Our responsibility
It is important for us that our work is safe for both people and the environment. We follow these key elements of responsibility along with associated objectives:
1. Resource Efficiency: Purchasing focus according to types, quantity, and length of the purchased material, and sorted materials are returned to the cycle for new purposes.
2. Energy Efficiency: Energy recovery is optimized, and energy consumption in processes is reduced.
3. Environmental Safety: Products are delivered sustainably without compromising the environment. We minimize our environmental impacts and strive for a level that reflects our reduction strategy.
4. Human Safety: Processes are carried out by adhering to requirements for occupational and environmental safety through maintenance and development of employees' competencies.
5. Active Interaction with Stakeholders: Collaboration with customers, staff, associations, and authorities in the local areas is open, active, and long-term.
Carl C's journey towards a greener world
For Carl C, sustainability means becoming part of our culture to make responsible decisions and ensure the best solutions for our customers. Therefore, the concept is integrated, and work is done at all levels of the organization. The board decides on the strategic direction and selection of goals, while data is collected for each project. The process of becoming more sustainable requires the entire organization to work together. Especially those working in production have relevant expertise in knowing how to optimize our work and integrate new initiatives. Therefore, our sustainability progress is based on a collective effort of the company to be the preferred supplier in the industry.
Globally, companies are working towards transitioning to a greener future. This future requires a responsibility to act and to be more conscious of the consequences of our actions. Ensuring that activities are carried out and not just stated requires a high level of documentation and support from management. This is also demonstrated in an increasing number of laws and regulations.
In 2022, we began to notice a growing focus on sustainability from customers. Therefore, we decided to slowly start our sustainability journey by calculating our carbon footprint. We saw this as an opportunity to build a strategic foundation based on quantitative data that could be our springboard into ESG.
The UN's global goals
The UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the UN's 193 member states, represent a shared universal responsibility for us. It's a responsibility we take seriously.
At Carl C., we focus on three goals that are particularly relevant to our company. They also serve as a guideline to ensure that the development of our business aligns with the overall goals of global sustainable development.
We actively work on:
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
At Carl C., we use a significant amount of energy, so we focus on how we obtain and use this energy. Therefore, we support efforts to move the world away from environmentally harmful forms of energy and redirect investments towards renewable energy. We do this by investing in local projects around the world. These projects contribute to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals while also reducing CO2 emissions. Additionally, in 2023, we invested in our own 265 kWh solar panel system, which we expect will cover up to 40% of our annual electricity consumption.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
We aim to ensure a more responsible and efficient use of nature's resources by working with producers who manufacture materials in closed-loop systems, reducing water and chemical consumption. We utilize certified recycled materials, such as scrap-based plates and round steel, to reduce waste worldwide - through prevention, reduction, reuse, and recycling. Traceability is important to us, so we use EPD-certified materials and partners who ensure traceability in ethical production. Documentation of claims is crucial to ensure that we stand behind our products and production; therefore, 100% of our products are made with certified steel.
Goal 13: Climate Action
At Carl C, we work to limit the increase in global warming and thereby avoid irreversible damage to our climate. We focus heavily on the use of recycling and sorting recyclable waste. In this way, we contribute to ensuring that surplus materials end up in the right places and can re-enter the cycle. We have transitioned from natural gas to district heating in all our production facilities, thereby improving the use of the collective heat source, which ensures more stable production.