Energy
voestalpine achieves “Leadership” status in the Climate Change Ranking for 2019
5. February 2020
voestalpine achieves “Leadership” status in the Climate Change Ranking for 2019
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Sustainability
Christopher Eberl
Christopher Eberl is editorially responsible for the topics on the blog as well as for the apprentice website. With his stories he provides deep insights into the diverse world of the voestalpine Group.
The technology group improved over 2018 in the ranking compiled by independent organization CDP, moving from a “B” to an “A-” and placing the company in the best of the 4 categories, namely “Leadership”. voestalpine was also awarded the best possible rating of “A” for “Supplier Engagement”.
Climate protection creates a competitive advantage: in the Climate Change Ranking issued by independent organization CDP—an index increasingly of interest to customers and investors—the technology group improved over 2018, moving up from a “B” to an “A-”. CDP issues scores ranging from “A” to “D-”. “A” and “A-” are the best of the four ranking categories, namely “Leadership”, and denote that specific best practice measures have already been implemented. voestalpine has gained Leadership status for its climate protection efforts for the first time. Of the more than 8,400 companies worldwide included in the 2019 index, only around 2 percent secured a position in the A-list, ahead of voestalpine in the global rankings.
Companies are evaluated according to eleven different categories, such as engagement along the value chain, quality and scope of emissions data, risk management, transparency on climate protection opportunities and risks, corporate governance, emissions reduction initiatives, and impact on business and financial planning.
The Supplier Engagement Rating assesses strategies and measures designed to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the management of climate risks along the entire delivery chain, especially for suppliers and with respect to transport and logistics. Here voestalpine improved its ranking, from “B” to “A”, the highest possible score, securing its place on the Supplier Engagement Leaderboard. This was an achievement managed by fewer than 160 of the 4,800 companies included in the Supplier Engagement Rating.
What is CDP?
Each year, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) gathers environmental information on companies, cities, regions, and countries. The data, covering fields such as CO2 emissions, climate risks, specific climate protection strategies and goals, as well as measures taken along the delivery chain, is evaluated according to a set of criteria, and published in the form of an overall score, or rating. Evaluations and comparisons with other companies are intended to help identify and implement potential fields of action and possible improvements. The largest database of its type in the world is particularly important as a reference for the capital markets. Founded in 2000, by its own account the non-profit organization is supported by more than 650 institutional signatory investors who together manage around USD 80 billion. Although only a part of the annual evaluation is made public, investors are also given access to specific information, such as data on individual enterprises. In addition to the financial services sector, CDP also serves politics, science, and the media as an information platform for climate-relevant data and company strategies.
Christopher Eberl