DR.SCHNELL'S OFFER NOW GIVES EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFSET THE REMAINING PRODUCT-RELATED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS OF THE CLEANING AND DISINFECTION AGENTS WE PURCHASE.

The total package of avoided/reduced emissions through the continuous implementation of savings measures, the offsetting of remaining company-related emissions in climate protection projects, and the opportunity created for our customers to offset remaining product-related emissions by paying a CO₂ surcharge in accordance with ISO 14067 certification, is included in our offer statement: DR.SCHNELL sustainable hygiene. ISO14067 certified accounting, comprises our offer statement: DR.SCHNELL sustainable hygiene.

Basics for calculating company-related emissions for annual compensation measures

Our compensation measures to offset our company-specific emissions are carried out in cooperation with the sustainability consultancy Fokus Zukunft GmbH& Co. KG. This is a purely company-related assessment and not a product-related one. Product-related emissions were not taken into account. Details on the basis for assessment and the compensation measures for 2024 can be found on the landing page for the Fokus Zukunft project and in more detail further down this page.

CALCULATION STANDARD / CALCULATION METHOD

Fokus Zukunft GmbH used the guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard ( rel="nofollow noopener">GHG Protocol GUTCert). This internationally recognized standard for calculating companies' CO₂* footprints divides emissions into three categories, known as Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3. However, only some of Scope 3 emissions were taken into account in DR.SCHNELL's CO₂* balance sheet of DR.SCHNELL  Scope 3 emissions were only partially taken into account; the excluded emissions are listed in detail below: 

Scope 1: Includes all direct emissions resulting from an organization's activities. These include heat, cooling, and steam generation, fuel consumption by company vehicles, and leaks from air conditioning systems.

Scope 2: Includes indirect emissions such as electricity, heat, or steam purchased from suppliers.

Scope 3: Includes other indirect emissions from the supply chain. These are a consequence of the company's activities but originate from independent external sources. In the GHG Protocol, Scope 3 emissions are considered optional for the creation of a company carbon footprint. Nevertheless, we have taken at least some of these emissions into account as part of our certification.

The graphic below clearly illustrates the contents of the scopes in accordance with the GHG Protocol.  

The following specific assessment criteria were used to prepare DR.SCHNELL's company-specific greenhouse gas balance sheet:

The business activities of 2021 were used as the basis for calculating the CO₂ footprint of the operational activities of DR.SCHNELL GmbH & Co. KGaA (Company Carbon Footprint, CCF). All data used in the calculation was collected by DR.SCHNELL in accordance with best practice and to the best of its knowledge and belief, and made available to Fokus Zukunft GmbH for the purpose of determining the CO₂ balance.

The internal processes at DR.SCHNELL stipulate that the forecast emissions for the previous year are recalculated in Q1 of the following year so that the forecast values can be continuously compared with the actual values. Any differences from the calculation basis described are then compensated for accordingly.

THE FOLLOWING WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT:

NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT:

The following upstream Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions were not taken into account in the company's corporate compensation measures:

The following downstream greenhouse gas emissions from Scope 3 were also not taken into account:

As the table above shows, despite the aforementioned optionality of Scope 3 emissions according to the GHG Protocol, we nevertheless took at least some Scope 3 emissions into account when selecting the operational boundaries. All estimates are based on internal data such as travel expense reports, operating cost reports, and toner and cartridge consumption. This thus exceeds the minimum requirements of the GHG Protocol (Chapter 4) for defining a company's operational boundaries when determining a company-related CO₂* balance.

As already mentioned, product-related emissions are excluded from this purely company-related assessment. The raw material procurement for our products is determined in a separate cradle-to-grave assessment in accordance with ISO 14067, the compensation for which is not part of the company-related compensation measures.In this regard, however, our customers have the option mentioned at the beginning of determining the emissions of the products they purchase using the DR.SCHNELL CO₂* calculator and, upon payment of a CO₂* surcharge, purchase certificates directly from DR.SCHNELL to offset these product-related emissions.

As a precautionary measure, when calculating the company-related CO₂* balance for the company-related compensation measures, an additional 5% surcharge was ultimately added to the CO₂* total result was finally increased by an additional 5% to take into account any uncertainties in data collection and the calculation of the greenhouse gas balance.

