to < 99.7% compared to 2020.
- Achieved climate neutrality for its production sites since 2020, entire Group since 2021.
Social Achievements
- Maintained low employee turnover rate at 1.97% in 2023 (2022: 2.7%).
- Achieved Kununu “Top Company” award for 2023.
- Recognized as an “Employer of the Future” in 2023.
Governance Achievements
- Continued compliance with SA 8000 labor standard.
- No corruption cases, fines, or violations of the Code of Conduct reported in 2023.
- Implemented a job architecture with a pay structure in 2023 to ensure equal pay for equal performance.
Climate Goals & Targets
- Not disclosed
- Not disclosed
- Reduce energy consumption by 1.5% of revenues based on 2019 levels.
Environmental Challenges
- Shortage of skilled workers due to demographic change.
- Increase in waste generation in 2023 due to one-off disposal campaigns and changes in product mix.
- Extreme weather conditions affecting production sites and supply chain reliability.
Mitigation Strategies
- Enhancing employer attractiveness and talent retention.
- Optimized use of expensive auxiliary materials, reducing waste disposal.
- Implementing an ESG risk framework to assess, monitor, and manage non-financial risks.
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 5/year
Responsible Procurement
- Compliance with Responsible Business Alliance supplier code for foreign suppliers; on-site audits every two years at important suppliers; 100% of suppliers committed to meeting required standards in 2023.
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather conditions affecting production sites
Transition Risks
- Not disclosed
Opportunities
- Growing social awareness of climate protection and energy efficiency; increasingly stringent regulatory requirements; reduction of heat loss in hot water networks; increased range of electric vehicles.
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: German Sustainability Code (DNK), UN Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG)
Certifications: ISO 14001:2015, ISO 50001:2018, SA 8000
Third-party Assurance: Not disclosed
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure)
- SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production)
- SDG 13 (Climate action)
Developing innovative and sustainable insulation solutions; reducing resource consumption; reducing waste; offsetting emissions; promoting environmental protection projects.
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- VIPs, PCMs, passive thermal packaging systems
Awards & Recognition
- German Environmental Award 2018
- German Founder’s Award 2019
- TOP 100 Innovator of the Year 2020
- Financial Times “Tech Champion” 2021
- EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2022
- Rudolf Diesel Medal 2023
- EcoVadis silver medal 2023
- ESG Transparency Award from EUPD Research 2023
- Innovation Cold Chain Technology Provider award from ISCM 2023
- Supplier Innovation 2023 award at the “Uponor Supplier Day”