#ClimateAction - Working Together to Combat Climate Change
Employee Ideas for Climate Protection
Sustainability is an integral part of the corporate strategy at Umicore, a materials technology and recycling group. The company focused on materials for clean mobility early on and, thanks to its recycling expertise, closes the material loop for its products. In addition, Umicore is constantly on the lookout for new and innovative approaches that help make its sites around the globe climate-friendly. For this reason, the global “Climate Action Program” was launched.
Reducing the CO2 Footprint at the Hanau Site
Since last year, all Umicore employees have been able to submit their ideas for reducing CO2 emissions at the Hanau site to the Climate Action Program. The best ideas can be implemented by the employees themselves using Umicore funding.
Since July 2020, 63 employees have submitted their personal Climate Action ideas. Of these, 14 initiatives have been implemented so far, which are now helping to reduce the company’s carbon footprint at the site and in the region. Additional ideas are currently being implemented.
Sustainable search, recycled paper, a timer-controlled ventilation system—there are plenty of ideas!
Sometimes reducing CO2 is really easy, for example, by using a sustainable search engine that plants trees. Every search query consumes resources in the form of energy, thereby increasing CO2 emissions. An Umicore employee therefore proposed introducing the sustainable search engine Ecosia. Now, employees’ search queries help ensure that trees are planted. 80 percent of Ecosia’s revenue is donated to non-profit conservation organizations that focus on reforestation programs. Based on an average of five search queries per employee per day and assuming that two-thirds of the workforce uses the new search engine daily, sustainable searching removes approximately 640 tons of CO2 per year thanks to the 14,200 trees that are planted.
Using recycled paper is a simple and efficient way to conserve natural resources. Compared to virgin fiber paper, its production saves up to 70 percent water and up to 60 percent energy (source: Papieratlas 2021). In addition, recycling paper reduces the burden on forests. Thanks to an employee’s suggestion to change purchasing guidelines, the range of paper, envelopes, and paper towels at Umicore has been replaced site-wide with alternatives made from recycled paper or paper from certified forestry. A simple change that has a big impact.
Digitalization can also help make processes more sustainable. An employee suggestion to use new software that enables a ventilation system to be operated on a timer has now resulted in the system running according to actual demand. This saves the company approximately 31 tons of CO2 annually.
What’s next?
Due to its great success, Umicore is continuing its Climate Action program with its employees in 2021. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, the company places particular emphasis on local feasibility, as the impact is intended to be felt directly at the Hanau site. Many initiatives are already underway, while new ideas can still be submitted. “Climate protection concerns everyone. The goal of Climate Action is to keep our carbon footprint at the Hanau site as small as possible,” says Dr. Bernhard Fuchs, CEO of Umicore AG & Co. KG. “Even simple measures can reduce CO2 emissions. Encouraging our employees to put their own ideas for climate protection into practice helps us make another important contribution to sustainability within our business environment. Processes and workflows at Umicore are examined, questioned, and rethought through the participation of our employees. Together, we can make a difference here at the site and take action against climate change.”
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