Environment

Energy and emissions

As a manufacturing company, we have higher energy needs; accordingly, we started setting up a resource-saving energy management program early on. We continuously analyze both the source of our energy and the efficiency with which we consume it. Our energy consumption in the reporting countries slightly decreased by 0.3 percent from 2018 to 2020. In comparison: production increased by 6.2 percent over the same timeperiod. This means that our energy requirements have decreased due to more efficient use, despite increased production.

We were able to operate more sustainably and increase our share of renewable energy sources by relying on alternative energy. Energy from geothermal, wind, solar/photovoltaic and hydro and biomass power plants were used. Our use of energy from renewable sources increased in the reporting period by 4.6 percent.

Since 2018, we have been able to more precisely determine the CO2 emissions generated by B. Braun. This is mainly due to the fact that we are increasingly relying on lower-emission renewable energy. We plan from 2023 on to make our new buildings CO2 neutral, while at the same time investing extensively in the climate-friendliness of our existing buildings and warehouses. We have set a goal for ourselves of reducing CO2 emissions at our locations by 50 percent by 2030.

Water and Effluents

Water is one of the most important resources for our products and their production. For the most part, we obtain water from public and private utility companies. For us, it is natural to find ways to minimize water use in all of our processes. This particularly applies to branches in regions where water is scarce. We regularly analyze whether B. Braun locations are located in water risk areas as defined by the World Resources Institute. At these locations, we step up measures to use water more efficiently. This includes making collected effluent reusable.

Waste

B. Braun considers waste as raw materials that we separate, recycle as completely as possible, and return to the value creation cycle. Around 11.7 percent less waste was generated in 2020 as compared to 2018 in the 15 reporting countries. Savings of 22.5 percent were achieved in Germany alone. We recycle our waste for materials and heat - i.e., for raw materials and thermal recovery- or dispose of them at licensed and monitored disposal sites. We increased our recycling ratio by four percent between 2018 and 2020.

Logistics

Sustainability aspects are a decisive part of the requirements profile when selecting our logistics service providers. For example, our logistics partners must be aware of their CO2 emissions, use modern powertrain technologies, and maintain environmental management systems and, if they do not already exist, implement them. The shipping method decisively influences the impact on the environment.