Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Many of the global sustainability challenges and calls for action are described in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Launched in 2015, the SDGs provide an inspiring framework for collective action. All of the goals are connected and Viessmann will use them as a compass to mobilise change. 

The image shows all 17 SDGs.

The SDGs and Viessmann solutions

In our recent Viessmann Climate Report, we published our climate strategy which outlines our contributions to SDG 13 among others. In the next step, we will look at our current business models through an SDGs lens, co-create our whole sustainability strategy and as a result have a clear perspective on how we are impacting the SDGs today and how we will contribute to reaching the SDGs by 2030. As a result, the SDGs will guide us as we develop the Viessmann business, set ambitions, and engage with our partners.

In our first approach towards the SDGs, we assessed the 17 goals based on the relevance for the company group. As a result the following eight SDGs were perceived as most relevant. 

The image shows the SDG goal 5 Gender equality.

Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

This goal is about ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls, and protecting them from violence. In terms of our company, our focus is placed on the equal participation of women in the labor market and the reconciliation of work and family life for women and men by working toward a partnership-based division of tasks in family work.

The more diverse the teams, the more successful each individual >

The image shows the icon for the SDG goal 6 Clean water and sanitation.

Goal 6: Ensure access to clean water and sanitation

For the first time in its history, the UN has internationally defined which fields of action result from the fact that water is a scarce resource: access to clean drinking water, the improvement of water quality, the efficient use and sustainable withdrawal of water across all sectors, the implementation of integrated water resources management, the protection and restoration of water-dependent and water-related ecosystems, etc. are all considered here. As a company, we want to cover all these points in our production processes, and we have already integrated them into our environmental management system.

32 Swimming pools: this is how much water we save every year >

The image shows the SDG goal 7 Affordable and clean energy.

Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable and clean energy

One of the greatest transformations that we as humans on this planet will have to accomplish in the future is to convert the supply of energy to renewable resources. This means that we must now already use energy as efficiently as possible in order to conserve our planet’s resources and reduce the pressure on energy production. Viessmann energy systems are already based on these principles today. We work around the clock to make all our processes, products, and services as energy-efficient as possible.

Green light for first industrial power-to-gas plant >

The image shows the SDG goal 8 Decent work and economic growth.

Goal 8: Promote decent work and sustainable economic growth

Economic growth is the foundation for prosperity in the industrialized countries of the world. It ensures new jobs are created and serves as the basis for an efficient welfare state. We must aim, however, to decouple economic growth from the consumption of resources and energy in the future. Our day-to-day work at Viessmann concentrates on developing resource-saving technical solutions. We treat our employees fairly. They are part of the Viessmann family.

Young engineer academy >

The image shows the SDG goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Goal 11: Make cities and communities sustainable

More and more people around the world are living in cities. And even if cities only take up around two percent of the land area, more than 50 percent of the world’s population already live there. Cities thus act as central stages of sustainable development: they drive our economies, culture, and innovation. Inequalities in society, however, are also really brought to the fore here. Approx. 80 percent of carbon emissions are generated in cities. That’s why we need to pay special attention to the sustainable development of cities. At Viessmann, we make an important contribution to this with our technologies.

Climate protection is a matter of will >

The image shows the SDG goal 12 Sustainable consumption and production.

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production

In short, it’s all about striking a delicate balance: on the one hand, to maintain and increase prosperity; on the other hand, to conserve the planet’s limited resources. It is extremely challenging to connect individual practices and behaviors with their worldwide effects and to consider the complexity of the global interdependencies. Our company endeavors to include sustainability in all its processes and tries to adjust administration, production, and sales activities accordingly.

Our contribution: Annual savings of 500 000 tons of CO2 > 

The image shows the SDG goal 13 for Climate action.

Goal 13: Protect the climate and combat climate change

Global climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. It does not stop at national borders and its impacts affect us all. Rapid and ambitious measures to reduce climate-damaging emissions and to adapt to the consequences of climate change are vital for global sustainable development. Viessmann has been dedicated to environmental protection for decades. For us, sustainability is tradition, which – now more than ever – defines our business on an operational level.

We are acting now: 90 percent fewer carbon emissions per truck >

The image shows the SDG goal 17 partnerships for the goals.

Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

It is up to politicians to ensure that we cooperate on a global scale to achieving the sustainable development goals. Nevertheless, companies can also try to participate in development work, for example, by partnering with players along the entire value chain. All 17 goals can ultimately only be achieved with the cooperation of many players around the world. Networking can create new partnerships, identify creative solutions, and disseminate best practices. Viessmann is also devoted to this goal.

“No. 1 Specialist Trade Partner” for the 15th time in a row >

The picture shows a meadow and trees on a sunny day

Sustainability at Viessmann

For many generations, we’ve viewed sustainability as part of our responsibility. You can find out how and where we are becoming more and more sustainable in our current reports on sustainability.

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