Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2023
Nature
Environmental contribution
As a globally operating Swiss family enterprise, Bühler is committed to sustainability. Our purpose is “Innovations for a better world”, and for many years we have focused our research and development efforts on improving both the commercial and sustainability performance of our solutions, products, and services. We contribute to solutions toward food security and innovate in specific markets for processing applications of advanced materials. Ethical, social, and environmental responsibility is an integral part of our long-term business strategy.
Nature
Environmental contribution
As a globally operating Swiss family enterprise, Bühler is committed to sustainability. Our purpose is “Innovations for a better world”, and for many years we have focused our research and development efforts on improving both the commercial and sustainability performance of our solutions, products, and services. We contribute to solutions toward food security and innovate in specific markets for processing applications of advanced materials. Ethical, social, and environmental responsibility is an integral part of our long-term business strategy.
Our goals
We have made the following commitments:
- We committed to developing a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in our own operations by 2030 (Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2, 2019 baseline).
- We committed to having solutions ready to multiply by 2025 that reduce energy, waste, and water by 50% in the value chains of our customers (our 50/50/50 goal).
- We proactively collaborate with suppliers to reduce climate impacts throughout the value chain.
We continue to improve the robustness of our company CO2e footprint and have updated the baseline figures. Our Scope 3 use of sold goods is orders of magnitude higher than the remainder of our footprint and this is where, through our products and services, we can bring the greatest absolute reduction. Reducing the CO2e footprint of our use of sold goods is the focus of our product and service development and underpins our business strategy. This addresses not only new products but also the global installed base of our customers. With our investments in new application centers, partnerships, and companies in the sustainable protein and side stream utilization space, we aim to enable waste elimination and dietary change, thereby accelerating the development of a more sustainable food industry.
Transition plans to meet our goals
Reducing the impact of our own operations
Our transition plan towards a low-carbon economy includes our 2030 target of a 60% reduction in Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2 emissions in our own operations using the market-based method.1 This target is measured against our baseline set in 2019. To achieve this target, we have not only set an interim target of reducing Scopes 1 & 2 emissions by 25% by 2025, but also defined a pathway. Our pathway is based on reduction of energy consumption and the adoption of renewable energy sources. Additionally, we have developed an energy policy that sets the framework for renewable energy procurement. Key actions on our pathway are the following:
- Reducing the energy consumption in heating and manufacturing processes in our manufacturing sites and sales offices.
- Taking up opportunities to switch energy sources to greener alternatives (e.g., on-site electricity generation, alternative fuels, etc.).
- Reducing our manufacturing and sales offices grid electricity by sourcing more emission free electricity.
With our 60% reduction target we are notably more ambitious than the best practice required by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which requires a 46.5% reduction. Nevertheless, we believe that with our pathway, which we revise continuously and implement, we will be able to achieve our goal.
[1] Market-based emissions are emissions calculated using the emission factor given by the energy provider or taking into account any purchased green electricity certificates. They are therefore not identical with the actual grid mix of renewable electricity in the physical location.
Our 50/50/50 goal
As a company, we strongly believe that we can achieve a greater impact by enabling our customers across the value chain in transitioning to a low-carbon economy. Our 50/50/50 goal encapsulates this ambition. We have set up a clear governance structure and lines of responsibility for achieving these targets.
Collaborating with suppliers
We have set priorities on engaging with suppliers who have already established targets and those with heavy emitting processes.
Materiality assessment
Providing the overall guidance of Bühler’s sustainability strategy, the materiality assessment was conducted in 2020 by bringing together key stakeholders of the company. For the 2020 materiality assessment, Bühler sustainability team asked internal and external stakeholders to share their perspective on the company’s biggest impact areas. Balancing the needs of economy, humanity, and nature, 48 topics were predefined, using the materiality assessment topics based on the GRI standard and as well strongly individualizing them to fit Bühler’s business. The goal was to lower the risks of blind spots and increase global reach, therefore customers, various business areas and functions, partners from NGOs, and academia were all considered.
To see the detailed results of this analysis, please refer to the full materiality assessment.
Reporting of tracked indicators
2023 was the third year of our 5-year reporting cycle for the period 2021-2025. In total, 56 KPIs have been disclosed this year, with the intention to increase this over the course of the coming reporting cycles.
In 2023 we continued improving our reporting methodology across all categories relevant to our company footprint, in particular all 30 manufacturing sites.
