Goals

Specified goals help to accelerate progress. Progress in sustainability can be reached at different levels. One of the most important ones is climate neutrality and related carbon zero. Agreements and signatures confirm goals, especially public statements prove honesty and will. The commitment to the goals of the UN Global Compact is such public declaration of intention.


External validation checks of own data and statements enforce the trust.


Carbon-Zero

The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, agreed by over 190 countries, limits the global temperature increase to well below 2°C and to continue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Industry is one of the largest emissions sectors, accountable for more than 40% of global emissions in 2019. Therefore, industry and business need to contribute achieving the Paris reduction targets.

Eppendorf sets their goal: Become carbon-zero as a company until 2028

Eppendorf faces up to its responsibility and has clearly mapped the core issue of sustainability in its corporate strategy. Our Co-CEO Eva van Pelt explains where the journey is headed: "With our climate strategy, we will make Eppendorf carbon-zero by 2028. This means that we are voluntarily much faster than many other companies. We on the Management Board are very proud that Eppendorf takes the issue of sustainability so seriously and is making an important contribution to climate and environment with numerous measures."

To achieve this goal, the Sustainability & HSE team has developed a climate strategy. As part of the overarching Eppendorf sustainability strategy, this concept specifies concrete measures that significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The team developed and coordinated all actions in interviews and workshops with experts and departments.

What are our steps to reach this ambitious target?

  • Switch to renewable energy sources at all Eppendorf sites worldwide. We are already using 100% CO2-neutral green electricity at most of our production facilities and in the global headquarters. As a result, CO2 emissions in 2021 were reduced by 57% compared to the previous year.
  • High climate standards for new buildings are to be established. The aim is to achieve the so-called DGNB (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen) platinum certification, the highest award for sustainable construction for all building developments in Germany.
  • Optimizing the energy efficiency of buildings should help to consume less resources.
  • By further reducing air freight, transport goods are to be shifted more to rail and sea, resulting in less CO2.
  • To gain a low-CO2 vehicle fleet, the entire corporate vehicle fleet will be electrified.
  • Environmentally friendly travel will be promoted more strongly.
  • We want to benefit more than before from "swarm knowledge" through systematic knowledge development and transfer.
  • A competition for climate projects will reward particularly exceptional climate projects.

Enrico Jakobi, Head of Sustainability & HSE, explains how important it is for Eppendorf to take countermeasures by simulating CO2 development: "If we continue as before, CO2 emissions would increase significantly in the expected course of business." Nevertheless, CO2 emissions cannot yet be completely avoided at status quo such as for example flights. Eppendorf will offset those remaining greenhouse gases by purchasing so-called CO2 certificates from climate protection projects. "We will continue to look hard for ways to significantly reduce the remaining emissions as well," explains Enrico Jakobi.

„Now we can start full speed ahead toward Carbon-Zero," emphasizes Eva van Pelt. "My thanks go to everyone who is working hard to achieve this goal together. Because only if everyone pulls together the ambition of Carbon-Zero by 2028 can become a reality."


UN Global Compact

By becoming a participant of the UN Global Compact, Eppendorf commits to the ten principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. At the same time, our company is committed to actively promoting and demonstrably advancing the issue of sustainability. Once a year, Eppendorf will therefore document the progress of all activities and make it publicly available on the UNGC website. Before a company can become a participant of the UN Global Compact, its management must commit to the ten principles in a Letter of Commitment. The Co- CEOs Eva van Pelt and Peter Fruhstorfer signed this in January 2022.


Business Practices

With company-wide codes of conduct, Eppendorf has established standards for employees and suppliers around the world.

Eppendorf considers compliance with legal requirements to be a matter of course. That is why we set standards for ourselves that exceed what is required by law. When joining the company, every employee of Eppendorf SE and its majority-owned subsidiaries in Germany and other countries agrees to comply with the Code of Conduct. This code includes guidelines on how to behave in accordance with the company's ethical standards – for example, when using company resources or with regards to occupational safety.

Eppendorf also ensures certain standards in its supplier relationships. To this end, the company imposes the Code of Conduct for Suppliers.


ecovadis

Scoring systems like ecovadis become a reference point in industry in respect to corporate sustainability. ecovadis addresses four major topics:

  • Take responsibility as a company for the environmental impacts of your operations (such as  energy consumption during manufacturing, use of energy in the office, chemical use), this includes products as well as services.
  • Ethics cover corruption and bribery, anti-competitive practices as well as responsible marketing
  • Sustainable procurement describes the source of resources and parts, how they are produced and what kind of CSR management systems is established at your suppliers.
  • Human resources addresses health and safety aspects, working conditions, a structured social dialog and career management and training.
  • Human rights issues are checked to avoid child labor, forced labor, and discrimination

Eppendorf is listed at ecovadis.