Climate Change Data

KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA

Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2023-2024)

Reporting Period: 2023-2024

Environmental Metrics

Total Carbon Emissions:48,379 tCO2e/year (Scope 1 & 2, excluding South America)
Scope 1 Emissions:31,210 tCO2e/year
Scope 2 Emissions:17,169 tCO2e/year
Scope 3 Emissions:2,379,056 tCO2e/year
Renewable Energy Share:13% of total energy use
Total Energy Consumption:777 TJ/year
Water Consumption:498,732 m3/year
Carbon Intensity:28.8 kg CO2e per €1,000 of net sales

ESG Focus Areas

  • Climate Change
  • Water
  • Biodiversity and Ecosystems
  • Innovations for Agriculture
  • Own Workforce
  • Labor in the Value Chain
  • Business Conduct

Environmental Achievements

  • Reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 5% to 48,379 tons of CO2e compared to 50,940 tons in the previous year (excluding South American locations sold).
  • 58 out of 71 production sites implemented environmental scorecards (up from 56).
  • Increased the number of crops with dedicated breeding programs to 27 (from 23).

Social Achievements

  • Spent 0.7% of EBIT on social projects (up from 0.6%).
  • Improved OSHA incident rate to 8.04 per 1 million working hours (from 8.16).

Governance Achievements

  • 95% of the total workforce has access to the Compliance Portal (up from 92%).
  • No significant compliance violations reported.

Climate Goals & Targets

Long-term Goals:
  • Net zero emissions by 2050.
  • Increase the number of breeding programs to 27 by 2030.
  • More than 40% of KWS’ varieties suitable for direct human consumption by 2030.
Medium-term Goals:
  • Reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50% by 2030.
  • Achieve 30% share of low-emission electricity generation by 2030.
  • Expand use of digital solutions to >6 million hectares by 2030.
  • Increase the ratio of female managers.
Short-term Goals:
  • Replace natural gas with biomethane in Germany by 2027.

Environmental Challenges

  • Sharp decline in prices for key agricultural raw materials (corn, oilseed rape, wheat).
  • Falling yield prospects for winter crops in Western Europe due to high precipitation and disease/pest pressure.
  • Persistent water scarcity in some regions of Eastern Europe and Spain.
  • Climate phenomenon El Niño significantly impacted wheat and corn cultivation in Brazil.
  • Intense competition in the North American corn market.
  • Decline in demand for spinach seed in China.
  • Negative perception of new breeding technologies among the general public.
  • Statutory restrictions on pesticide use.
  • Geopolitical tensions impacting business activities and growth plans in the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
  • Risks related to insufficient compliance with social standards in some markets.
  • Potential price fluctuations, delays, and reduced availability in global purchasing activities.
  • Extreme weather events impacting key business processes.
Mitigation Strategies
  • Investing in research and development of resilient varieties (drought tolerance, pest resistance, resource efficiency).
  • Regional diversification of seed propagation.
  • Contra-seasonal production in the southern hemisphere.
  • Implementing a global health, safety, and environment standard.
  • Continuous and open communication with stakeholders.
  • Centralized procurement management to pool purchasing power.
  • Hedging instruments to offset raw material price fluctuations.
  • Structured approach to supplier relationships and due diligence.
  • Regional diversification of seed production.
  • Development of biological seed treatments.
  • Expansion of due diligence system and Human Rights Policy.
  • Crisis management activities in Ukraine.
  • Regular review and realignment of organizational processes.

Supply Chain Management

Supplier Audits: 13 audits in 2023-2024

Responsible Procurement
  • Code of Business Ethics for Suppliers

Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities

Physical Risks
  • Extreme weather events (heavy rain, flooding, storms, drought)
Transition Risks
  • Statutory restrictions on pesticide use
  • Changes in regional average rainfall
  • Changes in disease or pest pressure
Opportunities
  • Development of drought-resistant, pest-resistant, and resource-efficient varieties.

Reporting Standards

Frameworks Used: CSRD, GRI, GHG Protocol

Third-party Assurance: Voluntary external examination by an auditor

UN Sustainable Development Goals

  • Goal 2 (Zero Hunger)
  • Goal 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

Contributions through business activities and social engagement.

Sustainable Products & Innovation

  • CONVISO® SMART and CR+ sugarbeet varieties
  • Dwarf rye hybrids
  • Oilseed rape varieties with LepR1 resistance gene
  • Biological seed treatments
  • Fit4NEXT catch crop mixtures

Awards & Recognition

  • TOP TRAINING seal 2023 (KWS SAAT SE & Co. KGaA)