Disclosure of emissions data for 2023 according to C2C Certified® Version 4.1, CACP (Clean Air & Climate Protection):

In 2023, the production of 1,797.7 tons of ECO Collection products resulted in 43.8 tCO₂e Scope 1 emissions and 21.8 tCO₂e site-related Scope 2 emissions. Due to our strong commitment to sustainability, market-based Scope 2 emissions were zero, as electricity from 100% renewable sources was used. The product-related Scope 3 emissions of the entire ECO Collection were determined by our ISO 14067-validated CO₂ calculator and amounted to 1332.4 tCO₂e.
                
We achieved the Cradle to Cradle Gold Level targets by generating more than 25% of the electricity used to manufacture the products with our on-site PV system and sourcing the remaining electricity from 100% renewable sources. In addition, 50% of Scope 1 emissions and 25% of product-related Scope 3 emissions were offset by verified CO₂ certificates.

Emissions reduction as part of a company's environmental measures is not a short-term project, but the result of continuous and long-term efforts in all areas of the company. These measures are therefore not taken within the framework of and to achieve certifications, but are regularly adapted as part of the company's ongoing efforts.We have held EMAS certification since 1998, and our environmental and climate protection goals are presented and updated in the environmental statement. This environmental statement is submitted every three years and updated annually. Our climate protection efforts are divided into company-related and product-related measures.

COMPANY-RELATED MEASURES

• Use of photovoltaics to power the Munich production site. Part of the electricity generated on site is fed into the public grid. More than half of the electricity required for our production is thus generated in-house.

• Company mobility management – Since October 2020, employee tickets for public transportation have been subsidized by 50%.

• Company mobility management – Since October 2020, employee parking spaces are no longer free of charge but are rented out in order to further increase the attractiveness of public transportation. (The funds generated are, of course, reinvested in the form of employee events).

• Company mobility management – 13 gasoline-powered vehicles have been replaced by electric vehicles. Savings of approx. 23,400 liters of fuel. 

• Reduction of paper consumption through digitization and optimization of operational processes (e.g., ordering and logistics processes).

• Business trips by train whenever possible. This is stipulated in the DR.SCHNELL travel expense policy. Optimisation of production water supply through our own facilities (expansion of osmosis plants in 2020 now provides the raw material "demineralised water" entirely on site).

• Reduction of emissions through the use of a water treatment plant at the Munich production site, as this reduces the burden on the city's sewage system in terms of chemical and energy consumption. The amount of phosphate discharged is reduced, and precipitating agents in sewage treatment plants can be saved. By reducing the organic substances in the discharged wastewater, less climate-damaging sludge gas (including methane and carbon dioxide) is generated.

PRODUCT-RELATED MEASURES

• Introduction of 100% recycled bottles for all products in the ECO Collection in 2019. Each 1-liter recycled container saves CO₂* compared to a standard DR.SCHNELL PE container (white).

• Introduction of 10-liter containers made from 100% recycled material for all products in the ECO Collection (except hazardous goods) in 2022. Each 10-liter recycled container saves CO₂* compared to a standard DR.SCHNELL 10-liter container. Introduction of the ECOLUTION product system since the end of 2019: We assume that one ECOLUTION FOROL STICK replaces one bottle of FOROLFEE. We also assume that one ECOLUTION MILIZID STICK replaces one bottle of MILIFEE. This results in savings in emissions and packaging materials. The remaining emissions are offset by the Gold Standard-certified climate protection project "HYDROPOWER IN CHILE" described below.

• We also assume that one bottle of ECOLUTION MILIZID replaces up to 5 bottles of MILIZID, and one bottle of ECOLUTION FOROL replaces up to 5 bottles of FOROL. This results in further savings in emissions. The remaining emissions are offset by the Gold Standard-certified climate protection project "ELECTRICITY FROM HYDROPOWER IN CHILE" described below.

• Continuous work on optimizing formulations in terms of their CO₂* balance in accordance with ISO 14067.

• Elimination of colored PE containers – replacement with bottles and canisters containing 30% post-consumer recycled PE. This results in reductions in CO₂* and plastics. 

• 100% switch to bioethanol

• Substitution of raw material suppliers with suppliers with shorter delivery routes from Austria and Germany (e.g., citric acid, amidosulfonic acid, bioethanol) This results in significant emissions savings due to shorter transport routes (for all) and energy-efficient manufacturing methods (for citric acid).

