Münster (December 2024) – The new sustainability declaration for the 2023 reporting year has been prepared according to the standards of the German Sustainability Code (GSC) and once more marks pioneering milestones in COMPO's ESG programme and Green Leadership pledge. It documents the progress of the comprehensive sustainability strategy for all international production sites within the COMPO Group and demonstrates a significant reduction in climate-relevant emissions.

COMPO's ESG programme aims to develop a strategy for the continuous reduction of all climate-relevant emissions, from one end of the value chain to the other. "By joining the Science Based Targets initiative in 2023, COMPO is following a clearly defined pathway to emission reduction in line with the 1.5 °C target of the Paris Climate Accords," explains Stephan Engster, CEO of COMPO. "Our success speaks for itself! We are proud to report significant GHG-emission reductions and we remain committed to resolutely pursuing this path."

Emission reduction through forward-looking raw material alternatives and technologies

An analysis of the corporate carbon footprint assessment according to the internationally recognised Greenhouse Gas Protocol reveals opportunities for sustainable change. A key approach is the focus on innovative and low-emission raw materials. A multidisciplinary team from the research centre at the Münster headquarters develops ecofriendly and highly effective product formulations.

COMPO has enjoyed particular success when it comes to increasing the percentage of raw materials that are renewable and regionally sourced in its potting soils. Optimisation of the raw material selection process for substrates has delivered a significant reduction in both Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions. The strategy will be continued and expanded upon in the coming years.

Another milestone: To reinforce its leadership position in organic and organic-mineral fertilisers, the 2023 reporting year saw COMPO launch the largest investment project in the history of the company at the Münster site, where it constructed Europe's most advanced production plant for organic and organic-mineral fertilisers. COMPO is setting new standards in efficiency and sustainability at this production facility with its innovative COMPO Advanced Release Technology.

 

Regional resources for shorter delivery routes and a reduction in transport emissions

The regional sourcing and processing of natural materials has enabled COMPO to both reduce transport routes and increase flexibility in the supply chain. "In addition to lowering emissions, we are also setting new standards across the industry with this approach, particularly in Germany," emphasises Peter Bali, Head of Business Development at COMPO. The simultaneous reduction in transport emissions combined with regional and lower-emission raw materials, optimised production processes, and improved inventory management, enables us to achieve a significant reduction in Scope 3 emissions as compared to last year's report. This approach will be increasingly rolled out across southern Europe in the future.

Internal and external responsibility

COMPO focuses on raw materials that come from the circular economy, both for its products and for its packaging. COMPO's packaging made from recycled materials recently won the Plastic Recycling Award and has won the German Packaging Award on numerous occasions. In the 2023 reporting year, renewable resources account for more than 98 per cent of our packaging materials. More improvements will follow in the future. For example, the Group will only use packaging consisting entirely of post-consumer recycled materials for liquid fertilisers from 2025 onwards.

Transition to renewable energy

The consistent transition to green electricity at all our German sites has also had a noticeable impact: "This measure reduces Scope 2 emissions by more than 89 per cent. Plans to transition to green electricity at international sites are already in place," says Engster.  COMPO is also promoting sustainable mobility by installing e-charging stations and offering company bike leasing at selected German locations, for example.

Responsible action and sustainable management are key claims for COMPO on all levels. "The GSC declaration clearly shows that we are serious about our self-imposed commitments and implementing them across Europe successfully," emphasises Stephan Engster. The GSC also ensures that the sustainability standards of the various companies are visible and comparable via its publication platform. "This enables us to offer our business partners and customers maximum transparency," adds Engster.

In addition to detailing all climate-relevant emissions, COMPO's new GSC declaration also illustrates the social and governance aspects of the company-wide ESG programme. It is available in both German and English in the GSC database.