inSPire is here to stay

We are on a mission. A mission we pursue with deep conviction and commitment:

We strive for long-lasting performance that meets the needs of our planet and future generations. inSPire offers the framework and inspiration for this.

OUR VISION FOR SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION

The world is changing, and so are value systems. There is a growing awareness of the need for sustainable transformation. We, too, believe that sustainable business must include social, economic, and ecological needs equally. Therefore, we are guided by the vision of inSPire and aim to integrate all pillars of sustainability into our daily operations: We strive to make performance sustainable. This means that we want to offer our customers the best performance by at the same time benefitting our environment. As a global company, we have the opportunity to actively contribute to a sustainable future by considering our entire value chain in our actions. This is the only way we can meet the demands of our planet and future generations, while being economically successful.

In order to turn this vision into reality, a concrete strategy and goals for our daily work are essential. This means bringing our vision to life by future-oriented goals, our North Stars: leading the transition towards a circular economy, leading the decarbonization path, and leading by example. We have already talked about our North Stars in more detail in the last blog article.

MISSION: POSSIBLE

“As the world’s leading supplier of high-performance materials with a unique service network that ensures customers’ confidence, we establish sustainable performance beyond expectations for our planet and generations to come. With our integration of products, services, and technical advisory we create a profound impact on our business area. Leading by example, we enable our customers to engage in sustainable initiatives while also driving our suppliers and partners to be at the cutting edge of essential transformation processes for tomorrow. Together, we inspire change in our industries by always thinking and walking one step ahead.”

OUR FOCUS: LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY

A vision and mission are only the first steps toward future-oriented sustainable action. To create real impact, we need concrete goals as well as actions and projects in line with them..
We implement these within the framework of our four focus areas:

• Circular Economy
• Climate Impact
• Sustainable Sourcing
• Social Impact

In order to achieve our goals, we focus on long-term sustainability. To achieve this, the strategic implementation of our four focus topics forms the basis for concrete fields of action in which we direct our efforts.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY – USING WHAT WE HAVE

It is not necessary to always use new things. This also applies to raw materials. In order to ensure the supply of important raw materials in the future and significantly reduce our ecological footprint, we are striving towards a circular economy. Our fields of action

• Material/Scrap Cycles
• Alternative Raw Material Sources
• Recycling of By-Products and
• Zero Waste

lead the way to greatly reduce the need for primary raw materials in the long term. How does this work? On the one hand, through increased use of secondary raw materials and recycled resources, as well as alternative raw materials. On the other hand, the conscious use of resources and the ongoing minimization of waste and production residues play an important role in achieving our goals: We are working towards a recycling rate of over 90% in production by 2030 over our reference year of 2019. In our melt shops, 81% of input materials already come from recycled resources.

For Franz Eder, the careful use of resources is essential, especially considering future generations: “For me, sustainability means taking the next generations into account when consuming and using resources. In this way, we can achieve a long-term win-win situation for the economy, the environment and society.”

In order to reuse as many production residues and waste as possible, it is not only important to foster internal developments, but also to partner with actors across the boundaries of industry segments. When recycling old tools, we work together with our customers on end-of-life tool recycling concepts. These come from various applications, such as die-cast aluminum and machining. By taking back tools from customers, and sorting and processing them with partner companies, we can reintegrate the raw materials contained in those tools into our production process.

CLIMATE IMPACT – ON THE WAY TO ZERO EMISSIONS

Climate protection is rooted at the core of our sustainability efforts. Michael Ebner reasons, “Climate protection calls for society-wide and global willingness and effort.” Guided by the fields of action belonging to Climate Impact, we are striving toward a sustainable future:

• Decarbonization
• Green Energy and
• Energy Efficiency

We are working continuously to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Our goal is to reduce them by 50% by 2029 compared to 2019.

Scope 1 refers to direct emissions. They originate directly from the company and are therefore fully subject to its responsibility and control. Emissions from our own vehicles or the fuels we use are examples of Scope 1 emissions.

Scope 2 refers to indirect emissions from purchased energy, such as electricity. The emissions considered here are those that occur during generation. As a result, it is essential for us to use renewable energies in order to reduce our emissions. Therefore, we are working on generating renewable energies in-house. Results from some of our projects include combining hydropower and photovoltaic energy generation at voestalpine Böhler Edelstahl, or eliminating dependence on purchased renewable energy. Additionally, we are constantly evaluating alternatives to natural gas, for example through collaborations in the field of biomethane production as a substitute for fossil fuels.

In addition, we are developing a decarbonization path toward climate neutrality by 2050 in the form of local roadmaps. The use of environmentally friendly energies and innovative energy efficiency solutions play a major role in this.

SUSTAINABLE SOURCING – WE TAKE THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN INTO ACCOUNT

As a global company, we have a significant influence on our ecological and social environment. This influence brings with it great responsibility, both for our upstream and downstream supply chains. That is why we include them in our sustainability efforts. What does that mean? It means that we focus on a high level of transparency in raw material and general purchasing. In constant dialog with our suppliers, we work together on solutions to reduce negative impacts on our environment. Close cooperation is central to ensure a sustainable supply chain. “Our suppliers and colleagues share our values. It is fascinating to see the improvements we can achieved together,” says Örjan Alm, describing the importance of collaboration for this focus topic.

Three fields of action constitute the heart of this focus topic:

• ESG Criteria
• Scope 3 Emissions
• Capacity Building and Engagement

In the first area of action, a special sustainability screening process ensures systematic integration into the entire supply chain. In addition, we are planning to expand a self-evaluation process that is currently in the implementation phase. For us, our commitment to sustainable sourcing means that we are actively contributing to the Groupgoal of having 70% of the total purchasing volume checked according to the ESG criteria of the voestalpine “Compliance and Corporate Responsibility Checklist” by 2025. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. By referring to these criteria, we ensure that all three areas are included in our measures.

Reducing our Scope 3 emissions is the second area of action for Sustainable Sourcing. Scope 3 refers to the indirect emissions of all corporate activities, including the upstream and downstream supply chains. At Group level, we have set ourselves the target of reducing those emissions by a quarter by 2029 (based on 2019).

In the third area of action, we focus on building sustainability competencies and engagement. This includes, on the one hand, an internal guideline for sustainable procurement and, on the other hand, special training courses for employees working in this area.

SOCIAL IMPACT – FOCUSING ON PEOPLE

When it comes to social impact, we look beyond our corporate and geographical boundaries. As an international company, we deal with various stakeholders along and outside our entire value chain on a daily basis: From our current and potential employees to our business partners and communities. In our fields of action

• Personal Growth and Development
• Female Leaders
• Community Engagement and
• Flexible Working Models

we are involved in the social sphere within and outside of our organization. Michaela Kotnik explains the importance of these efforts: “With our fields of action, we are working to continuously develop and learn together.”

Our flexible working time models are there to enable our employees to achieve a better work-life balance. In addition, we support them in their professional development with mentoring programs.

In an industry that is still very male-dominated, we see great potential in promoting equality and empowering women. That is why we focus on coaching and mentoring, as well as projects to promote women in leadership positions. For the coming years, we are planning long-term initiatives to strengthen and expand our social commitment internally and externally.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Our current actions have a major impact on the future of our social, economic and ecological environment. With inSPire, we strive to positively impact it, now and in the future. The framework of our mission, vision, goals, and our four focus topics supports us in our efforts. It bundles division-wide projects and actions which makes it possible to exploit synergies and act in a targeted manner over the long term. In this way, we aim to facilitate positive developments both inside and outside our company.