The following reporting is based on full calendar year data, providing a basis for more reliable absolute figures.
Key Performance Indicators
Addressing the environmental impact of our operations
We have developed a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in our own operations by 2030.¹ We are also addressing energy, waste, water, and the associated emissions.
¹ Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2, 2019 baseline.
Emissions, energy, waste, and water
Why it matters and our approach
To preserve resources, remain cost-efficient, and avoid risk to business operations, we manage our energy and water usage and minimize waste generated. Through this action, Bühler also contributes to minimizing greenhouse gas emissions, a necessary priority as we face the increasingly urgent challenge of mitigating climate change.
By reducing the total consumption of energy and water, and production of waste, Bühler increases its sustainability as a solution provider balancing the needs of humanity, nature and economy, and conserves natural resources.
Our approach to the reduction of our environmental impact covers Bühler’s 30 manufacturing sites, the offices associated with them, and our global service locations. Currently, 45 Bühler sales and service locations have been evaluated to understand the contribution they have to this impact, with the results extrapolated for the remaining smaller sites currently missing primary data. Not included in this approach is raw material sourcing and the waste produced from the sales and service locations. Bühler has prioritized the largest sources of environmental impact and those where access is provided to the necessary information.
When considering emissions, the upstream activities of purchased goods and services, capital goods, fuel, and energy related activities, upstream transportation, waste generated from operations, business travel, and upstream leased assets are also in scope. The same applies for downstream activities: downstream transportation and the use of Bühler’s sold products are also in scope.
All other emission categories (according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) are not included either due to lack of primary, secondary, and tertiary data or because it is not relevant to business operations. However, it is the intention of Bühler to measure and manage all sources of emissions in the near future.
Bühler’s environmental policy governs the management and reduction of energy, waste, and water across Bühler’s global manufacturing footprint. The policy outlines the method for reporting and reduction of the relevant indicators and was authorized by the Executive Board. Within the policy, Bühler commits to ensure responsible use of resources throughout the business, including the conservation of resources and improvement of efficiency within its operations. These commitments go beyond the regulatory compliance in each of the countries it operates in. The goal is to operate the current and future growing footprint at a new sustainable level relative to the current level. This falls under the responsibility of the Chief Operating Officer, and for the regional services and sales sites, the Chief Services & Sales Officer.
GRI disclosure 302, 303, 305 and 306
What we achieved
Emissions
In Scopes 1 and 2, the actions and strategy developed described under “Energy” outline our main approach. Our consumption of energy reduced by 14% and the sum of our Scope 1 emissions and Scope 2 emissions (market-based) is 19% lower compared to our baseline 2019. Our emissions in Scope 2 at our manufacturing sites, from a market-based perspective,1 have slightly increased due to the review of our policy toward green electricity certificates and our new commitment to purchase them only when no other financially sustainable alternative is open to us. We want to ensure we are first using our investment process to reduce energy consumption in absolute terms, before spending on certificates.
At our headquarters in Uzwil, Switzerland we installed a biomass boiler which has been operational since September 2023. The Energy Recovery Center provides heating for the headquarters using biomass generated from our Application & Training Centers on site. Together with other measures already implemented at the site – such as switching to wood pellets in 2017 – it is estimated that CO2e emissions for heating energy will be reduced by over 60% (reference year 2015). Over the winter we are evaluating the potential savings effect.
For Scope 3, the focus on the management of emissions over the past year has been on the largest emitting subcategories – purchased goods and services, and up- and downstream logistics. The other subcategories within the boundary – fuel and energy related activities, waste generated in operations and upstream leased assets – are either indirectly reduced from actions taken with regards to Scopes 1 and 2 or not prioritized due to the relative size compared to the other subcategories. We are in the process of carrying out a deep dive into the category capital goods, to ensure it is correctly evaluated. Several actions at different local sites are also being carried out related to employee commuting, as we see the potential here to educate and raise awareness for broader sustainability topics when employees take responsibility for their individual commute.
With regards to emissions generated from the purchased goods and services, the primary focus has remained to engage with suppliers in three distinct categories. The first is the energy used in its operations and the possibility to only use renewable electricity; the second is reducing the packaging used to supply materials; and the third is changing the type of transportation used in upstream activities. With over 9,000 suppliers globally, Bühler set priorities on engaging with suppliers who have already established targets and those with heavy emitting processes, thus far engaging with more than 150 suppliers, which account for 15% of its total spend.
