Coverbild des Nachhaltigkeitsberichts 2024 von Vetter mit einer Straße, die am Wasser entlangführt

The Vetter Sustainability Report 2024

Our Path: Sustainable, Conscious, Future-Proof.

Our path:

Sustainable, responsible, future-proof

Sustainability is not a short-term project for us; it is deeply rooted in our corporate culture. As a global family business, we take responsibility for the health of millions of people as well as for our employees, our partners, and our environment. We drive change with clear goals and decisive actions. We reduce emissions, rely on renewable energies, and increase our efficiency.

At the same time, we invest in our employees by providing first-class training, fair working conditions, and the promotion of diversity and equal opportunities. For one thing is certain: A sustainable future can only be created if we shape it together.

Our Sustainability Report 2024

With this report, we show transparently how we are shaping a sustainable future together and are taking our responsibility for health and the environment.

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Strategy

Sustainability is part of our DNA

We improve people’s lives: It’s what motivates us and defines our actions. And that is why sustainability is firmly rooted in our corporate DNA and our Vetter NExT 2029 strategy.

Our global orientation entails responsibility. That is why we follow the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As a member of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), we are clearly committed to achieving the 1.5 °C limit defined in the Paris Climate Agreement.

Committing to a responsible future

And we are taking specific steps: By 2034, we will reduce our emissions in scopes 1 and 2 by 4.52 percent per year. We are aiming for “Net Zero” in all three scopes by 2050. At the same time, we are committed to the environment, human rights, labor standards, and anti-corruption, based on the ten principles of the UN Global Compact.

And these successes have garnered recognition: In 2024, we were awarded the gold medal in the EcoVadis sustainability ranking – a strong signal that we are on the right track.

Grafik Nachhaltigkeitsbericht 2024: Jährliche Reduzierung von Emissionen

Process management

Responsible corporate governance and values

Our integrated management systems, combined with targeted training and risk assessments, raise the employees’ awareness regarding environmental, health, and safety issues.

Our corporate values – responsible, progressive and flexible – are the foundation of our actions and characterize our corporate culture. They strengthen cooperation, promote trust, and underline our commitment to human rights along the entire value chain.

Process management and responsibility

Efficient process management ensures that existing structures are continuously reviewed and optimized. Two certified sustainability managers actively support the organization in implementing sustainable actions, while the company leadership takes responsibility at the highest level.

In addition, Vetter relies on a comprehensive EHS management system that is based on international standards and enables continuous improvements with the help of the proven PDCA cycle (Plan-Do- Check-Act).

Sustainability through innovation and stakeholder commitment

Innovation is the key to a sustainable future. The active involvement of our employees in this innovation process is promoted through creative workshops and a structured ideas management system.

At the same time, we place great importance on continuous dialog with internal and external stakeholders. We use regular needs analyses and structured complaints management to optimize our processes in a targeted manner and to strengthen open communication. This

Environment

Mobility with responsibility

We have developed a comprehensive mobility concept to reduce the volume of traffic and offer our employees climate-friendly alternatives. Our offers include free e-bike rentals and bicycle-leasing, and we reimburse the cost of the “Deutschlandticket” for local and interregional public transportation.

We are also building our own infrastructure for bicycles, including roofed parking spaces, charging stations, repair stations, and showers for cyclists. Moreover, we promote electromobility, currently with 68 charging points. The e-cars of our employees and visitors are powered exclusively by renewable energy.

Mitarbeitende die auf einem Dach stehen uns sich über Photovoltaik unterhalten

Efficiency as a driving force

It is important to us to use resources efficiently and to reduce emissions without compromising on quality. Approximately 90 percent of our energy demand is used to manufacture our products and to supply our infrastructure.

Since 2019, we have reduced our energy consumption by 28 percent – in part by using modern, sustainable technologies. In 2024, we have consistently pursued this course. Heat recovery, the replacement of old systems, and the implementation of innovative systems help us to take the next step towards greenhouse-gas neutrality.

Society

The values that guide us

A sustainable future can only be achieved with a strong social foundation. That is why employee rights, fairness, and equal opportunities are at the heart of everything we do.

In our Code of Conduct and Declaration of Principles on Respect for Human Rights, we are committed to acting ethically, legally, and lawfully. We are committed to safe working conditions, fair remuneration, and protection against forced and child labor along the value chain and in accordance with the standards of the UN Global Compact and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Promoting diversity with conviction

Diversity enriches us and drives us forward. In 2024, we launched our Integration Entry Program, which specifically prepares people from different backgrounds for the job market. Our fourth Vetter Diversity Week under the motto “With conviction for diversity” sent another strong signal for practiced diversity.

But words are not enough, so we take action. With 7,000 employees from 84 nations, we promote equal opportunities and integration through attractive working conditions and individual development opportunities.

Inspiring tomorrow's talents today

Supporting the next generation is of central importance to us. With 160 trainees and working students in 20 apprenticeship professions and dual degree programs, Vetter is one of the largest traineeship employers in the region. We train the specialists, executives, and innovators of tomorrow, and we create the best conditions for their development.

Our new training center in Ravensburg-West is a central component of this ambition. On approx. 5,000 square meters, state-of-the-art laboratories and practice rooms offer ideal conditions for a future-oriented science apprenticeship.

Portrait der Fertigungsmitarbeiterin Houda Derouiche

I find other cultures very stimulating. At Vetter I encounter 84 nationalities, and we learn something new every day, both professionally and personally.

Houda Derouiche, Production employee