Endress+Hauser earns platinum status for corporate social responsibility

Figure 1: Photovoltaic systems on the roofs of many Endress+Hauser buildings generate solar energy.  

Sustainability is a journey. It spans years and traverses supply chains. There ought to be a way to gauge that sort of progress. For corporations marching down that road, there are a few.

Endress+Hauser earned platinum status for corporate social responsibility (CSR), once again scoring 76 out of a possible 100 points, in the EcoVadis sustainability audit (Figure 1). “Our sustainability journey naturally continues. Platinum status demonstrates that we are on the right path,” said Matthias Altendorf, CEO of the Endress+Hauser Group.

As the industrial-automation supply chain continues to feel the pinch of demand exceeding available supply, the ability to stay the course and remain influential both upstream and downstream looms large.

The EcoVadis rating covers a broad range of nonfinancial management systems, including environmental, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement impacts. Each company is rated on the material issues as they pertain to the company's size, location and industry. EcoVadis has rated more than 75,000 trading partners worldwide. The Endress+Hauser Group was able to maintain its top position from 2021, which improved on its 2020 score, and it continues to rank among the top percent of comparable companies.

To drive global-supply-chain sustainability, corporations partner with EcoVadis to leverage the influence of spend as a force for good by pushing their trading partners beyond compliance. An EcoVadis-rated company can then see how its score compares to the benchmark in the industry.

These evidence-based assessments are refined into scorecards, providing 0-100 scores and medals of bronze, silver or gold, when applicable. Additionally, the scorecards provide guidance on strengths and improvement areas, which the rated companies may use to focus their sustainability efforts and develop corrective action plans to improve sustainability performance.

Figure 2: Endress+Hauser views the training and education of young people as a sign of social responsibility. 

High sustainability targets

To satisfy the growing requirements of sustainability into the future, Endress+Hauser created the new position of corporate social responsibility officer, a role assumed by Julia Schempp in April. She is responsible for overseeing Endress+Hauser Group’s sustainability strategy and for driving concepts, initiatives and activities aimed at improvements in ecological, ethical and social areas. Plans are in place to define a group-wide CO2 target by the end of 2022. Work is also underway to develop further CSR metrics for the entire group.

Endress+Hauser achieved excellent results across all areas of the EcoVadis benchmark. “We value the feedback from the EcoVadis experts and take the recommended improvements outlined in the detailed evaluation very seriously,” said Schempp. The report underscored highly positive sustainability performance in the areas of environmental and work standards and human rights. “We can maintain our position in the benchmark only through continuous improvements,” she added.

Figure 3: At its location in Reinach, Switzerland, employees in a working group regularly seek out new approaches to sustainability. One of the ideas was the establishment of two bee colonies on the roof of the building. 

Growing importance

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a business factor. “We receive CSR-related inquiries nearly every day from our customers and partners,” said Gerd Gritsch, corporate director, quality, at Endress+Hauser. “Given that we help our customers to produce sustainably, we have to set a good example with our own business and production processes.”

The issue of sustainability is also of importance to growing numbers of employees (Figure 2). During the construction of a new office and production building in Reinach, Switzerland, Endress+Hauser focused on environmental and climate protection. The design included input and suggestions from employees who are part of a working group that searches for new approaches to sustainability. Among the ideas was the establishment of two bee colonies on the roof of the building (Figure 3). A hobby beekeeper, who is also an employee of Endress+Hauser, looks after the insects; the first batch of honey has already been harvested.