TÜV SÜD offers its customers comprehensive services on the topic of sustainability and supports them in achieving their climate targets. Now the company is leading by example and has set its own ambitious climate targets. By the year 2025, TÜV SÜD hopes to be climate neutral with regard to its greenhouse gas emissions. This aim includes what are known as Scopes 1 and 2, as well as the most important sources of greenhouse gases from Scope 3.
“Our climate targets go far beyond what other companies and institutions are aiming for.”
“We deliberately set a very high bar because we want to become the most sustainable company in our industry.” Scope 1 includes all greenhouse gases created by the use of fossil fuels in the company—particularly for heating and the corporate vehicle fleet—while Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from purchased energy in the form of electricity and district heating. In addition, all business trips from Scope 3—which covers other indirect emissions—are also to be made climate-neutral.
The basis for these efforts is the carbon footprint that TÜV SÜD drew up for its operations in Germany for the first time in 2021 and published in its sustainability report. A detailed enumeration of the worldwide footprint is underway. As a services provider, the company’s largest sources of greenhouse gases by far are the operations of its offices and laboratory buildings as well as its service centers, not to mention traveling to clients. The key elements of the worldwide action plan with which TÜV SÜD hopes to achieve its climate targets include reducing resource consumption, investments to increase energy efficiency and training for employees on the careful use of resources. Offsets are also envisaged, but only as a last resort. For new buildings—at the moment, the new Asian headquarters in Singapore and the expansion of the corporate headquarters in Munich—the company is aiming to build to the highest standards of sustainability in each case. As for existing buildings, these will be maintained and made more climate-compatible with appropriate remediation measures. This also includes replacing fossil energy sources: in Germany, already about 86 percent of the electricity purchased is green energy.
Another relevant point around the globe is employee mobility, since much of TÜV SÜD’s work is performed directly at the customers’ premises. As a first step, the group’s company car policy has been revised and emission caps have been set for new vehicles. In future, greater use is also to be made of public transportation and the digital possibilities of working remotely.
