News A variety of measures for increased sustainability
We are ensuring that sheet metal will become a material of the future, and we are fostering sustainable, digital transformation for our customers, our partners, and our ecosystem.
“Creating an impact for a sustainable future with sheet metal and beyond” is our sustainability credo. Sustainability in the context of ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) is an integral component of our business strategy.
We have set ambitious sustainability targets for ourselves, including our commitment to net-zero production, in line with the Science Based Targets initiative. We manage our progress through our own ESG performance management system, thereby ensuring we achieve our goals.
We aim to reach these five medium-term ESG targets:
- Reducing Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 42% by 2030
- Reducing Scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030
- Reducing waste by 20% by 2030
- Increasing the proportion of women in management positions to 25% by 2030
- TRI ≤ 0.8: Achieving an industry-leading standard in the area of health and safety by 2030
Self-produced electricity lowers costs
Part of this involves the reduction of electric power consumption. As part of our sustainability strategy, we have therefore undertaken another big step toward a sustainable future at the headquarters in Niederönz. At the end of November, the second large photovoltaic system was inaugurated at Production Hall 2 to generate sustainable electricity for our own production as well as for the e-mobility fleet.
Since the fall of 2021, we have also taken a series of actions in keeping with the net-zero sustainability targets that have been set. The commissioning of a comprehensive power station in the spring of 2024 is also planned. This will supply all buildings on the Bystronic campus with heating and cooling, as well as with environmentally friendly electricity.
More than one million kilowatt-hours of electricity
The new system produces more than 560 megawatt-hours of electricity per year; combined with the 500 megawatt-hours from System 1, this corresponds to approximately 30 percent of requirements at the Bystronic location in Niederönz. This electricity provides energy for heating and cooling, as well as for the production of laser cutting machines and the Bystronic e-mobility fleet, and will also be made available to employees for their private vehicles.
“These additional solar panels on our Hall 2 roof support our plans for sustainable production here at the headquarters in Niederönz, to move away from fossil energy sources, to a great extent. Along with the new power station, which will be put into operation next spring, we are doing away with heating oil and gas completely.”
Fabian Furrer, managing director of Bystronic Laser AG and Niederönz site manager
Sustainability Report 2022 is online
Measures are also being planned at other locations, and the subsidiary in Hoffman Estates in the USA will also put a system like this into operation by the end of 2024.
We have just published our Sustainability Report 2022. There we list all the actions we have taken to reduce our ecological footprint in 2022 and with which we will continue this reduction.