Sustainability at Heraeus

At Heraeus, our commitment to sustainability and responsibility is a fundamental part of our business strategy. We are convinced that this not only allows us to fulfill our responsibility to future generations, but also supports our business growth, enables long-term success and strengthens the resilience of the entire Heraeus Group.

It is at the heart of our identity as a family-owned, global technology company to enable sustainable transformation towards a healthy planet and society with our responsible leadership and technology.​ We take great pride in the positive impacts of many of our products on the environment and society. Through initiatives such as precious metals recycling and developing innovative catalysts, through our involvement in electromobility, we actively contribute to mitigate climate change. Our involvement in the healthcare sector further exemplifies our dedication to leaving a lasting, positive imprint on our society by improving and saving lives with our products. 

With our expertise and our resources, we have been making meaningful contributions over generations, and we are committed to doing so in the future. In our Sustainability Report 2023-2024 we have further specified our targets on this journey.

For all the details, see the report:

Climate

Heraeus is committed to protecting the environment and conserving resources. 

As stated in the Corporate Climate Policy, Heraeus wants to align their activities with the goal of the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming. Heraeus has therefore committed itself to Group-wide near-term targets for Scope 1 and 2, and Scope 3 emissions in line with climate science with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). By 2030, we have set ourselves a target to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% compared to our 2021 baseline. Recognizing that the majority of our emissions are Scope 3 emissions, we have set a goal to reduce our 2021 Scope 3 emissions by 37.5% by 2035. In addition, Heraeus is committed to source at least 50% of its global electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2030.

Resource use and circular economy

As a global leader in precious metals, Heraeus, through its Operating Company Heraeus Precious Metals, is covering the value chain from refining and trading to creating innovative precious metal products and recycling of secondary materials, including end-of-life materials. As such, Heraeus is committed to realize the potential of precious metals as responsibly as possible. This includes looking for new ways to conserve resources and promoting a circular economy. The Precious Metals Resource Use & Circularity Policy anchors Heraeus’ commitments regarding precious metals use and circularity in our business practices.

Human rights and responsible supply chains

As a family-owned company with 365 years of history, Heraeus is committed to the principle of sustainability and to respecting and upholding universally recognized human rights. Heraeus is committed to treating its employees, including temporary and migrant workers and employees in other employment relationships, with dignity and respect. Heraeus also expects its customers and suppliers to respect the human rights of their employees. Expectations of suppliers are set forth in the Heraeus Supply Chain Due Diligence Policy and the Heraeus Code of Conduct for Suppliers.

Health and Safety

Ensuring a healthy and safe working environment stands as a top priority and a fundamental responsibility within our organization. The commitment to safety is deeply embedded in our Vision 2025, Global EHS Policy, and the Heraeus Code of Conduct, reflecting the emphasis we place on the well-being of our workforce. We approach this through a triple-focus on compliance, fostering a safety-conscious culture, and striving for continuous improvement.

With our health and safety training program we raise awareness and foster a safe and healthy behaviour at the workplace. We’ve set ambitious targets, aiming for an Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) of less than 2 by 2025. Our commitment is evident in the early 2023 figures, which indicate a promising trend towards our goal. Furthermore, our aspiration for zero health-related incidents is supported by our endeavours to have 80% of our production sites fulfil our internal EHS management system requirements.

Diverse and inclusive corporate culture

Fostering diversity of thought, ensuring equal access to opportunity and promoting an inclusive corporate culture are strategically integral parts of the Heraeus Vision.

It is important to us to create an appreciative, open and respectful work environment where all employees can contribute and feel like they belong. We are convinced that this is the best way to unleash the full potential of all employees and teams.

Unlocking the power of our diverse teams is a leadership topic. Thus, we place special emphasis on training our leaders and intercultural teams to value different perspectives and foster respectful communication within a culture of psychological safety. By creating a safe, inclusive environment, we lay the foundation for positive working relationships. We champion inclusion, treat each other with respect, and encourage open dialogue and employee listening supported by annual engagement surveys.

For us, diversity of thought is a business-critical topic: embracing diverse perspectives fosters innovation and enhances our ability to navigate challenges, leading to better decision-making.

At Heraeus Group we are committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance, with a strong emphasis on sustainability. We believe that practicing good corporate governance and business ethics not only benefits our stakeholders, but also contributes to the well-being of our planet and future generations. Through transparent decision-making, ethical business practices, integrity, and a dedication to environmental and social responsibility, we strive to integrate sustainability into our operations and decisions. We believe that by embracing good corporate governance, we can create a positive impact that extends beyond the boundaries of our organization.

Compliance

With the Compliance Management System, Heraeus has defined content requirements, processes, and structures to ensure Group-wide compliance with legal obligations and voluntary guidelines.

In this context, the Heraeus Code of Conduct serves as a central framework for action for the global business activities of all business segments and has contributed to securing the long-term success of the company since 2007.

If employees or external parties believe that laws or internal regulations have been breached, they can report violations at any time, even anonymously, to the responsible compliance officer or via the web-based compliance hotline Heraeus SpeakUp to the Heraeus Compliance Officer or to an external ombudsman.