Linde Material Handling ranks among the top companies worldwide in terms of sustainability measures. For this, it recently received the Platinum Medal from the rating agency EcoVadis in the categories of environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and material procurement.
“When it comes to investing in new industrial trucks, the EcoVadis ranking is playing an increasingly important role. Especially in tenders for large contracts, companies want to know precisely how their suppliers are doing in terms of sustainability,” says Nicole Grinko, Sustainability Manager at Linde MH. “The Platinum medal is not only important proof that Linde MH has already achieved a high level of sustainability, but also that it continues to improve through ongoing performance and activities.” For example, Linde MH has developed a clear roadmap for achieving CO2 neutrality in its production plants over the next few years. “This is based on a comprehensive analysis of the company’s main CO2 emitters,” reports Nicole Grinko. This analysis was completed last year, and a strategic transformation concept was derived from it, which is now being implemented step by step.
The EcoVadis assessment comprises detailed queries within each category as well as a 360° overview, in which the rating agency evaluates publications worldwide on sustainability-related topics concerning the company and incorporates them into the assessment. All information provided by the company must also be supported by corresponding evidence. One example is the Fair-ON-Pay+ certificate, which Linde MH received in Switzerland and which confirms equal pay for men and women. This certificate also contributed to an improved EcoVadis score in the category of labor and human rights. A further improvement was achieved in the "sustainable procurement" category through the provision of specific key performance indicators (KPIs) at the brand level. Previously, these were only accessible at the parent company level. Now, they allow analysts to track quantitative progress at Linde MH.
Important foundation
A key basis for the EcoVadis rating is the sustainability report, which Linde MH first compiled on a voluntary basis in 2015 and has been continuously collecting data on ever since. For the past two years, it has been published online (Sustainability Report) and consists of two parts. The "Facts and Figures" section explains the overarching sustainability strategy of the company and its parent company, the KION Group, with relevant cross-references. Furthermore, the chapters "Compliance and Responsibility," "Good Employer," "Health and Safety," "Environment," "Products and Solutions," "Sustainability in the Supply Chain," and "Social Commitment" describe measures and activities. The "Targets and Key Performance Indicators" chapter summarizes the most important key performance indicators and changes compared to previous years in tabular form. The second part of the report, the "Stories" section, presents concrete examples of sustainability initiatives.
