Together towards net-zero: Körber aims for consistent CO₂e reduction in all scopes

Körber takes responsibility and adopts a clear strategy: “We cut our greenhouse gas emissions through a comprehensive strategy and specific measures which help us to achieve our ambitious goals in all three scopes,” states Michaela Thiel, Head of Sustainability at Körber. 

“In 2024, we reaffirmed our commitment under the Science Based Targets initiative. Given the complexity of the subject matter, building effective, trust-based relationships with employees, partners, customers, and suppliers is a priority in all measures.”

Greenhouse Gas Protocol

Cooperation between diverse stakeholders is crucial for achieving climate goals — this is clear both internally, through the cross-functional work within Körber’s sustainability initiative, and externally across all three scopes of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol:

• Scope 1 and 2: collaboration with landlords and owners to ensure climate-friendly building infrastructure optimization
• Scope 3.1: collaboration with suppliers to identify their actual emissions and reduce them in the future
• Scope 3.11: collaboration with customers to optimize energy consumption in machines and promote renewable energies

Körber’s focus on these extensive, cooperative measures has resulted in quantifiable successes.

Scope 1 and 2: clear targets, quantifiable successes

Körber aims to make its direct emissions and those from purchased energy carbon neutral by 2025. Furthermore, it intends to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 1 and 2 by 90 percent compared to 2021 by 2030 as part of its net-zero goal. To achieve this, the company is prioritizing renewable energies, low-carbon travel, and optimized energy use. 

The results speak for themselves: In 2024, market-based emissions in Scopes 1 and 2 decreased by 17 percent in comparison to the previous year and by 44 percent compared to 2021. This fall is primarily attributed to the increased share of renewable energy. In 2024, 61 percent of the electricity purchased worldwide came from renewable sources while a further 38 percent were covered by certificates of origin. Körber also put two photovoltaic systems into operation, delivering 2,840 kWp, with two further systems, producing 1,050 kWp, set to follow in 2025.

“We have already switched all suitable locations over to green electricity,” declares Thiel. Where this is not directly possible, Körber opts for energy certificates. The company fleet is also being electrified: 29 percent of newly ordered vehicles were electric cars in 2024. 

Core focus areas for energy consumption optimization included improving energy efficiency in existing properties, taking sustainability aspects into account for new build projects, and optimization of the technical building infrastructure. One key element in this regard is working together with landlords and property owners.

Körber favors long-term solutions and is aware of the specific challenges in the sector. “When entering into leases for new real estate, we regard a sustainability strategy and a corresponding certification rating as fundamental prerequisites. 

The real estate sector has yet to develop its own proper, robust standards and is currently still at the exploration stage. In the case of properties leased for the mid- or long-term, we are drawing up suitable, effective measures and concepts in conjunction with landlords,” explains Sascha Terzic, Real Estate Manager at Körber. 

“One of the specific real estate challenges in 2024 also included buildings which are not well-suited for an upgrade with large-scale energy measures – either because their architecture does not allow it or a switch to biogas is not possible due to a lack of system infrastructure. However, we’re also working closely with landlords of such properties to advance sustainability initiatives.”

Scope 3: accepting challenges, promoting innovations

Körber is actively taking on the challenges of reducing indirect emissions throughout the value chain, pursuing ambitious goals: The company commits to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in Scope 3 by 90 percent compared to 2021 by 2040. The greatest potential for impact lies in reducing emissions from purchased goods and services (Scope 3.1) and in the usage phase for sold products (Scope 3.11).

Körber works closely with customers to optimize energy consumption in machines and promote the use of renewable energies. “Our greatest challenge is downstream emissions, in particular energy consumption by our products at customers’ locations,” affirms Pablo Ros, Governance, Risk and Assurance Manager in the Körber Business Area Supply Chain, who has been involved in calculating the greenhouse gas inventory since the Körber Sustainability Initiative was launched. 

“A Center of Excellence for Ecodesign helps us to overcome this challenge. The design stage has a significant impact on future emissions. Advances in Ecodesign have enormous effects on emissions from our future products.”

Improving emissions calculation is another priority. “In 2024, we drew up dedicated standards to precisely document simulations and measurements,” states Ros. “We cannot discuss in detail how we can reduce our footprint until we know where we stand.” One promising initiative is the collaboration with customers where Körber gathers information about their use of renewable energy in relation to Körber’s machines: “If customers operate our machines with green electricity, this has a significant impact on our footprint. We save thousands of tons of CO₂e emissions this way every year.”

Reducing emissions from purchased goods and services is also crucial to the overall balance at Körber. However, this is also an extraordinarily complex undertaking since Körber works with more than 12,000 suppliers in 68 countries. 

To reduce Scope 3.1 emissions effectively, the company first identifies the largest sources of emissions. It then reduces emissions with targeted measures to optimize the supply chain, such as a changeover to more sustainable materials and a collaboration with suppliers to identify their actual emissions and reduce them in the future.

The carbon emission balance is now also taken into consideration as an equally important criterion alongside price, quality, and delivery times. Among other things, this has resulted in a regionalization of supply chains. For instance, the suppliers for Körber’s different locations are usually based in the same country or on the same continent.

To create the data basis for all this, as a pioneer in the sector, Körber has also begun to record and use emission-related primary data on product carbon footprint (PCFs) from its top 100 suppliers. As this is not yet a regulatory requirement, Körber is setting new standards in the industry in this respect, inspiring other companies to take similar steps. 

“Although this was the first time that many suppliers were dealing with this matter, in 2024, we achieved a significant increase in the primary data gathered in comparison to the previous year,” reports Schwägler. Even if the proportion of primary data in Scope 3.1 is still low at three percent, this progress shows potential for future improvements. 

Körber plans to increase the proportion of primary data further over the next few years. “By 2030, we wish to achieve 50 percent primary data in Scope 3.1 and work much more closely together with suppliers to improve the reduction in emissions from our products on a continuous basis,” affirms Schwägler.

Reducing CO₂e emissions together along the supply chain is also what the Alliance to Zero aims to do. This association of companies in the pharma and biotech supply chain seeks to make it easier for the industry to achieve net-zero emissions.

As a founding member, Körber plays a central role in promoting cross-sector innovations to reduce environmental impact. One example is a new, collaborative project to reduce emissions by eliminating plastic packaging for prefilled syringes. Together with SCHOTT and Schreiner MediPharm, Körber helped to develop a previously tested, integral solution which replaces plastic blister packs completely, thus reducing the use of materials and the CO₂e emissions footprint.