This year, in the category of logistics we have also validated our emissions calculations externally.
In both Scope 3 subcategories, excluding our sold goods and services, Bühler has engaged suppliers on the local and global level to set joint actions to decarbonize the transportation and packaging used. We have collaborated with several logistics partners this year to identify handling units that could be shipped by sea on regular routes instead of by air freight, and implemented internal quality gates that ensure air freight on subsequent deliveries is only used in critical situations. This process was implemented in our China locations and will be expanded globally.
Examples of actions to mitigate the emissions associated to Bühler’s sold products can be found in the section Our Solutions and Services for Impact.
¹ Market-based emissions are emissions calculated using the emission factor given by the energy provider or taking into account any purchased green electricity certificates. They are therefore not identical with the actual grid mix of renewable electricity in the physical location.
Energy
In 2023, the prioritization of our global strategy has been clearly redefined – first we prioritize reduction of energy consumption, second, we look at alternative, “greener” methods of producing energy, and only in the third step do we look at the way electricity is procured and the use of green electricity certificates. It is important to ensure that all colleagues understand this hierarchy as this will have the greatest positive impact on the reduction of real emissions and is scalable and sustainable in the future.
This year we have created a clear roadmap for how to achieve our necessary reduction targets by 2030. This means that further to the first two sites where we have developed and started detailed plans to reduce energy consumption and therefore emissions, we have identified four key “lighthouse” sites globally that we have assessed in more detail.
At our lighthouse sites, we have evaluated the building structures and have a concrete plan in place to improve their energy efficiency in alignment with local standards. We have also assessed the manufacturing processes and are ready to implement several projects to reduce consumption in energy-intensive areas. For example, in Beilngries, Germany, we have started a project to change the formation of the oven doors in the painting process, to reduce heat loss. In Wuxi, China, we have also installed a heat-recovery system at the heat-intensive processes which will be used to heat the building. In 2023 we also brought online 650 solar panels at our site in Johannesburg, South Africa, which will generate around 40% of the energy consumed at the site. At our global manufacturing sites, we approved investments over CHF 510,000 with an estimated annual saving of 1,600 MWh, equivalent to 1% of our 2022 energy consumption.
Waste
We have continued to raise awareness of the importance of waste reduction at sites, maintaining the focus on diverting waste from disposal as well as an absolute reduction of waste.
We have improved our transparency of how waste is diverted from disposal with external partners that support us, demonstrating our commitment to responsibility and working with the supply chain. We have also continued to reduce the waste produced in our production sites through basic behavioral changes in daily business.
Water
Water continues to be an important topic at our manufacturing sites. We have rolled out water flow management systems on faucets across our sites in China. In Minneapolis, US the completion of the Natural Minnesota Prairie project will turn landscaped areas into drought-resistant natural prairie, reducing the need for irrigation. It will also contribute to biodiversity by increasing native grass, shrub, and plant species. The savings in water consumption on site are estimated at 567m3 per year once established.
In the manufacturing processes, we have identified two projects to reduce water consumption by recirculating water in the testing phase of machines. This will be assessed further in 2024, as our current focus has been on energy consumption.
Impact on the SDGs
The management approaches and subsequent actions are directly linked to the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) 6, 12, 13 and 17 and indirectly linked to SDGs 7 and 9.
Our solutions and services for impact
Every day, the food, feed, and materials processed on Bühler technologies help to feed an estimated 2 billion people and provide mobility for 1 billion people. With this global reach comes responsibility. This is why Bühler has set goals to have solutions ready to multiply by 2025 that reduce energy, waste, and water by 50% in the value chains of our customers (our “50/50/50” goals). Bühler has also expanded its service portfolio to improve the performance and productivity of the existing installed base of our customers as services are key enablers to making assets more efficient and sustainable. With an installed base of 1 million machines and 30,000 customers, our services have the potential to drive significant positive impact. Our environmental quantification program provides the foundation for this. Read about our methodology and examples here.
In doing so, we support our customers in reaching their sustainability targets, minimizing their greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigating the impacts of climate change. We believe it is only through ambitious targets that we will be able to sustainably feed and transport a growing global population by 2050. Read about our Environmental Impact Services for customers here and how we can support them in their sustainability journey.
Environmental quantification program
To achieve these goals and to better understand our impact, Bühler launched its environmental quantification program in February 2020, to quantify the CO2e footprint of the products processed through our technology, and the impact of our solutions and services on the CO2e footprint of our customers’ finished products.
