Sustainability at SGL Carbon

A considerable proportion of our consolidated revenue is generated through products and solutions that make sustainable products possible. Our specialty graphite for lithium-ion batteries and components for fuel cells, for example, help to accelerate the switch from internal combustion engines to electric drives, while our carbon fiber-based lightweight construction products help to further reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in the automotive and aviation sectors.

The manufacturing of carbon fibers and specialty graphites requires a large amount of energy due to the high-temperature technologies used. The bulk of SGL Carbon’s energy consumption is due to creating heat and also includes the thermal cleaning of emissions. As a company using a high amount of energy we have special responsibilities with regard to climate change and the environment, as the consumption of energy is also linked to emissions of greenhouse gases - in particular CO₂.

The top-level target for energy management is to use all types of energy efficiently and to thus ensure constant improvements. In so doing, SGL Carbon is focused on energy-efficient equipment and processes. We want to ensure that our employees are also energy aware and to develop competences that they can actively use to reduce energy consumption. We undertake to cut our global energy consumption based on adjusted revenues by 1% each year, and by 10% through to 2027 compared to the comparable figure from 2017. We aim to comply with the heightened requirements since ISO 50003 came into force and also the requirements for global, efficient energy management. In this regard specific KPIs to measure energy consumption have been defined for all of our global production locations and also activities and projects to increase energy efficiency.

As part of SGL Carbon’s business activities, waste products from carbon and residual materials are produced. Both carbon and also the residual materials produced in most of the production processes are highly recyclable. We primarily use water to cool production equipment.

At all of its locations worldwide, SGL Carbon undertakes to comply with all of the applicable statutory requirements and to uphold effective management processes and continuous performance improvements for its management of resources. We pursue the objective of using resources efficiently, and avoiding impacting the environment as far as possible. We thus aim to constantly reduce water consumption and the production of waste. Our principle for waste avoidance is: avoidance is better than recycling and recycling is better than disposal. Waste that cannot be prevented can often be reused in other products or at other locations. For example, recycled carbon fibers can be used as fleece textiles for automotive production. SGL Carbon uses water carefully, and uses secondary circuits and cooling equipment wherever this makes economic sense. Water that does not come directly into contact with production is not contaminated, and can be discharged into rivers after use in some cases.

We regard protecting our employees’ health and safety as being an ethical obligation with a high entrepreneurial value. We have set out binding requirements for all of our employees in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and our EHSA Policy which applies worldwide. We also attach great value to the corresponding standards at our business partners, and consider health and safety at work aspects when selecting suppliers. The code of conduct for suppliers and subcontractors stipulates that these must ensure their employees’ health and safety at all of their workstations, and set up a management system for constant improvement.

The aim is also to permanently improve the existing safety precautions. In 2018 the target frequency for accidents was 3.61 accidents per million working hours after the integration of the former joint venture locations of Benteler SGL. This target was reached with an actual result of 3.45. As a result, accident frequency was once again on a low level. In addition, the severity of accidents was also lower year-on-year, and this figure was also lower than the target.