Schletter Group, the globally active manufacturer of solar mounting systems, has published its first CSR report. The report, which covers the full calendar year of 2023, contains the company’s strategies and measures pertaining to ecological responsibility, sustainable economics, and social commitment.  

"For us, sustainability is more than just lip service," says Schletter’s CEO, Florian Roos. "It is firmly anchored in our corporate philosophy. For this reason, we have decided to publish a sustainability report for the first time, even though we are not legally required to do so." Over around 160 pages, the company reports on its sustainability strategies and measures for 2023, and provides an overview of its global carbon footprint, materiality analyses, social and ecological sustainability, and governance. Following its release, Schletter plans to publish sustainability reports annually from now on. "We introduced and intensified various initiatives in 2023 to reduce our energy consumption, minimize waste, and maximize the use of renewable resources," adds Roos.

The report takes various emission sources into account, and divides them into "scopes." Scope 1 includes emissions from company-owned sources such as facilities, vehicles, and equipment; Scope 2 covers emissions from the generation of purchased energy, such as electricity or heat; and Scope 3 covers emissions stemming from the company's supply chain, including suppliers, customers, and product use. The report is also based on internationally recognized guidelines and standards, including the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) sustainability reporting standards, and the United Nations Global Compact's (UNGC) principles.

"It was important for us to base our CSR report on internationally recognized practices and guidelines," Roos emphasizes. “That way, we align ourselves with global standards, ensuring transparency and comparability.” The preparation of sustainability reports for 2023 is mandatory for capital market-oriented companies with a certain number of employees—but, notably, not for Schletter. However, despite not being required by law to do so, the company has formalized a set of environmental goals to work towards over the medium term. They are:

BY THE END OF 2024

• >50% recycled packaging / single-material packaging / alternative packaging materials 
• >95% recyclable material at the end of the lifecycle of our products

BY THE END OF 2025

• 100% monitored supply chain (Tier 1) 
• >50% recycled materials in our products 
• The reduction of our products’ CO2 footprints by decreasing their power-to-weight ratios (kg of material per MW of installed capacity) by 5% annually 

BY THE END OF 2028

• 100% coverage of the power supply for administrative workstations from renewable or green energy sources at Schletter locations

The Schletter Sustainability Report 2023 is available in digital form here: https://www.schletter-group.com/csr