Mitigating climate change is complex and will not be achieved if we are unable to measure the impact of our actions. The purpose of Bühler’s environmental quantification program is to achieve just that. Measuring emissions is the priority in the emissions hierarchy. We have placed a major focus on quantifying the emissions occurring in the entire value chain and identifying the carbon hotspots and then taking appropriate action to maximize avoidance and reduction of CO2e through services for more efficient processing, new solutions, and renewable energy sources. For this, Bühler quantifies the impact of our new solutions compared to previous solutions in order to track our progress toward our 50/50/50 goals as well as the corresponding CO2e reduction potential.
Since 2022, we have included land use and water as important indicators in our environmental quantification program to understand the impact on biodiversity. Using insects to produce animal feed is an example of a solution that has the potential to contribute to saving land and, in turn, to creating a positive impact on biodiversity. We have also quantified our high impact solutions and services that increase circularity. The circular economy, or circularity, aims to extend the lifespan of products through repair and maintenance, reusing, remanufacturing, or upcycling, focusing on maintaining value and not generating waste in the process. In terms of biomass, this includes the use of protein-rich side streams for plant-based meat analogues, and, in terms of technical materials, it includes the service for remanufacturing die-casting solutions.
To raise awareness of this topic and identify gaps in the quantifications, quarterly trainings and meetings take place with ambassadors, sales, and management in the regions and in the businesses. During these meetings, participants are encouraged to understand how we can further embed this in daily business activities to support our customers in reducing their carbon footprint.
Approach and methodology
With targets comes the need for metrics. For our ambitions to be credible, we need to understand what impact we are having on our sustainability targets. Therefore, in February 2020 we launched our environmental quantification program, designed to map out and measure key environmental metrics (such as CO2e emissions, land, and water use) for the products processed through Bühler technology. The program is designed to calculate and/or measure environmental impact across our customers’ entire value chains, from the production of the raw materials to the manufacturing process and then on to distribution and retail.
For CO2e specifically, we use a quantification method compliant with ISO 14067 standards, using an external partner, Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS), to audit the calculations. We have now assessed 20 value chains, over 40 different solution areas, and 77 high-impact technologies and services. We have externally validated our CO2e quantification methodology with SGS for seven product/solutions. Bühler will continue to work with external partners to ensure all aspects of sustainability are considered.
Since 2021, Bühler has also started to quantify avoided CO2e emissions. This is the amount of CO2e that is not being pumped into the atmosphere because of the new Bühler technologies and services that efficiently process our customers’ products. This metric is helping to highlight the importance of retrofit technologies on existing processes and show that retrofit and maintenance is one of the fastest ways to cut emissions. Since 2022, Bühler started automatically tracking these emissions with the aim of covering all new projects and equipment installed.
Wheat flour example
Through its detailed knowledge of production processes, Bühler has been able to calculate how much CO2e is emitted relative to any specific manufacturing activity. This is known as the emission factor. For example, a flour milling process is divided into eight phases, with an emission factor attributed to each phase. It reveals that the bulk of CO2e emissions occur during milling, followed, to a far lesser degree, by the blending and screening phases.
Cradle-to-grave analysis
The environmental quantification program has also made it possible to calculate an emission factor where Bühler technology is not being used. This enables the program to scale up the emission metrics throughout the whole value chain to give a sector or industry calculation. For example, the global average emission factor for wheat production is 740 kilograms of CO2e for every metric ton of wheat (source: Agribalise v3.0.1). It also means that emissions can be broken down into geographical regions.
To accurately assess progress towards achieving our goal of having solutions ready to multiply that reduce energy, waste, and water by half in the value chains of our customers by 2025, the environmental quantification program calculates emissions linked to the raw materials that are processed on Bühler’s technologies and services. By producing this sort of comprehensive data it is possible not only to compare metrics throughout the value chain but also between industries.
Scopes
We quantify high-impact technologies and services at three scopes:
Technology: to focus R&D and quantify impact and reductions of energy, waste, and water.
Plant: to quantify the impact for our customers’ operations and to support them in their operations (Scopes 1 and 2) reduction goals.
Value chain: to define the impact of technology and services up and downstream including raw material production, use, and disposal (Scope 3 and product assessment).
Technology scope
Bühler compares how a new technology will improve emissions relative to an older technology. For example, when the SWAKT Eco oven was introduced, it reduced gas consumption by 20% relative to its predecessor. Bühler ensures that any research and development program will target the 50/50/50 goals as a priority.
