Environment
ENVIRONMENT
OUR MAIN TARGETS
- We want to define science-based targets (SBTs) in line with the 1.5°C target ambition by 2022.
- We want to achieve climate neutrality (scopes 1 & 2) by 2023 and continuously improve our climate impact.
- We want to achieve zero production waste to landfill by 2025.
- We want to reduce hazardous materials and minimize their hazard potential.
We can only offer our customers truly sustainable wind power turbines if our processes are environmentally friendly and resource efficient. The Nordex Group works continually to prevent waste, reduce hazardous substances and continuously minimize the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) resulting from our business activities. We are permanently committed to analyzing all aspects in detail and documenting them transparently to develop case-specific and appropriate solutions that prevent negative effects on the environment.
Climate Change & Decarbonization
CORPORATE CARBON FOOTPRINT ANALYSIS
With the aim of establishing a basis for a future climate strategy and identifying CO2 hotspots, the Nordex Group has comprehensively analyzed the entire CO2 footprint of the organization on an annual basis since 2019.
In this context, the emission sources were categorized and considered in the following common categories: all direct emissions (Scope 1); indirect emissions that are generated when creating purchased energy (Scope 2); and all emissions on the upstream and downstream value chain (Scope 3).
In 2021, a total of approximately 3,506 kt CO2e were emitted during the business activities of the Nordex Group, including upstream and downstream processes. Of this, nearly all greenhouse gas emissions fall under the area of Scope 3 at 99.3%, while direct emissions from Scope 1 were just 0.7% and the indirect emissions from Scope 2 make up less than 0.1% of the entire environmental footprint of the Nordex Group. The low share of scope 2 emissions shows that our success to switch to entirely green electricity consumption and implement energy-efficiency measures is delivering positive results.
~60,000 kt CO2e were avoided in 2021 by all Nordex turbines in operation
SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS
The annual analysis of the Nordex Group’s corporate carbon footprint provides the basis for the development, monitoring and achievement of ambitious climate targets. At the end of December 2021, we officially committed to setting SBTs and achieving short- and long-term GHG emissions reductions in keeping with the criteria of the Science Based Targets initiative to reach the 1.5°C target. In 2022, we will develop these emissions reduction targets for scopes 1 to 3, set appropriate timelines for achieving the targets, and begin to identify and develop a climate action plan to reduce emissions accordingly.
IMPROVING THE NORDEX GROUP’S CLIMATE IMPACT
In our Sustainability Strategy 2019 to 2021, we set a target of obtaining 100% of our purchased electricity from renewables. By the end of 2021, the Nordex Group has achieved this target by resorting to various methods including the Group-wide procurement of Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs). The obtained EACs are verified by third-party labels and predominantly originate from wind- and solar-PV-based electricity. We plan to deepen our commitment to 100% green electricity consumption by developing a corporate green electricity policy.
Apart from implementing effective energy efficiency and GHG emission reduction measures, the Nordex Group also recognizes the need for offsetting emissions that cannot be avoided yet. We consider such offsets as a bridging technology on our way to a thoroughly low-carbon business activity and will therefore compensate remaining scope 1 and 2 emissions by purchasing selected CO2 certificates to achieve climate neutrality from 2023 onwards. In this way, we will specifically support nature conservation and technology-based projects that either prevent further greenhouse gas emissions or remove emitted gases from the atmosphere.
Environmental Protection
As a manufacturer of wind turbines, the production of facilities for environmentally-friendly and efficient power generation from wind is the core of our business model. In this regard, we place a high value on environmental protection across all life cycle phases of our systems, from development to procurement, production and operation all the way to dismantling and recycling.
To this end, we rely on integrated systems for quality management, work management, occupational health and safety and environmental management. Apart from efforts to reduce GHG emissions resulting from our business activities, the Nordex Group focusses on environmental protection through Waste Reduction, Reducing Environmental Effects of Hazardous Materials, Water Efficiency and Biodiversity Protection.
Waste Reduction
Waste reduction plays a special role in environmental protection at the Nordex Group and refers to our waste and waste-related impact as well as the reuse and recycling of waste. The generation of both hazardous and non-hazardous waste is one of the most heavily reviewed and controlled environmental aspects at our factories. In the Sustainability Strategy 2019 to 2021, we set the target to avoid and reduce waste generation per installed MW by 10% compared to 2018. With a reduction of 23% (and 37% compared to 2020), we successfully achieved this target.
Reducing Environmental Effects of Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials can be employed in a wide variety of ways, particularly in the operational departments, to ensure high quality and reduce the need for potentially extensive maintenance. However, to avoid negative effects on people, the environment, and shared natural resources, we must guarantee that these materials are used and transported in a legally compliant way at all times. Due to completing documentation, the number of registered hazardous materials has increased in recent years. Building on this, we will continue to pursue the goal of reducing hazardous materials in our new strategy. Their substitution remains therefore a cornerstone of environmental management for the Nordex Group.
Water Efficiency
Water efficiency refers to the Nordex Group’s water impact management and to our approach to reducing water consumption in our operations and administration activities. Since most of our production activities do not require water for manufacturing purposes, our water withdrawal remains relatively low. However, we are aware that excessive water use can impact local communities in areas facing high water stress. We will therefore especially focus on these areas when we develop and implement water-saving measures.
Biodiversity Protection
Biodiversity protection involves avoiding, mitigating, and addressing any significant negative impacts our products and services might have on the natural environment, including habitats and species, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are a part. To the best of our knowledge, we do not operate facilities located in or near protected areas or areas with high biodiversity value. However, we are aware of the impact we may have on local flora and fauna irrespective of the prevailing biodiversity value. We therefore also seek to identify initiatives that can have a positive impact on biodiversity as a way to offset potential biodiversity loss such re-cultivating local flora and safely relocating local fauna.