Our approach to sustainability is manifested in our purpose: We co-create living spaces for generations to come. As a family business with a 106-year history, we have always been a family for positive change, focusing on true innovation and climate solutions. Curiosity and courage to explore new pathways are strong parts of our company culture.
Our climate strategy has evolved into the net zero focus area of our sustainability strategy. Read more in our 2023 Viessmann Sustainability Report.
Now is the time to prove those skills. Science warns us that humankind is changing the climate of Planet Earth. Through greenhouse gas emissions, we are heating up the planet and have already done so by 1.2 degrees since the start of the industrial era. Climate science projects that we will reach an increase of 4 to 5 °C if we do nothing by 2050. We only have less than 300 Gt left today in our planetary carbon budget to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. This threshold is crucial as higher temperature rises are expected to come with severe environmental, social and economic costs and damages.
To stay within the budget, every country and every business needs to reach net zero as soon as possible. Net zero refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal of the same amount of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere. A country or business that reaches net zero is no longer climate negative but climate neutral. Reaching net zero and becoming climate neutral is what we at Viessmann aim to achieve with our climate strategy.
We know this is a complex task that asks for continuous improvement and accelerated co-creation. This is why we focus on what we can do as technology leaders in the building sector, knowing that we are part of a larger system that needs to be transformed. Our vision of the future is guiding us.
In 100 years, we will live in clean cities. Our buildings and economy are climate positive. Our buildings can adjust temperature and air quality in real time and bring health, comfort and energy services to people in their homes. Like the whole economy, these buildings are circular in their use and re-use of resources. They generate electricity for their own energy system using only renewable energy sources.The energy network itself now is a flexible network of various grids that interconnect and intelligently collaborate to connect buildings and maximize energy-efficiency. Our energy and water grids enable us to share and recover heat and cold. The electricity grid connects all buildings as one regenerative power plant. The gas grid enables us to use biomethane and green hydrogen, produced from wind and solar energy. And through the information grid, we are able to optimize our energy usage and secure an energy supply at the least cost. In 100 years, we will live on a healing planet. And we all contributed towards it, together.
“Every company must become a climate solutions company. It must come straight from the heart. We need to emphasize the responsibility that we have to the future, and be aware that how we live today will impact future generations.” Max Viessmann, President and CEO Viessmann Group
Looking at the urgency of climate change and the Viessmann heritage of embracing change makes it crystal clear: we can and must do more to scale sustainable heating, ventilation, cooling solutions for everyone. We can and must do more to make our own operations future-fit. We can and must do more to lead a systems transformation towards net zero buildings. And this is what we aim to do through our climate strategy “LEAP to Net Zero.” which we developed based on scientific frameworks, such as Greenhouse Gas Protocol and Science Based Targets Initiative.
Today, the energy use of our buildings accounts for up to 40 % of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. Our global population is rapidly growing, reaching 8 billion people by now, demanding resources in the form of energy, materials, water, food and other goods. This leads to stressed and deployed natural systems, while increasing urbanization and the rise of large cities ask for more resources to be built and maintained. Until 2030, 5.5 billion people are expected to live in urban settings. It is clear: The building sector plays an undeniably important role in keeping these developments within planetary boundaries. It is up to all of us in this industry to realize a systems transformation. And with our Viessmann climate strategy "LEAP to Net Zero" we took the first step.
LEAP is an ambitious plan to align our actions with global climate goals. This plan is built upon four pillars: Leap, Empower, Advocate and Partner (“LEAP”). Together with our partners and stakeholders, we want to leapfrog, in other words take a giant step forward, towards reaching net zero in our own operations and the systems that we are a part of.
“LEAP to Net Zero” is directly linked to our purpose and addresses the whole value chain of our business. As we acknowledge our role as a partner, an advocate, an employer and a leader in our industry, we hope to be an inspiration and to motivate our partners, employees and stakeholders to drive this transformation with us.
Our operations will be net zero, regenerative, circular and embedded in healthy ecosystems.
People will be empowered to radically reduce their CO₂ emissions and be prosumers - through our many climate solutions.
Employees and partners will be climate heroes. Our brand will be the trusted partner for climate action. We will be the thought leader for climate policies.
Suppliers and partners will be empowered to radically reduce their CO₂ emissions. The region around our headquarters will be net zero. Our venturing and innovation activities will contribute to net zero.
"Climate neutrality can only be achieved in a collaborative manner. Partnerships and joint responsibility for living spaces for generations to come enrich all of us and multiply opportunities." Professor Dr. Martin Viessmann, Member of the Board of Directors of Viessmann Group
As an integral part of our climate strategy, we set ourselves two concrete climate targets. These targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) to ensure they are in line with climate science to stabilize global warming at 1.5 °C. The aim of our two climate targets is to drastically reduce our current GHG emission of a total of 108,830 kt CO2e for the selected SBTi base year 2019 and according to the thorough assessment using the GHG Protocol.
We have committed that our operations will be net zero by 2050 (Lead). To get there, our first climate target is to reduce the emissions from our own operations by at least 48 % in absolute terms by 2030 (Scope 1 and 2, compared to 2019 levels). This means a 75% reduction compared to 2005. To reach this target, we have committed to invest 60 million €.
Also, we commit that we will empower people, partners and suppliers to radically reduce their CO2 emissions (Empower, Partner). For the emissions reductions of supplying our materials and using our products, we set ourselves a second climate target: at least 55 % reduction of Scope 3 GHG emissions in economic intensity terms by 2030 (compared to 2019 levels). To reach this target, we have committed to invest 1 billion €.
SBTi stands for Science Based Targets Initiative. It defines and promotes best practices in setting science-based targets and independently evaluates companies' targets.
Net zero refers to a state in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by their removal out of the atmosphere. The world committed to reach this state by 2050.
Climate or carbon neutral refers to the idea of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by balancing those emissions so they are equal (or less than) the emissions that get removed through the planet’s natural absorption.