Bathroom and kitchen brassware giant Grohe has reached carbon-neutral production, an achievement it says is a pivotal milestone in its long-term commitment to sustainability.
Grohe was acquired by parent company Lixil in 2014 and this initiative also forms part of its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions from housing and lifestyle solutions as well as operations by 2050.
“The initiative ties in seamlessly with the numerous measures in our plants that promote the reduction of the carbon footprint and conserve resources. We are very proud to be a pioneer in our industry with ‘Grohe goes zero’,” said Thomas Fuhr, COO fittings at Lixil International and CEO of Grohe AG. “And we are directly aiming for the next step: by the end of 2021 we want to make all our sales offices worldwide climate-neutral.”
Grohe has been using green electricity since July 2019 at all five Lixil EMENA production sites and in the German logistics centres. The brand is also investing in solar technology, combined heat and power plants, and innovative manufacturing processes.
In addition, its dedicated testing laboratory in Hemer coupled with increased recycling of materials is also helping contribute to the steady reduction of its carbon footprint.
As a result of these measures, Grohe says it has been able to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by around 40% since the introduction of its 2014 sustainability programme, while at the same time increasing its energy efficiency by 24%.
To offset any CO2 emissions it has not yet been able to reduce, Grohe invests in two global compensation projects: operational support of a hydroelectric power plant in India, which eliminates the need for coal-fired power plants, and a project in Malawi, which involves the repair and maintenance of boreholes used for drinking water abstraction.
Grohe has over 6,500 employees in 150 countries – 2,600 of them based in Germany.
For more info go to green.grohe.com