Ecology

Climate change is the fundamental challenge we are facing this century. Yet important other ecological aspects – such as resource conservation and the protection of ecosystems to name a few – should not be relegated into the background. Our contribution in the field of ecology therefore goes beyond climate protection and the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Economy

Sustainability means future viability and therefore has direct implications for the competitiveness of companies. Of course, securing business and thus earning and prospering for our around 3,600 employees is our highest priority. This means we closely link our economic success with our environmental and social goals – since we can only be successful in the future if these are in harmony.

Social

The health and safety of our employees, fair cooperation, equal opportunities for everyone and compliance with social standards in our supply chain plays a central role for SURTECO. That's why we promote these values in our company and align ourselves with internationaly recognized reference tools for human rights and environmental standards, in accordance with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. As a globally active company, we see ourselves as part of local society at our sites and are consequently involved in local initiatives.

Good health and well-being

"We make rooms worth living in". It is part of our self-image not only to develop functionally and aesthetically first-class products, but also to meet the highest emission and health standards. That is why we continuously optimise our production processes and raw material mix to deliver the best products to our customers. We also minimise adverse impacts on water and air quality in our production by, for example, reducing emissions and minimising plastic granule loss, and recycling and treating our wastewater when possible.

Decent work and economic growth

Our employees are the foundation of our long-term success. That is why we place great importance on safe, fair, and humane working conditions, as well as on fostering personal and professional development. At the same time, we also expect our business partners to adhere to high social and ethical standards. Through our Supplier Code of Conduct, we require suppliers to act responsibly and help promote respect for human and labor rights throughout our value chain. In this way, we lay the foundation for sustainable growth and responsible corporate governance.

Climate change measures

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Therefore, we have an ambitious plan to reduce our greenhouse gases so that they are in line with the latest scientific findings and the 1.5° target. In concrete terms, this means reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions by at least 50% by 2030 and achieving the net zero emissions target by 2045. Emissions that we are currently unable to avoid are offset through climate projects.

Gender Equality

Diversity and equal opportunity are essential components of our corporate culture. We promote a work environment based on respect, equal treatment, and equal development opportunities for all employees. That is why we prioritize diversity in our personnel decisions and are continuously working to increase the proportion of women in leadership positions. With this in mind, the Executive Board has set a target of 30% women for both the first and second levels of management. Through transparent processes, fair career opportunities, and targeted development initiatives, we are strengthening a diverse leadership culture and contributing to an inclusive and sustainable company.

Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Innovation and technological progress are key drivers of our company’s success. That is why we continuously invest in modern, high-performance production facilities and rely on state-of-the-art technologies to further enhance efficiency, quality, and sustainability. The SURTECO Group has adapted its business model to place greater emphasis on sustainable material innovations, recyclability, and resource-efficient production processes. At the same time, we promote product and process innovations to meet the needs of our customers and markets and to create future-proof solutions for sustainable development. In this way, we strengthen our competitiveness and contribute to an innovative and sustainable industry.

Partnerships to achieve the goals

Sustainability requires collaboration at all levels across industries, geographic borders and stakeholders. This is the only way we can achieve the goals of the 2030 agenda. That is why SURTECO is intensifying cooperation with other stakeholders in this field, whether universities, start-ups or industry and sustainability initiatives. We have already submitted our comittment of intent for the Science BasedTarget Initiative (SBTi), and further issue-specific partnerships will follow. We believe in the critical importance and effectiveness of partnerships to achieve goals, as this is the only way to pool knowledge, experience and skills and make the best use of them.

Clean water

Responsible water management is an important part of our commitment to sustainability. That is why we are constantly working to reduce water consumption in our processes and use resources efficiently. At the same time, through targeted wastewater management, we ensure that wastewater is properly treated and disposed of. Most of the water is used for cooling or cleaning purposes and, after appropriate treatment, is discharged back into the public sewer system or directly into rivers. In this way, we help conserve water resources and minimize potential environmental impacts.

Sustainable consumption and production

We are committed to sustainable consumption and production. We continuously optimise the consumption of resources for our products. Our quality standards ensure that our products are designed for a long life span. On the one hand, we are working to improve the recyclability of our products so that the high-quality components we use remain in the recyclable material cycle. On the other hand, we are working to increase the proportion of recycled and bio-based raw materials in our products in order to keep our ecological footprint as low as possible. This is how we want to make our contribution to the circular economy.

Corporate and operations

We as the SURTECO Group are aware of our impact on the environment and our carbon footprint. We will halve our CO2 emissions by 2030. In doing so, we will also work with customers and suppliers to develop solutions to reduce emissions in our supply chain. By 2045 at the latest, the SURTECO Group will be a net zero company.

We only have one Earth. That is why we use our resources consciously and reduce their consumption wherever possible. We are continuously working on making our contribution to the circular economy and closing recyclable material cycles.

Products

Sustainability is to become part of our product understanding and is therefore an important focus topic for SURTECO. That is why optimising the raw materials we use while maintaining the same quality is an important aspect of our product development.

We are always working to minimise the impact of our products on the environment and continue to provide our customers with the highest quality products. Important topics here are the achievement of a circular economy and the use of sustainable raw materials from socially responsible supply chains. 

Value chain

Transparency is crucial to ensure social and environmental standards within the value chain. We will therefore regularly evaluate potential risks within the supply chain with regard to human rights violations and environmental risks. In addition, we will evaluate our suppliers against sustainability criteria in order to make better supplier decisions. This is how we ensure that we can live up to our responsibility as a sustainability-conscious company.