Salzgitter AG is aiming to cut its CO2 emissions by up to 95 percent. The corporation is already offering “green flat steel” with a reduced carbon footprint – with VERIsteel providing maximum transparency.
Climate change and the associated energy transition are some of the greatest challenges of our time. Decarbonization plays a crucial role in this – especially for companies that are energy intensive. After the energy sector, industry generates the largest percentage of global CO2 emissions.
Domestic and international climate protection regulations, such as the European Union’s Green Deal, are putting all sectors under pressure to lower their greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the expectations of customers, investors and suppliers are also growing. To remain competitive and prepare themselves for the future, companies have a responsibility to develop a realistic decarbonization strategy and sustainably reduce their carbon footprint. Using renewable energies is just one of many options for achieving this.
The Paris Agreement, the EU Green Deal and the German Climate Action Plan
Since the Paris Agreement of 2015 at the latest, many countries around the world have committed themselves to climate protection with the goal of keeping the rise in global temperatures since pre-industrial times below two degrees Celsius. The European Green Deal of 2019 reinforces this mission: It specifies that the German and European economies must begin decarbonization immediately to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2045, with the ultimate aim being to achieve climate neutrality.
Germany’s revised Climate Action Plan 2050 outlines specific goals for individual sectors and has also enshrined these in the German Climate Change Act (Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz). As an intermediate goal, this calls upon industry to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by around 40 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Decarbonizing industry thus plays a key role in meeting the climate protection goals and in developing a low-CO2, resource-efficient and competitive economy.
What is decarbonization?
Decarbonization measures are aimed at achieving a carbon-free economy in the long term. To do so, production processes must be established that no longer produce any carbon dioxide. The path to lower CO2 emissions and ultimately to climate neutrality is diverse and can often only be achieved in stages. This calls for new technologies, methods and processes that use renewable electricity generated from wind power, solar energy or the greenest hydrogen possible rather than fossil fuels.
veriX: transparent validation of your potential for CO2 savings
We are happy to support you in devising your decarbonization strategy. Developed jointly with TÜV SÜD, our veriX product family validates your planned decarbonization measures.
Corresponding verification of the existing data to confirm your statements provides you with reliable information about your planned decarbonization measures and your current CO2 emissions. veriX reliably validates the potential of specific measures for reducing carbon dioxide. Among other things, this allows you to identify which investments are necessary and gives you the clarity you need to make decisions when implementing your measures. At the same time, you decide whether to use veriX for your entire production chain, or just for individual products and services.
As with the conventional methods used to date (carbon footprint of products (CPF; ISO 14067) or life cycle assessment (LCA; ISO 14040 and ISO 14044)), veriX first analyzes the status quo. This is performed in conformity with ISO 17029 and all the relevant standards and regulations. We then use this data pool to check the plausibility and completeness of the mass balances and the material and energy flows. Finally, you receive a comprehensive report of the findings and a meaningful and robust statement of conformity.
With this independent verification of your CO2 emissions and how they will be reduced in the future, you can prove your commitment to climate protection to third parties – in many cases giving you a competitive advantage.
veriX – the X stands for your particular use case
The flexible veriX process can be applied in virtually every sector and is already being used successfully in the following areas:
| VERIsteel – for steel production |
| VERIglass – for glass production |
| VERIchem – for chemical plants |
| VERIcast – for casting processes |
| VERIpharm – for the pharmaceutical industry |
| VERIaluminium – for aluminum production |
| VERIcement – for cement production |
| VERIrecycle - for recycling processes |
| VERIretail – for the retail industry |
How you benefit from verification/validation with veriX:
- Minimization of risks: With veriX, you minimize the potential transformation risks on your path toward climate neutrality.
- Prioritization: veriX reliably confirms which decarbonization measures have the greatest potential to reduce CO2 emissions.
- Flexibility: veriX can be applied to individual products or the company as a whole.
- Competitive advantage: The verification of your current CO2 emissions and the validation of future CO2 savings by an independent and internationally recognized testing body give you a decisive competitive advantage among stakeholders such as employees, customers, financial institutions, investors, business partners and NGOs.
- Benchmarking: Going forward, assess your production and process adjustments in terms of their CO2 savings potential, in addition to their budget and time frame.
- Supporting your decarbonization strategy: You are given peace of mind regarding your data and calculations – as a reliable basis for strategic decisions and future investments.
- Declaration of conformity: You will receive a comprehensive TÜV SÜD report about your status quo and the outlook regarding the sustained value of your planned measures for lowering CO2 emissions.