- va-Q-tec announces group-wide carbon neutrality for the third year in a row.
- The Group’s emissions were accounted for in cooperation with an independent agency and in accordance with the internationally recognized Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol standard.
- Efficiency enhancement measures and more detailed recording of emissions are having an effect: the Group’s total emissions are down 7 percent from the previous year.
- Remaining emissions are offset by certified climate protection projects in Uruguay, where va-Q-tec maintains a subsidiary.
va-Q-tec, the expert in thermal energy efficiency and temperature-controlled supply chains, announces group-wide carbon neutrality for the year 2023. This is the third year in a row that the group has acted in a carbon-neutral manner, thus consistently continuing its sustainability efforts. From the outset, va-Q-tec has consistently prioritized the efficient utilization of thermal energy and sustainability, making them integral to our core values and central to all decision-making processes. In addition, the products developed and produced by va-Q-tec are also highly energy-efficient and sustainable: due to their exceptional insulating properties, they offer va-Q-tec’s customers great savings potential in a wide range of applications, from the pharmaceutical industry to the construction sector.
As in previous years, all emissions were accounted for in cooperation with an independent agency and in accordance with the internationally recognized Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. GHG is an international set of standards for recording and accounting for greenhouse gas emissions developed by the World Resource Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
In total, emissions for the entire Group for 2022 amounted to 102,181.01 metric tons of CO2e. Compared to the previous year, va-Q-tec was able to reduce its total emissions by 7 percent, while at the same time increasing production. As a result, energy efficiency was also increased in 2022.
Offset project in Uruguay
Since it is not possible to reduce emissions to zero despite efficiency improvements and further environmental protection measures, va-Q-tec offsets the remaining part of its emissions through environmental projects. The project that va-Q-tec is promoting as part of its compensation service is in eastern Uruguay. It covers a total area of 18,191 hectares and consists of several forest areas that were formerly used for grazing cattle herds and were thus heavily arrogated. With its compensation efforts, va-Q-tec is reforesting an area of around 50 ha. In order to renaturalize the soil and the forests native tree species are planted. By reforesting the area, the project falls under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 1, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 15.
Definition of climate neutral
There is currently no universally accepted definition for the term climate neutral. Different international standards describe the term similarly, but not identically. Therefore, va-Q-tec focuses on transparency with customers and other stakeholders regarding the term climate neutral. In this context, va-Q-tec follows the definition by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC). They define carbon neutrality as follows: “Carbon neutrality is the concept of a state in which human activities have no net impact on the climate system. Achieving such a state would require offsetting remaining emissions with removals, and taking into account regional or local bio geophysical impacts of human activities that affect, for example, surface albedo or local climate.“
