To ensure a continuous and independent assessment of our sustainability performance, we have had an annual rating carried out by the renowned provider EcoVadis since 2021. EcoVadis assesses the sustainability performance of over 150,000 companies worldwide in the areas of the environment, human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. The analysis takes industry-specific characteristics into account, which makes the results particularly meaningful. Thanks to the annual assessments, we can identify weaknesses in our strategy and implement targeted improvement measures. Our aim is to systematically close these gaps in order to continuously improve our sustainability performance.
After receiving bronze status in 2021 and 2022, we achieved silver status for the first time in 2023. With 61 out of 100 points, we were already among the top 25% of companies assessed in the paper processing industry.
In 2024, EcoVadis revised its medal system, which meant that receiving the silver medal again required a significantly improved performance. We actively took up this challenge and implemented numerous new sustainability measures to further improve our performance.
Today, we can proudly announce that we not only achieved our goal, but even exceeded it: In 2024, we not only received the silver medal again, but also increased our score by a further 10 points to 71 out of 100. This puts us in the top 9% of all companies assessed worldwide. This result is a significant milestone in our sustainability strategy ‘GREEN STEPS - Our path to a greener future’ and confirms that we are on the right track with our sustainability work.
Our progress over the past four years shows an impressive development in our sustainability performance. Since the start of our EcoVadis assessments in 2021, we have increased our score from 49 to 71 - an improvement of 22 points. At the same time, we have also made significant progress compared to other companies: While we were still in the top 47% in 2021, we are now in the top 9% worldwide. These figures underline the success of our continuous efforts and the effectiveness of our measures.
However, in line with our guiding principle of ‘small green steps’, we do not see this result as the end point. Only a few points separate us from the gold medal, which is awarded to the top 5% of all companies assessed. Achieving this goal is our next milestone on the road to a more sustainable future.
