Climate protection a team effort worldwide
Protecting the climate’s only possible if we all play a part. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015 was crucial to putting concrete action on political agendas and getting relevant legislation passed. All nations that signed the agreement also agreed to set increasingly ambitious targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Because the objective is to keep the global temperature rise well under 2 degrees and, if possible, under 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Setting a good example
Europe’s ambitious goal is to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The bottom line is that greenhouse gas emissions are only allowed if unavoidable. And these emissions must be minimized and fully offset. At Wilkhahn, we want to set a good example worldwide in this respect. Because taking responsibility for the environment has been part of our company’s DNA for over 30 years. Due to Wilkhahn’s environmental management system, which has had certification under the European Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) since 2002, we’ve kept raising the bar.
Green energy a key factor
Cutting CO2 emissions is a challenge, even for a sustainability-driven company like Wilkhahn. We do so by adopting two strategies, on the one hand we use more sources of green energy rather than fossil fuels. On the other hand, we focus on improving efficiencies so that we consume less energy overall.
These approaches have allowed us to reach two core milestones already. Our electricity consumption has been fully climate-neutral since 2021. What’s more, the renewables we use, such as biomass, solar-thermal and photovoltaic power, supply as much energy as 300,000 liters of heating oil and there’s no sign this trend is slowing. By using renewables and taking energy-saving steps, Wilkhahn has halved the carbon footprint from 4,000 to 2,000 tonnes per year in just 15 years.
Our goal for 2022 goes one step further. Two of every three kilowatt hours of energy we require at the site will be generated in a climate-neutral manner in the future.
Efficiency’s the key
Less is more – even if green energy consumption rises, we still don’t want to waste resources. Energy conservation and efficiency are still pivotal to environmental protection. Which is why we’re constantly working on improvements to make do with less and invest in new infrastructure. For instance, we recently purchased a new multi-boiler control system for our biogas district heating and a larger heat exchanger for even more efficient heat control. We also use LED lighting in the production sheds.
Environmental responsibility means constant improvement
As part of our Sustainability Action Plan, we systematically develop ideas for each business unit in order to improve lives sustainably. In our view, environmental responsibility has several dimensions. It begins during the design and development phase and embraces environmental aspects. In our view, environmental responsibility has several dimensions. It begins during the design and development phase and embraces environmental aspects. But it also fosters all stakeholders’ health and well-being, whether we’re talking about our co-workers in Bad Münder or our suppliers’ workforces. And it’s an ongoing process because there’s always room for improvement.
More details in the Wilkhahn sustainability report
Our 2020 – 2022 Sustainability Report with Environmental Statement and the updated 2021 Environmental Statement give you a comprehensive overview of why, how and with what impact on people and the environment Wilkhahn office furniture is designed, produced and sold.