Netstal, a company of the KraussMaffei Group, has achieved bronze status in its first assessment by EcoVadis. The sustainability performance of the mechanical engineering company based in Näfels, Switzerland, is rated as "good". EcoVadis claims it is the world's largest provider of sustainability ratings for companies. "This puts us in the top 30% of more than 120,000 companies from all industries assessed to date. This confirms to us that we are on the way to becoming one of the most sustainable companies in our industry," emphasizes Renzo Davatz, CEO at Netstal and member of the Executive Committee of KraussMaffei.
Netstal
CO2 footprint reduced by 80%
EcoVadis claims it considers 21 sustainability criteria from the areas of environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. In the area of environmental protection, Netstal has made considerable progress in recent years. Compared to 2019, the company says it has reduced its CO2 emissions by 80%. The company believes the most important factor was the switch to climate-neutral district heating from the waste incineration plant in Bilten. In the course of this conversion, Netstal also switched the process heat required in production from gas to district heating. "This means we have completely decoupled ourselves from gas. The remaining CO2 emissions are attributable to electricity consumption and the currently operated vehicle fleet. We will further reduce our energy consumption with additional measures," explains Michael Rocholl, Head of Quality and Process Management at Netstal.
In view of global warming with longer dry periods, Netstal's own water consumption plays an equally important role in its sustainability initiative. While this was still 200,000 m3 a decade ago, the flow was reduced to around 75,000 m3 last year. "In 2023, we want to reduce our consumption to around 60,000 m3. We have launched a preliminary study to derive suitable measures," says Michael Rocholl.
In terms of sustainable procurement, Netstal already ranks among the top 7% of all evaluated companies in the special-purpose machinery sector. "By further concretizing our own guidelines, optimized risk assessments, internal training and intensified monitoring, we want to further increase our overall EcoVadis score in the coming years," emphasizes Michael Rocholl.
Highest-performance injection moulding technology, sustainably manufactured in Switzerland
By scoring well in its first attempt, Netstal demonstrated what it says is a great commitment to environmental protection and society, but also strengthens its own future viability. More and more companies expect an EcoVadis rating from their suppliers and take it into account in their purchasing decisions. Renzo Davatz said: "We will continue to work on our sustainability. Our customers can be confident that they are always making the best choice with our technologically leading injection molding machines. Not only do they offer the highest performance capability and outstanding energy efficiency, but they are also manufactured in Switzerland to ever higher sustainability standards."