Success of KRAIBURG Austria with ecology strategy

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) has confirmed the submitted goals as compliant with criteria and recommendations

Environmental protection and sus­tainability awareness are topics that we owe to future generations,” of this Stefan Mayrhofer, Managing Director of KRAIBURG Austria, is convinced. For this reason, the Upper Austrian company have always strived to act in an environmentally responsible manner and have developed an extensive eco­logy strategy for which they were awarded the EMAS certificate three years ago. The superior goal is to improve the environmental performance. The focus here is on the consumption of energy, raw materials and resources as well as the avoidance or reduction of emissions and waste. With the goal of reducing the CO₂ emission to zero, they are pursuing the Science Based Targets (SBT), a solution which defines emission reduction targets for com­panies. As one of the first in the retreading branch, an immense partial success has been achieved: A few days ago, the SBT Initiative confirmed that the goals submitted by KRAIBURG Austria comply with their criteria and recommen-dations. KRAIBURG Austria has therefore been classified as a company as in line with a 1.5° C path.

With Science Based Targets, KRAIBURG is now even more sustainable

The retreading specialist is now obliged to reduce the absolute greenhouse gas emissions (GHG emissions) of electricity, gas and fuel by 68.8 per cent by 2031 in relation to the reference year 2019. At the same time, the aim is to reduce the GHG emissions from purchased goods and services as well as from transport by 30 per cent over the same period. “We are delighted that our submitted concept has been approved by the SBTi”, Gerold Schachner, Sustainability Manager at KRAIBURG Austria emphasises. “We have de­veloped the goals and measures deliberately over about one year. And are now eagerly proceeding with the implementation of the various, necessary steps.”

SBTi ensures that goals have a solid scientific basis

The SBTi has become an important platform for supporting companies in their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure that their goals are scientifically sound and satisfy global climate goals. Companies which commit themselves to the SBTi contribute to combating climate change and limiting global warming to a safe level. Because, in 2015 the world’s governments pledged in the Paris Agreement to limit the global temperature increase to considerably below 2 °Celsius above the pre-industrial level and to limit global warming to 1.5 °Celsius. This is exactly what the SBTs, which must be measurable and verifiable, aim at. This means that companies and organi­sations set concrete goals for reducing emissions and regularly monitor their progress to ensure that they are on the right track. “The concept of the SBTi convinces us in all its details,” Gerold Schachner adds. “The initiative also takes the individual circumstances and business models of the respective or­ganisation into consideration in the evaluation and therefore sets realistic goals. We will therefore be able to put these into practice by 2031 and make a sustainable contribution to protecting the environment.”