Our Commitment
In 2017, BayWa r.e. set a goal to achieve carbon neutral operations from 2018 onwards. We achieved our goal by offsetting all our operative carbon emissions as of the end of 2018.
But this is just the beginning. We will continue to measure our carbon footprint and we will identify further potential ways to reduce our energy-consumption and emissions.
We are also exploring the best way to develop our own projects that support both social and environmental objectives. It is not just about us of course, and our next step will be to engage more actively with our suppliers and partners to encourage them to share in our commitment and work towards similar objectives. Our ultimate goal is to increase the sustainability of the entire renewable energy supply chain.
Interview with Matthias Taft, Chairman of BayWa r.e.
We have been integrated into BayWa AG's sustainability reporting since 2015. Since then, we have systematically recorded our energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
The BayWa sustainability report is prepared in accordance with the standards of the internationally recognized Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
Based on the collected data, we are able to identify areas to actively reduce our carbon footprint and to define concrete measures to increase energy efficiency and reduce on-site related emissions.
Softer approaches, like reducing travel emissions by reworking the travel policies and offering more “work from home” alternatives, are also being developed.
As a global company, it is currently not possible to operate completely carbon-free. Therefore, all remaining emissions are offset to further reduce our impact. When it comes to the selection of external compensation projects, we focus on high-quality emission certificates from a mix of project types.
We consider a variety of projects based on their potential to positively impact their surrounding communities. We have profiled a few of our recent projects in the case studies below. In addition, BayWa r.e. is committed to developing our own carbon reduction projects.
Lesotho: Solar Home Systems
In the rural regions of Lesotho, the majority of households are not connected to the public grid. People rely on candles and paraffin lamps to light their homes, which emit climate-damaging CO2 and harmful carbon monoxide when burned. In particular, the use of paraffin lamps indoors poses a high health risk for families. Therefore, the atmosfair-project gives households access to solar lamps and solar home systems. Several hundred solar systems are currently in operation. atmosfair plans to supply more than 30,000 households in Lesotho with solar systems.
Zambia: Forest Protection
The forest protection project offers the people in southeast Zambia sustainable development and job opportunities and thus counteracts the deforestation of local forests. Deforestation due to the production of charcoal is a burning issue in the project-region. 90 percent of the people suffer from extreme poverty and try to live from subsistence agriculture and the production of charcoal. This is why the deforestation rate here is eleven times higher than the national average and one of the highest worldwide. The project combats the causes of deforestation and promote reforestation and sustainable forest management.
Thailand: Solar energy Project
The project in North Eastern Thailand contributes to the sustainable development of the country by producing clean renewable electricity for use in the Thailand grid. The project is committed to create jobs on site, to increase local added value and to integrate the interest of all local stakeholders.We are a part of the BayWa Group
... and its sustainability commitment
The BayWa Group is globally active in the sectors of agriculture, energy and building materials. Working across so many important sectors and with operations in many countries around the world, the BayWa Group recognizes the need to make sustainability central to its day-to-day business and future growth strategy. Our approach is guided strongly by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which are referenced in our annual Sustainability Report.
We have been part of reporting since 2015. A group-wide Climate Strategy has been published by the BayWa Group in 2019, which outlines ambitious commitments and goals that have been set.
These targets are BayWa’s contribution to limit climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius, in line with the recent IPCC Special Report on Global Warming, calling for immediate action to mitigate climate change, sequester carbon emissions and steer the future of Earth in a better direction.
As part of its commitment to work towards clear and tangible sustainability goals, the BayWa Group has joined RE100. RE100 is a group of corporations that have made public commitments to going 100 percent renewable. This group of organizations is leading the way by example. To learn more about the RE100 initiative please visit their website.
BayWa r.e. is playing a very important role in helping the BayWa Group to achieve its sustainability goals.
BayWa AG's Group-wide climate strategy
Beyond Carbon
We recognize that sustainability is a holistic endeavor and we are just starting down the path of true accountability. We aim to go “Beyond Carbon” and to develop an overall strategy that addresses a wide range of sustainability aspects for environment, employees and society.
We will continue to build and evolve our approach to sustainability in the coming months and years. The journey we are setting out on is not one that has an end, rather it is a way of thinking and acting that will continuously evolve and help shape our business. We look forward to meeting this challenge head-on and finding solutions for building a better tomorrow as we continue to make energy better.
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