Driving sustainability in everything we do
We have a passion for solving complex challenges that runs through our company's DNA. And for us, there is no greater challenge than helping to ensure the sustainable future of the world we are a part of. For this reason, we have set ambitious sustainability goals for our company. And unlike raw materials, our determination to find better solutions is endless.
By the very nature of what we do for our customers in helping them transform their processes, our business model is fully geared towards delivering sustainability in everything we do and supporting them on their “Net Zero” journey. And we could not be prouder of the way our world-class solutions contribute towards this every single day – by maximizing efficiency and ensuring optimal use of our planet’s precious natural resources.
As an international company with more than 1,100 people in twelve countries and working across multiple industry sectors, we also fully embrace our own responsibility as a global employer, corporate citizen, and ethical partner.
Our sustainability strategy focuses on the four key areas of environmental protection, social responsibility, our people, and our company governance. To ensure that we drive sustainability across all areas of our business in line with these four pillars, we have laid down a roadmap for our transition toward “Net Zero”. Sustainability targets for the near future in all three scopes of emissions are intended as milestones to pave the way toward our long-term goal of achieving “Net zero” by 2050.
Driving down our carbon emissions in all operations and eventually meeting full emissions neutrality is the basis of our everyday work and every company decision. The next milestone we are aiming for is reducing our 2023 baseline by 55 % in scope 1 & 2, and by 36 % in scope 3 of emissions until 2033. To support our journey towards (fully) sustainable operations and to drive the developments forward, we continuously ask ourselves three questions:
- Where can we make a tangible contribution?
- What are our solutions to address the key challenges?
- And what are we doing to continuously challenge the status quo of our sustainability strategy?
Learn more about our goals and our commitment in our Sustainability Report
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol defines three scopes of emissions:
Scope 1: Direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, like company vehicles and on-site combustion.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling.
Scope 3: All other indirect emissions in the company’s value chain, including those from purchased goods, business travel, and waste.
The main difference is that Scope 1 emissions are directly controlled, Scope 2 are indirectly controlled through energy purchases, and Scope 3 includes all other indirect emissions related to the company's activities.
“Engineering sustainable transformation is one of our key values. It is at the heart of all our efforts in inspiring positive impact in the industries and communities we operate in.”
Dr. Jörg Ulrich, CEO
Our planet, our responsibility
Making a positive contribution to the protection and preservation of the natural environment for us means practicing what we preach to our customers by making our own processes as sustainable as possible. This is why we continuously assess our value chain to see how we can avoid waste, minimize energy consumption, and increase our use of more environmentally friendly materials wherever we see an opportunity.
Making a positive impact, externally
We work hand in hand with our customers to protect the environment. Whether in green cement or green steel, recycling, or battery production– our technologies and solutions replace or reduce the amount of natural resources needed and support our customers on their "Net Zero" journey. Our prominent MultiFlex Feeder, for instance, not only reduces the amount of energy used in cement production but also converts non-recyclable waste materials into alternative fuels, bringing resources back into the product cycle.
Explore our solutions for a circular economy
As a technology leader in industrial-grade processing technologies, Qlar addresses global trends in green/circular economy and digital transformation. With our digital solutions, we support our customers on their journey towards a more sustainable future by ensuring more efficient processes and eliminating unnecessary waste of resources.
Making a positive impact, internally
For us, environmental protection begins with the elimination of hazards, noise, waste, and pollution. This is why we are always modernizing our facilities and pushing forward with our digitalization strategy to reduce waste and energy consumption across all areas of our business. To achieve our long-term goal of “Net Zero” by 2050, we are drastically reducing our own emissions. By 2033, we are aiming to rely on 100% renewable electricity.
Current steps to support the long-term goal of “Net Zero” by 2050 also include a reduction in our company´s water use, retaining a responsible waste management and supply chain and harnessing renewable energy at the Qlar locations. Just recently, solar panels have been installed at the Qlar plant in Bangalore (India) to cover the plant's daily power consumption.
Our recently formed ESG-committee is making sure, that we stay on track to achieve our sustainability targets in the different company areas.
Our communities, our responsibility
As a company with a global footprint in 13 countries, we do not just conduct our business in the regions where we are present. As an integral part of those communities, we actively take responsibility for supporting them in any way we can – with targeted initiatives and charitable donations.
