Having already been awarded the gold medal in its first application in 2022, Flender has now received the highest possible award: the platinum medal. The EcoVadis rating follows the German Sustainability Award, which Flender received in November 2023.
EcoVadis sets the global economic standard for corporate sustainability ratings. Over 100,000 companies in over 200 industries and 175 countries worldwide have received an EcoVadis rating. EcoVadis rates companies in four main areas: Environment, Labor and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. The assessment provides an in-depth analysis of the performance and an action plan for continuous improvement.
Very good results in all four assessment areas
In all four main areas, EcoVadis rated Flender with very high scores in its evaluation. The basis for this is an advanced sustainability management system and a strategy with a holistic commitment to ecological, social, and ethical concerns. Especially the activities initiated by Flender as part of its sustainability strategy have been awarded the highest score, ‘Outstanding,’ in many instances by EcoVadis. Flender has further increased its transparency and accountability through the publication of sustainability reports.
The results speak for themselves: Flender has already reduced its Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions (direct and indirect emissions) by 79 percent and aims to be completely carbon-neutral by 2030. This is achieved primarily through the use of green energy and a variety of measures to enhance energy efficiency at all locations.
Energy efficiency and sustainability are key factors in the design of Flender’s products. Product designs are specifically aligned to this focus, and features such as the digital intelligence AIQ allow for savings during day-to-day operation. Suppliers are evaluated and chosen according to their social and ecological practices, and are, for example, analyzed through sustainability audits.
Sustainability is more than environmental and climate protection
Sustainability goes beyond environmental and climate protection, as demonstrated by both the EcoVadis evaluation criteria and Flender’s efforts in areas such as working conditions, ethics, and human rights. The company takes various measures to ensure the health, safety, and protection of its employees, including broad campaigns that raise awareness of ethical conduct. Special whistleblowing channels prevent inadvertent violations at an early stage. A special focus is globally placed on the topic of education and training. Supporting students in India or financing new study programmes in “Data Science” and “Sustainable Engineering and Management” in Germany are just two examples.
“With our commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, we have already achieved significant milestones. This excellent rating confirms our very good progress in the right direction. We are pleased with this, but we are also aware that there is still a long way to go. We aim to be pioneers in sustainability and inspire others—with full dedication and alongside our strong partners,” says Flender CEO Andreas Evertz.
“The Platinum Medal is the result of the excellent collaboration and dedication of our global team. It is enjoyable and fulfilling to work for Flender. This is our understanding of sustainability—a company that acts ethically, values and cares for its employees, and collaboratively develops increasingly better products and solutions for the world and our climate,” says Flender’s Head of CSR, Kimberley ten Broeke.
Source: Flender International GmbH