Plant scope
This part of the program quantifies the impact of CO2e reduction from the perspective of the customer. For example, Bühler’s integrated grinding system has an integrated drive unit, consisting of motor and gear box, that leads to energy savings up to 10% and improved grinding efficiency (based on throughput of 135,000 tonnes a year and global electricity emission factor). This can lead to savings of around 200 tonnes of CO2e a year. This is an important calculation for our customers, who are themselves under pressure to demonstrate to the market that they are taking steps to reduce their own carbon footprint.
Value chain scope
By calculating CO2e emission reduction across the whole value chain it is possible to ensure the focus is on the carbon hotspots.
By combining these three areas of scope, we can focus our R&D activities on maximizing the reduction of CO2e concentration in our atmosphere as well as other environmental impact metrics such as water and land use.
Impact on the SDGs
The management approach and subsequent actions are directly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No. 9, 12, and 13. They are indirectly linked to SDGs No. 6, 7, and 15.
GRI disclosure 103-1 and 103-2
Quantifying the impact of our new solutions
Bühler quantifies the impact of our new solutions compared to previous solutions in order to track our progress toward our 50/50/50 goals as well as the corresponding CO2e reduction potential.
Roller mills and services
Cleaning and sifting solutions
Grain handling technologies
Insects in animal feed: alternative ingredients
Technology in biscuit production: TurboE
Bühler Leybold Optics: architectural glass coater
Environmental Impact Services
Since 2020 Bühler’s Environmental Impact Services have supported companies to quantify, understand, report, and reduce their environmental footprint.
As more companies set ambitious climate targets, and new sustainability regulations come into effect, increasingly companies must quantify and reduce the carbon footprint of their operations and products in a robust and certifiable way. Companies must also analyze the risk of climate impacts on their business and communicate their governance structure and strategy to mitigate these risks and reduce their footprint.
Bühler’s Environmental Impact Services offer a combination of quantification and process expertise to provide accurate and reliable quantifications and strategies to companies. Bühler has supported companies in several fields including cereals and grain processing, chocolate and confectionary, and die-casting, but also offers this as an independent service to companies in different industries.
In 2023, Bühler worked closely with Mass Challenge Switzerland to develop a carbon calculator for the organization’s start-ups. We supported the Good Food Institute with life-cycle assessments in the plant-based meat industry. In addition, we worked with many companies in the cereals and grains industry offering new insights such as benchmarking, goal setting, and reduction strategies.
More information on our Environmental Impact Services and reference customers all over the world can be found here.
Environmental Quantification for
We supported the Good Food Institute by:
- Providing high quality life-cycle assessment data across the entire value chain for plant-based meats (focusing on Soy & Pea), enabling GFI to assess the environmental footprint of plant-based products and identify critical processing steps in the value chain
- The information included data for the raw materials, grain storage & logistics, dry & wet processing into concentrates and isolates, and texturing into plant-based meat products.
- The data was provided with cross discipline knowledge with insights from experts in food safety, processing and sustainability.
About the Good Food Institute:
The Good Food Institute is a non-profit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible.
"Thanks to the extensive data provided by the Buhler team, we've achieved an unprecedented level of detail in evaluating the environmental footprint of plant-based meat products. Furthermore, their years of processing experience have granted us invaluable insights into practical opportunities for enhancing the resource efficiency of plant-based meat products. We appreciate their partnership and look forward to collaboration in the future."
Amanda Bess
Science & Technology Analysis Good Food Institute
Environmental Quantification for
We worked with Mass Challenge Switzerland:
- Developed the carbon calculator for start-ups in the 2023 cohort to estimate their environmental footprint (Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions) at scale, enabling start-ups to understand their footprint, make early strategic decisions and communicate the sustainability benefit of their solutions
- The calculator also enables start-ups to estimate the footprint of circular materials, such as recycled or upcycled waste streams, and estimate their avoided or sequestered emissions vs. alternative products or processes
- The results derived from the calculator will be used in the judging of the Louis Dreyfus Company Climate resilience Prize.
About MassChallenge
Since 2016, MassChallenge Switzerland has been a leader in helping startups across Europe grow their businesses by accelerating 610 startups across multiple industries that have raised more than $985M in funding.
"The carbon calculator helps startups make better decisions earlier to reduce their carbon footprint. Simply put, they will save significant time and money. Additionally, they will strengthen their proposition to investors."