Making a positive impact, locally
From local long-term partnerships to ad-hoc relief aid, we always try to help the communities our employees and their families live and work in with support that is tailored to their specific challenges. Whether it is through local initiatives, fundraisers, direct or in-kind donations, for instance our partnership with the Rotary Social Club in India or recent furniture donations to a youth development organization in Darmstadt.
Making a positive impact, globally
As a truly international company, we also continuously challenge ourselves to make a positive impact on a global level. This is why we are driving forward with various global programs and support initiatives started by our people, such as matching donations for relief efforts. Together we have raised a total of 22,000 euros for people affected by the earthquake in Turkey in February 2023, 50,000 euros for those suffering from the crisis in Ukraine, and 22,000 euros for people who had to experience losses during the flood in Germany in 2021.
Recent initiatives around the globe
Supporting gender equality with our celebrations for International Women's Day in China.
Supporting the women shelter Prerana Resource Centre in India.
Donating to the Jedlickuv Institute, Czech Republic, to support children with physical disabilities.
Blood Donation Camp for our teams in India.
Planting trees for World Environment Day at our location in India.
Our people, our responsibility
Our more than 1,100 global employees are as different as people can be. But their shared passion and dedication for what they do unites us as one team – and one family. And for us, family always comes first. This is why we do everything we can to protect ours, make them feel at home and give them the support they need to always grow in line with their ambitions. Regular employee satisfaction evaluations ensure that we always take the necessary measures to meet the needs of our teams and foster a workspace where everyone feels valued and engaged.
Diversity & Inclusion: making everyone feel at home
Our family is open to everyone. But we also know that our industry has a long way to go to become truly diverse and inclusive. Thus, we are pushing forward with a strategy designed to break down barriers so we can attract, engage, and retain more diverse talent – always considering regional needs.
Through our initiative “More than a label” we proactively foster a more open culture where everyone can feel safe, valued and respected for who they are. In special training sessions, starting at the management level and continuing with all Qlar employees around the world, we have been sensitising everyone to our idea of a diverse and inclusive company.
Health & Safety: protecting our entire family
Guaranteeing the safety of our people, customers, contractors, and visitors across all of our sites is of the utmost importance to us. As a company, our commitment to a zero-harm culture begins with ensuring our safety standards are always aligned with company best practices and based on uncompromising risk assessments. As individuals, our commitment ends with each and every one of us adhering to those standards – so everyone’s safety always comes first. To make sure, that all employees know how to safely conquer our business sites, safety trainings are held at least once a year. Also, all production locations are regularly certified according to occupational health and safety standards.
Growth & development: supporting all our people´s ambitions
It is the passion and dedication of our people in delivering continuous improvement for our customers that has made us the company we are today. And that is something we will never take for granted. This is why we make it our business to support them in following their individual passions and ambitions to the fullest. Whether by giving them a first opportunity as an intern – or by continuously fostering their development with tailored training, feedback sessions, and further education. Training opportunities at Qlar are always meant to match the individual potential and strengths of our employees. Regular review sessions with department heads support the continuous individual advancement of our people.
“Together, we are passionate about creating a real impact on our social environment by inspiring each other and strengthening communities for an equitable future.”
Katharina Pressler, Head of HR Europe
Our conduct, our responsibility
We have spent the last 140 years building our reputation as a partner that all of our many stakeholders can trust. And that reputation and their trust means everything to us. To ensure that never changes, we have a comprehensive compliance management system in place to govern our ethical business practices based on the following process: Prevent, Detect, Respond, Correct. In this process, both our Whistleblower Hotline and our Code of Conduct play a central role.
Whistleblower Protection: ensuring our compliance
Maintaining our ethical approach to business is something we take very seriously. This is why we have established an independent and secure Whistleblower Hotline where employees and external partners can report any concern. To ensure absolute confidentiality and anonymity, we employ an external ombudsman to investigate each and every report.
Our Code of Conduct: setting the tone for best practices
We have built our reputation as a trusted partner on always being honest and open in our business relationships. This is why we follow a Code of Conduct, which sets clear standards for ethical behaviour in everything we do – and ensures we always remain the trusted business partner we pride ourselves on.
Living sustainability in line with UN goals
Our approach to sustainability is fully aligned with the official UN Sustainable Development Goals. Find out what they are and what we do to meet them via the link below.
We’re there for you
Partnership for us means always being on hand to support you whenever and wherever you need us. With our global network of locations and expert partners, we make sure we are always right by your side.