• Optimization of route planning for field staff in terms of efficiency and resource conservation through a new regional sales structure

• Conversion of several 1 L container lid variants to 100% recycled plastic

• Substitution of raw materials with a growing proportion of renewable or regenerative raw materials with a lower CO₂* footprint, e.g., use of sophorolipids in FOROLFEE

WE HAVE ALSO PLANNED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FOR 2024:

• CO₂ balance only as a first step: Expanding the footprints of our products to include land use, eutrophication, and acidification potential in order to achieve a holistic overview of the environmental impact. Expanded use of sophorolipids in other products, resulting in a reduction in CO₂ emissions for the products in question.

An overview of all our environmental goals can be found in the Environmental Statement.

The emissions determined as part of the company's compensation measures are offset in Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard certified climate protection projects. Gold Standard and Verified Carbon Standard are two quality standards for voluntary compensation and cover the majority of the market. Both quality standards are listed in the brochure published by the German Federal Environment Agency among the most important international quality standards (see page 23).nbsp;

The Gold Standard was developed by the WWF and other environmental organizations. Gold Standard projects also highlight social and environmental aspects that contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals.

Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) is the world's most widely used voluntary standard for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, VCS accounted for over half of all transactions in the global voluntary market and is therefore highly relevant to the market, particularly in the area of avoided deforestation. An additional standard was created with the addition of CCB (Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standards). It examines the overall benefits of a project beyond pure emission reductions, with a particular focus on biodiversity conservation and social impacts in the project region. The standard, which was developed jointly by research institutes, companies, and environmental groups, is primarily used in forestry and agricultural projects.

Basically, it should be noted that when selecting our climate protection projects, we not only considered aspects and measures relating to climate protection, but also took into account the principles of holistic sustainability in all three dimensions (ecological, economic, and social). We have focused on the UN SDGs' sustainable development goals.In addition, we see gender equality and the contribution to high-quality education as an indispensable contribution to holistic sustainability, which is reflected in the selected climate protection projects and our social commitment in Germany. For years, DR.SCHNELL has been supporting university educational institutions as part of the Germany Scholarship program (e.g., Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences) and is involved in the "Lichtblick Hasenbergl" initiative to support children and young people.

Our compensation projects are described in detail and linked below:

CLIMATE-EFFICIENT STOVES IN RWANDA (GOLD STANDARD VER)

The majority of Rwanda's rural population cooks with wood or charcoal, often on very inefficient stoves, which further exacerbates the existing deforestation problem. The climate protection project replaces inefficient cooking stoves with efficient ones. These save up to 70% wood compared to conventional cooking stoves. Less greenhouse gases and less smoke are produced during cooking, reducing respiratory diseases, especially among women and children. The time needed to collect wood is also reduced. We chose this project because it not only has an environmental impact, but also covers other UN sustainable development goals – e.g., Goal No. 3 Health and Well-being, No. 5 Gender Equality, and No. 7 Affordable and Clean Energy.

In this project, we have offset 100% of the emissions from our vehicle fleet for 2020 and 2021. The compensation for 2021 is included in the company's compensation measures for 2021. As proof, the compensation certificates for 2020 and 2021 for our vehicle fleet are included below.

Rwanda 1 (2020 vehicle fleet); Rwanda 2 (2021 fleet) 

PROMOTING CLEAN WIND ENERGY IN CHILE (GOLD STANDARD VER)

About three hundred kilometers north of Santiago de Chile lies the municipality of Ovalle in the Chilean region of Coquimbo. Here, the two wind farms "El Pacifico" and "La Cebada" with a total of 57 wind turbines and an installed capacity of 109.6 MW supply electricity from renewable energy sources. The wind turbines have been in operation since July 2014 and generate an average of 290 GWh of clean electricity per year, which is fed into the central power grid (SIC).

The two wind farms are thus making a valuable contribution to climate protection: since this amount of electricity would otherwise have been produced using fossil fuels, the climate protection project saves around 197,420 tons of CO2 per year and also contributes to the energy transition in Chile by expanding the renewable energy sector. In addition to its positive contribution to climate protection, it also promotes sustainable development in the region by creating long-term jobs in Ovalle.

The project created local jobs for the construction and operation of the wind farm. Employees received further training and activities were organized with neighboring communities: distribution of school supplies, tours of the wind farm for schoolchildren and residents, and improvements to the water supply at local schools.