As a family-owned company now in its fourth generation, Miele is rising to its responsibilities: from 2021 onwards, the company will be CO2 neutral across all its locations. This refers to greenhouse gas emissions resulting from its own production processes (Scope 1) as well as those in power generation at its energy suppliers (Scope 2). With the decision to achieve ‘Scope 1’ and ‘Scope 2’ CO2 neutrality this year, Miele is consistent in expanding its commitment to the environment and climate protection which already spans decades.
Miele subscribes to the objectives of the Paris Climate Accord of limiting global warming compared with the pre-industrial era. «As a manufacturing company – explains Markus Miele, executive director and co-proprietor of the company – we are fully aware of our responsibility in both the upstream and downstream value creation chains and have therefore set ourselves ambitious long-term goals.». For this purpose, the company joined the so-called Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in January and hence commits to pursuing reductions in emissions based on scientific evidence. This includes long-term goals along the entire value-creation chain, for example in the sourcing of raw materials, during product use, at the disposal stage and in transportation (Scope 3).
In order to achieve CO2 neutrality, the first step involves drastically reducing direct CO2 emissions at production facilities (Scope 1) as a result, for example, of heating and the consumption of electricity and fuels. Similar applies to indirect CO2 emissions from electricity generation at energy supply companies (Scope 2). In order to reduce CO2 emissions all along the supply chain (Scope 3), innovative and sustainable technologies with the potential to reduce the CO2 footprint in this area in the long term are trialled in pilot projects. CO2 emissions which cannot be avoided in the short term through a switch to green-sourced energy or through reducing consumption are offset by Miele in high-end compensation projects.
