B+T group of companies starts implementation of sustainability strategy
At the end of last year, the B+T Group launched the campaign to achieve its climate targets. Now, after intensive preliminary planning and stocktaking, the kickoff for the implementation of the sustainability strategy in the corporate processes took place.
The managers of the two B+T production sites, Wetzlar and Hüttenberg, met at the headquarters to learn about the planned measures and the way forward. Frank Benner, CEO of the B+T Group, raised awareness to look and question where there is still potential for saving climate-damaging gases: "Avoidance comes before reduction, with compensation in last place. It's up to us. Each individual is called upon to see what can be done in his or her own area," he says, motivating his employees. Thanks to the successful networking and digitization of production processes, B+T collects a large amount of data on consumption and can assign it to orders - and thus also to products. In this way, concrete key figures of the climate-damaging gases produced can already be supplied. However, there is still work to be done to collect all relevant values in all areas of the greenhouse gas protocol, from Scope 1 to 3, in order to create product passports. Sanykey diagrams can be used to visually illustrate the amount of CO2 equivalents emitted for each plant (curing, coating or sorting plant) and each sub-process (refrigeration plant, steam heating, process water, waste water, administration, etc.).
As a supplier to the automotive industry - whose stated goal is the complete decarbonization of the entire life cycle of products and services in the supply chain - the entrepreneur is certain that in the coming years one of the main criteria for awarding contracts will be the CO2 footprint: "We think and implement - we can be better than the competition," says Benner. In a lively exchange with managers from all operating areas, concrete approaches to solutions were discussed. Plan A provides for measures in the optimization of machines and technology. These are small steps that can be implemented in the short term, but also larger ones that involve investments, such as switching to renewable energy sources for in-house use, purchasing sustainable vehicles for transporting goods, etc. But any change, no matter how small or large, cannot be achieved without a change in the awareness and understanding of the people who deal with it on a daily basis. It is planned to further sensitize all employees to the issues in training courses in the near future and to involve them in the process in working groups. In addition, the management level has set itself the task of developing contingency plans for the changed environmental and general conditions. "Tailor-made and sustainable solutions for your success" is the new motto of the B+T group of companies.