Our approach
Since 2024, we have been gradually laying the foundations for a systematic sustainability strategy and management, building robust data processes, and progressively integrating our European subsidiaries. In doing so, we have begun to develop the core elements of our sustainability strategy.
This included in particular the collection of relevant data as well as an initial overview of existing structures, key figures and essential areas of action.
Building on this foundation, we began further developing our sustainability strategy in 2025. Going forward, it will serve as the basis for systematically identifying and developing key topics, indicators, and responsibilities in the areas of environment, social responsibility, and governance (ESG). We are guided by the internationally established ESG framework, which stands for Environment, Social, and Governance. This structure helps us to consider sustainability holistically and to gradually integrate it more deeply into our business processes.
Since we continue to be subject to the requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), we are preparing for mandatory sustainability reporting. Directive (EU) 2025/794 postpones the start of our reporting obligation from 2025 to the 2027 financial year. We are using this additional time to further structure our sustainability strategy, process data in a reliable manner, and gradually integrate our European subsidiaries more closely into the process.
This will create the foundation for presenting progress more transparently in the future and managing sustainability in a more structured way across the group. In doing so, we are keeping a close eye on the social and environmental impacts of our actions, in addition to our economic success.
What we have already established
In addition, we have established environmental management structures. Our environmental management system, certified according to DIN EN ISO 14001, helps us to systematically record and evaluate relevant environmental aspects and to derive improvement measures from them.
It also serves to provide structured support for compliance with environmental legal requirements and to continuously improve our environmental performance.
Certification is site-specific, allowing for consideration of the respective operational and local conditions. The Flensburg site has been certified since 1997; the logistics center in Handewitt has been certified since 2018.
The foundation of our environmental management system includes our environmental policy guidelines, internal audits, and external reviews. Environmental and sustainability-related issues are also addressed in comprehensive management and improvement processes. In doing so, we consider both the finished product and the manufacturing process, taking legal requirements into account.
We also rely on renewable energy sources for our electricity. At our locations in Flensburg and Handewitt, we purchase green electricity from the Flensburg municipal utility company , the origin of which is documented for the period 2025 to 2028 through certificates of origin from hydropower and registered in the German Federal Environment Agency's certificate of origin register. In addition, photovoltaic systems on our roofs contribute to our own solar power generation.
In addition to environmental and sustainability aspects, reliable business processes are also part of our responsibility. This is reflected, among other things, in our codes of conduct for suppliers and employees, as well as in our whistleblower portal, through which potential violations can be reported confidentially. In this way, we create a solid foundation for continuous improvement and for presenting our progress more transparently in the future.
Our next steps
Together with our specialist departments and European subsidiaries, we are implementing the next steps and further developing our sustainability management with concrete goals. For us, sustainability is not a finished state, but an ongoing development process.
Therefore, we regularly review our topics, goals and measures and adapt them to new requirements, internal developments and impulses from the organization and (external) stakeholders.
The further development of our sustainability management is carried out in close collaboration with our specialist departments and European subsidiaries. Appropriate measures are implemented step by step, responsibilities are further defined, and key performance indicators (KPIs) are developed to measure our progress. Based on this, we aim to present our progress more transparently in the future and, starting in 2028, will report annually on the preceding fiscal year as part of our sustainability reporting. The following timeline provides an overview of our milestones achieved to date and our current status.
Development of our sustainability strategy
2024
2025
Early 2026
End of 2026
2028
Key figures and reporting
As part of our future sustainability strategy, we are gradually developing our database, key performance indicators, and reporting structures. Soon, selected information and progress on relevant environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics will be presented here more transparently.
This section is under construction.