In October 2023, we raised our ambitious climate goals to a higher threshold and had our commitment to net-zero CO₂e emissions throughout the entire value chain by 2040 verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). “For us, this is also a factor for our financial success,” declares Erich Hoch, COO/CTO at Körber. “Sustainability has long held positive associations in the business world. In addition to our clear, decades-long stance on environmental awareness, it is also the market, our clients and our employees who give us strength and continue to motivate us on our journey.” 

We work with these stakeholder groups on different levels and in a large number of projects to achieve our ambitious goals and make our contribution to protecting the environment. Examples of this include our sustainable design for our new production facilities as a further contribution to achieving our net-zero targets in our own production processes (emissions in Scope 1 and 2). Effective measures to achieve our net-zero targets in Scope 3 are the implementation of our Ecodesign approach in product development and our working relationship with our clients or even also a number of business partners in the value chain with the aim of developing environmentally friendly solutions and products. 

One example of environmentally friendly new buildings is the new construction in Hamburg Bergedorf, where the Körber Business Area Technologies brings together the former Bergedorf and Schwarzenbek locations in an ultramodern new building to create the ‘factory of the future’. With this change, we have also managed to solve the problem of very high energy consumption at the two existing locations. In addition to using a green roof for rainwater harvesting and domestic water use, we are prioritizing self-generated electricity from photovoltaics and heat recovery from geothermal energy as part of the sustainability plan for the new location. The energy efficiency attained and the eradication of fossil fuels make the construction project one of the Group’s foremost initiatives in attaining the net-zero target for our own production processes (what are known as Scope 1 and 2 emissions). 

Another example is the Business Area Pharma’s new production site in the Swiss town of Grabs. Here, around 365 employees will work in a new building complex from the second half of 2026. Planning for this facility centered on sustainability aspects such as the use of geothermal energy, solar panels, district heating, and electrical transport options.

We have recognized that developing sustainable products and solutions is a key component in attaining our climate goals and we work closely with our clients in this respect. Marwin Krull, Product Owner Customer Portal and Sustainability Lead for the Körber Business Area Pharma, believes the most important thing here is transparency: “Companies recognize the need to work together with customers and suppliers to assume ecological and social responsibility. One key realization is that this collaboration can only be successful if it is based on transparency throughout the entire value chain.” 

For Marwin Krull, data transparency is a crucial aspect in this respect: “Primary data exchange allows organizations to validate assumptions and make informed decisions. One example of this approach is sharing data that enhances understanding of clients’ actual use of machines. If we incorporate this information, it'll provide us with a more precise evaluation of environmental impact throughout a product’s entire life cycle.” Transparency also applies to the relationship with suppliers. Here too, we strive for close collaboration to validate as many data points as possible, so we can assess our carbon footprint with real data rather than relying on assumptions or secondary data.

Collaboration is also the driving force behind a project where, as part of the ‘Alliance to Zero’ since its founding in June 2021, we have joined forces with other companies in the pharmaceutical industry to actively advance the decarbonization of pharmaceutical products and their associated value chain. This organization aims to jointly create business models and solutions for pharmaceutical products which are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are based on the principles of a circular economy. It should be possible to use these for a wide variety of existing and future pharmaceutical products and help introduce net-zero products over the coming years.

“Since the ‘Alliance to Zero’ was founded, it has been our common goal to analyze the CO₂e footprint of pharmaceutical products and use innovative approaches to gradually reduce them. The alliance is currently focusing on auto-injectors,” explains Krull. “There are members of the ‘Alliance to Zero’ involved in all the different areas of the value chain for auto-injectors – from glass cartridge manufacture through to auto-injector production and assembly. We examine the product components together with scientists and help them in their search for alternative materials and production methods which meet strict regulatory requirements.”

From an environmental perspective, adapting the auto-injector design would be beneficial to make it easier to disassemble, for example, or create ways to reuse individual components. Nevertheless, these potentials are countered by legal and regulatory requirements, and, obviously, patient safety remains paramount. “When addressing such matters, the benefits of cross-company collaboration, such as the one we foster in the ‘Alliance to Zero’, become evident,” states Krull. “In this initiative, we have the opportunity to discuss challenges and concerns in a suitable forum with relevant specialists and decision-makers. In this way, we can detect potential obstacles in good time, respond to them appropriately, and come closer to our goal of a net-zero product.”