Sustainability Declaration

Emissions reduction through alternative raw materials and new technologies
COMPO uses the calculation of its Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF), based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol), to record sources of emissions and identify areas for potential reductions. One area of focus is the selection of raw materials. At the research centre at the company’s headquarters in Münster, a multidisciplinary team is working on the further development of product formulations, with the aim, amongst other things, of increasing the use of renewable and regionally available raw materials.
In the substrate sector, COMPO has further increased the proportion of renewable and regionally sourced raw materials.
According to the results of the emissions inventory, both Scope 1 and Scope 3 emissions fell during the reporting period. These developments are linked, amongst other things, to changes in the selection of raw materials and the quantities used.
COMPO intends to continue pursuing this approach in the coming years and to explore further opportunities to reduce climate-relevant emissions.
At its Münster site, COMPO also launched a major investment project in the 2023 reporting year for the production of organic and organic-mineral fertilisers, and constructed a new production plant for this purpose. The plant utilises, amongst other things, COMPO Advanced Release Technology^®. With this investment, COMPO aims to further develop and advance production processes and the manufacture of organic and organic-mineral fertilisers.

 

Regional resources for shorter transport routes and a reduction in transport emissions
Another key area is the regional sourcing and processing of natural materials. Shorter supply chains help to reduce transport distances. At the same time, regional sourcing is intended to support the flexibility of the supply chain.
Through the regional sourcing and processing of natural materials, COMPO reduces transport distances whilst simultaneously enhancing the flexibility of the supply chain. Combined with regional and lower-emission raw materials, optimised production processes and improved stock management, the simultaneous reduction in transport emissions enables a significant reduction in Scope 3 figures compared with the previous year’s report.

 

Circular economy and packaging
COMPO uses raw materials from circular processes in both its products and packaging. The company’s packaging solutions made from recycled materials have been recognised with awards including the Plastic Recycling Award and the German Packaging Prize.
According to the sustainability statement, more than 98 per cent of the packaging materials used in the 2023 reporting year were sourced from renewable resources. The further development of packaging is another area of focus within the ESG programme.
For liquid fertiliser packaging, COMPO’s aim is to use packaging made entirely from post-consumer recycled material across the Group. The implementation of this aim and the current progress towards achieving it are reviewed as part of the sustainability reporting process.

 

Switch to green electricity
COMPO has switched to green electricity at its German sites. As a result, Scope 2 emissions fell by 89 per cent during the reporting period. The company is also reviewing or planning a further switch to green electricity for its international sites. In addition, COMPO is implementing measures relating to workplace mobility at its first German sites. These include, for example, electric vehicle charging points and company bike leasing schemes.

 

Trends in greenhouse gas emissions
COMPO’s corporate carbon footprint calculation shows reductions in reported greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 for the reporting period:
Scope 1 emissions have fallen by 11 per cent. This reduction is attributable to the optimisation of peat extraction volumes and the associated reduction in storage emissions.
In Scope 2, the switch to green electricity at all German sites has resulted in an 89 per cent reduction in emissions. Scope 3 emissions have fallen by 30 per cent. This significant reduction is due to optimised production processes, combined with improved stock management and a reduction in transport emissions.
The results of the emissions inventory thus show reductions across all three scopes under consideration.

 

 

In addition to reporting on climate-related emissions, the DNK statement addresses further environmental, social, societal and governance aspects of the company-wide ESG programme. The statement is available in German and English in the DNK database.