DEKRA Sustainability Magazine 2024 now online
Climate strategy for future generations
- Sustainability is a key component of DEKRA’s vision
- Focus on actual impact on the climate from 2025 onwards
- Climate targets in line with the 1.5 °C target
Sustainability, climate management and decarbonization are key strategic issues for DEKRA as an expert organization, and the company has consistently aligned itself with the vision of being a “global partner for a safe and sustainable world”. Current key figures, progress and best practices from DEKRA worldwide are now available in the new DEKRA Sustainability Magazine 2024, which also provides an overview of how the testing and certification company intends to live up to its social responsibility in the future, and not just with regard to climate change.
As the world’s largest non-listed testing, inspection and certification company, DEKRA set its strategic course years ago. The company is committed to the ideals of the UN Global Compact and aligns itself with the universal principles of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year, DEKRA was awarded the highest possible Platinum rating by EcoVadis for the fourth time in a row, making it one of the top 1 percent of companies assessed.
“DEKRA will continue and further intensify the decarbonization of its own activities. We are underlining our commitment to the Paris 1.5 °C target and to sustainable development,” says Wolfgang Linsenmaier, CFO and officer responsible for sustainability at DEKRA. “With our science-based sustainability targets and our new ‘Climate Impact’ approach, which focuses on our actual climate impact, DEKRA is committed to making further progress.”
Climate protection is a key issue: DEKRA joined the Business Ambition for 1.5 °C campaign in November 2021 and consequently signed up to the global Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). This initiative brings together companies that set themselves robust emission reduction targets in line with climate research. The emission reduction targets set by DEKRA in accordance with the Paris Agreement were validated by the SBTi at the beginning of 2024.
An important element in complying with the emissions reduction pathway, which requires an absolute reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of just under 5 percent each year, is the expansion of renewable energy. DEKRA is playing its part here at an international level and is gradually equipping its locations with photovoltaic systems, for example. As a result, more than 1.5 MWh of renewable electricity is already being produced annually at DEKRA locations worldwide. The aim is to cover more than 4 percent of annual electricity requirements through in-house generation by 2025. As part of the RE100 initiative, DEKRA will also obtain 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
With regard to future climate commitments, DEKRA will take a completely new approach. One element of its DEKRA Climate Impact strategy is an internal CO2 price that will accelerate internal decarbonization, as well as a fund that will be allocated to projects to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while seeking to achieve real impact rather than upholding an aspiration to nominal net zero through offsetting. More information on exactly what this means can be found in the new DEKRA Sustainability Magazine.
The DEKRA Sustainability Magazine 2024 showcases actions we have taken and successes we have achieved across every area of our business. Sustainability is an integral part of our management and also forms a key component of our results-driven strategy across all our organizational levels and regions. This is also reflected in the fact that, since the end of 2023, over 27,000 employees worldwide have taken part in the second sustainability training program to be rolled out globally.
Diversity and inclusion are also key concerns for DEKRA employees and corporate management. DEKRA has signed Germany’s government-backed Diversity Charter and is committed to actively promoting diversity in the workforce. The Diversity Steering Committee is a decision-making and reporting body that monitors Group-wide targets and promotes measures. These include the DEKRA Women’s Network, a workshop series for women as well as the “Grow Beyond” mentoring program.
As part of its sustainability strategy, DEKRA also aims to support customers in their efforts to become more sustainable by providing climate, environmental and decarbonization-related expert services. To this end, DEKRA has created the Corporate Focus Area Sustainability Services to act as a thought leader and multiplier in order to strategically expand its service portfolio across the Group in the three areas of energy transition, ESG (environment, social, governance), and circular economy.
The DEKRA Sustainability Magazine 2024 is available online via
https://dekra-sustainability-magazine.com/en/