Viessmann wins German Sustainability Award 2013 for “exemplary resource efficiency”
“Viessmann has established successful measures for conserving resources and efficiently using raw materials, as well as energy, along the entire production and value-added chain. The strategic sustainability project implemented as part of the company’s sustainability strategy is a flagship project for resource efficiency, climate protection and job security.”
This was the verdict of the jury for the German Sustainability Award, which was presented at a gala event in Düsseldorf on November 22nd. It is the third award in a row for Viessmann, after receiving the awards for “most sustainable production” and “most sustainable brand”.
At the company’s headquarters in Allendorf, Hesse, the consumption of fossil energy has been reduced by two thirds and CO2‑emissions have been cut by over 80 percent. Viessmann has proved that by saving fossil fuels (increasing efficiency) and using renewable energy sources (substitution), the European energy and climate policy targets for 2050 can already be achieved today with technology that is currently available on the market. Through energy monitoring with the aid of an energy cockpit (energy status in real time), energy efficiency and consumption can continually be optimised in the areas of production and administration.
Viessmann is also continually developing products that save even more energy and are even more efficient, consistently taking into account the entire product cycle. In March 2013, for example, 40 innovative products were launched on the market, which help to reduce the use of energy in buildings by up to 30 percent. They also contribute towards the decentralisation of the energy supply and thus to the stability of the grid. Through long product cycles and resource-conserving designs – including a service life of over 20 years, due to high product quality – the company has created a sustainable competitive advantage. Product lines within a range are differentiated by their level of features and not by a different level of energy utilisation or exhaust emissions. This gives customers with limited financial resources access to more efficient heating technology with lower emissions.
All Viessmann products are 90 percent recyclable. To guarantee that old units are disassembled and processed by certified disposal companies and valuable raw materials are returned to the production cycle, the “Viessmann EGR” return system was introduced for old units in 1995 in cooperation with the service provider EGR GmbH. The initiation of the “Alliance for Sustainability”, an online platform for bundling information on sustainable building equipment and carbon-neutral building services in Germany, was another step on the path to achieving Viessmann’s long-term goal of anchoring sustainability in daily life.
“In terms of resource efficiency, Viessmann is an exemplary model for its industry. We are impressed by the long service life of the products, the guarantee that products can be repaired by stocking spare parts, the recycling-friendly design and easy disassembly, and an innovative return system,” was the jury’s verdict.