Matt Lashmar
Managing Director MassChallenge Switzerland
Our impact on SDGs
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the United Nation’s universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, improve health and education, spur economic growth, and reduce inequalities. Bühler respects and supports all of the 17 SDGs and understands that the goals are interconnected. To simplify, Bühler has defined eight core SDGs where it focusses its efforts to drive positive impact, and five where it strives to make relevant contributions.
Certificates
Sunstainability governance
Board-level governance
The governance structure around sustainability within Bühler reflects and ensures the close involvement of the Board of Directors and the highest management levels.
The responsibility for sustainability lies within the Board of Directors, which has direct overview of the progress made towards its sustainability strategy. The Chief Technology Officer and Sustainability Officer present the status once a year to the Board of Directors.
As the Board of Directors considers sustainability an integral part of the company’s strategy, familiarity with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) matters is required of board members. The Board Members have a broad spread of competence relating to ESG topics, including those related to climate. With Board Members engaging in different programs around social and environmental topics, they accompany Bühler with further expertise.
Sustainability Committee
The Sustainability Committee was established in 2021 to effectively address the impact of our business on nature and humanity and to seek the most effective ways in which Bühler can contribute to mitigating climate change and biodiversity loss. The purpose of the Sustainability Committee is to act as an advisory body to the Executive Board regarding Bühler’s sustainability strategy and execution plans. The Sustainability Committee is an assembly of selected Executive Board members such as the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Chief Technology Officer, and the Chief Operating Officer, together with two external experts. The Chief Executive Officer, as Chairman of the Sustainability Committee and Board Member, forms a bridge to the Board of Directors.
In 2023 the Sustainability Committee met four times. Among the key topics discussed were:
quantification of the environmental impact of Bühler solutions;
review of strategy and action plan to reduce Bühler’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions;
review of Bühler’s opportunities to support customers in their sustainability journeys;
review of investments in nature-based solutions.
Executive Board-level governance
Members of the Executive Board have defined roles relating to Bühler’s sustainability strategy.
The Chief Operating Officer oversees sustainability topics, including climate-related matters, with a focus on Bühler’s own operations as well as upstream in Bühler’s supply chain. This covers topics related to CO2e emissions and monitoring Scopes 1, 2, and 3 (upstream) emissions against set targets.
Scope 3 (downstream) emissions are the responsibility of the Chief Technology Officer, who is also responsible for driving innovation focused on sustainability. This includes climate-related topics that are customer-centered.
Bühler’s sustainability reporting, including climate-related disclosures, is in the charge of the Chief Financial Officer, who also oversees investments regarding Scopes 1 and 2 emissions.
Sustainability Community
Bühler is committed to embedding sustainability across the entire organization. The result is Bühler’s Sustainability Community. Across different functions, business units, and regions, members of staff have been assigned to work together in a collaborative manner on specific sustainability topics. The Sustainability Community is led by the Sustainability Officer, who reports to the Chief Technology Officer. Key members of the Sustainability Community are linked to the highest management levels.
Sustainability training
In 2023, we provided sustainability training for 770 people including external trainings for customers and technical schools, as well as internal training programs for Bühler sales, R&D, and management. We ran 39 webinars, conferences, and workshops on the topic. The external trainings, which reached approximately 403 people, included conferences, events, courses, and tailored 1:1 knowledge transfer workshops with Bühler environmental impact services.
In 2023, two trainings were offered to management-level positions. A total of 30 managers took part. The trainings focused on the sustainability challenges that Bühler as a company faces and on possible emissions reduction initiatives as a first step in tackling those challenges.
Sustainability Committee
The Sustainability Committee was formed by the Executive Board to strengthen Bühler’s sustainability strategy and execution plans. Its members include renowned international experts from outside Bühler as well as internal experts. It focuses on the delivery of environmental targets for climate with Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1, 2, and 3, on circular economy, nature, and biodiversity.
Chairman
Stefan Scheiber
Committee Members
Dr. Ian Roberts
Dr. Mark Macus
Dr. Holger Feldhege
Expert external Committee Members
Prof. Dr. Tom Crowther
Prof. Dr. Lino Guzzella
GRI content index
Bühler Group has reported the information cited in this GRI content index for the period from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023 with reference to the GRI Standards.
GRI 1: Foundation 2021
The full GRI content index can be found on page 73 in the Annual Report 2023 PDF.
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