Waiblingen, 11/16/2020 | Company press release

• STIHL will be climate-neutral in Germany from 2021
• International production sites will follow in 2022, and distribution companies from 2023
• Energy efficiency increase of at least 40 percent planned by 2030

STIHL is working on the project of eliminating its global carbon footprint. To this, end, the company has now set out its guiding principles for short-, medium- and long-term climate protection action in the form of its climate strategy. As a first step, all plants in Germany and the sales headquarters in Dieburg will be climate-neutral from 2021. The focus is on direct and indirect carbon emissions (Scope 1 and 2 as per the Greenhouse Gas Protocol) that can be directly influenced. In future, the entire scope of electricity needs will be met through the procurement of 100 percent green electricity. In the short term, STIHL is offsetting those carbon emissions that cannot be avoided by supporting international climate protection projects certified with the internationally recognized and independent “Gold Standard” quality label. In the long term, the emissions generated will be further reduced by means of sustainable energy-efficiency measures, and in-house generation of green energy will be significantly expanded in order to continually reduce the amount of carbon offsetting.

The STIHL climate strategy

“As a family-owned business that acts sustainably, STIHL is aware of its responsibility to the environment. We are committed to the target set in the Paris Climate Agreement, of limiting global warming to less than 2° Celsius. Our climate strategy has been developed so we can make our contribution and expand our climate protection activities,” says Dr. Michael Prochaska, Executive Board Member for Human Resources and Legal Affairs, whose responsibilities at STIHL include the Sustainability department. After STIHL Germany – the main emitter of carbon emissions in the STIHL Group at around 40,000 metric tons – all the other global production companies abroad will follow in 2022: Austria, Switzerland, China, USA, Brazil and the Philippines. The distribution companies around the world will gradually become climate-neutral from 2023, and at the latest in 2028. For emissions from upstream and downstream processes (scope 3) outside the actual business activities of STIHL, we are currently evaluating reduction potential, with the ambitious aim of reaching climate-neutrality well before 2050 and ahead of the schedule set out in the Paris Climate Agreement.

The way to climate-neutrality

STIHL’s climate strategy is built on the following foundation stones:

Green electricity: In future, STIHL in Germany will only use green electricity; in other words electricity generated from renewable sources. This will make it possible for energy-related carbon emissions from the German plants to immediately be cut by around 50 percent.

Energy efficiency and in-house generation: “In principle, we always pursue the most resource-conserving approach in our production: Efficient use of materials, sparing use of water, electricity and heat, and future-oriented design for buildings and spaces – these are all mainstays of our strategy. We will now intensify our efforts and resolutely maximize further savings potential,” explains Martin Schwarz, Executive Board member for Manufacturing and Materials. Energy efficiency is to be increased by at least 40 percent by 2030, compared to 2019. STIHL will also increase its own generation of green energy, for example by adding additional solar installations.

Offsetting: In general, STIHL follows the principle of first reducing emissions before offsetting them. However, unavoidable emissions – for example, from combustion processes or electricity in countries where there is only limited availability of green electricity or none at all – are mitigated via offsetting measures. STIHL is supporting a certified Gold Standard climate protection project in Gatsibo, Rwanda. The local population has to boil water on open fires in order to be able to use it as drinking water. The burning of wood, which must first be cut down, releases greenhouse gases. This is where the project comes in: It funds the renovation of existing drinking water fountains, combined with efficient cooking stoves. This means on one hand that less carbon is released and the level of deforestation is reduced, and on the other hand that the local forests and biodiversity are maintained. It also means that people have a safe supply of drinking water and protection against disease. Furthermore, the living conditions of women and girls in particular are significantly improved.

Further and more detailed information about the STIHL climate strategy can be found on our website at: corporate.stihl.com/klimastrategie

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