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We will to become the sustainability leader of our industry. The relevance of this topic for us becomes clear when you look at our corporate vision. It says: "Creating a world in which resources are used in the best possible way – for joint success and a sustainable future". We are working on this and setting ourselves ambitious goals. Sustainability goes far beyond the "green" aspect. In line with the internationally recognized ESG criteria, the company is also working on initiatives and projects that promote diversity and social commitment and raise standards along the supply chains. But it is also very important for us to become our customers' first choice for sustainable products and services.

We have already taken a first major step by revising our self-imposed sustainability targets upwards: We will be 100% carbon neutral by 2030. To achieve this, we are using the many small and large levers that our businesses offer. 

With our sustainability approach, we pursue a holistic sustainability strategy: We are guided by internationally recognized ESG criteria: Environment, Social and Governance, but think and act beyond legal requirements. We go "beyond". We have set down this self-image in our "thyssenkrupp Materials Services Sustainability Manifesto". Developed jointly by operative business and corporate centre, it defines our ambition as MX and underlines our clear claim: we will be the sustainability leader of our industry. That is why we are going "beyond" – that is, further. Beyond clean: We will be climate neutral 20 years earlier than previously planned. Beyond good: Entrepreneurship also means social responsibility for society. We will be much more committed to this in the future than we have been in the past. Beyond green: We want to become the best provider of sustainable products for our customers.

We have defined three dimensions in our sustainability manifesto:

• Beyond clean: Fighting climate change and protecting biodiversity is central to us. Therefore, we will operate climate neutrally by 2030 and will reduce all forms of environmental pollution continuously.

• Beyond good: Acting as a responsible member of global society is key to our company. By fostering diversity, enriching the communities in which we live and raising social standards in our supply chain, we will contribute to creating a sustainable world – for our employees and society.

• Beyond green: We want to be our customers' first choice for the products and services they need to decarbonize their supply chain and meet their social criteria.

At Materials Services, we have numerous opportunities to improve our sustainability – this applies to all Operating Units, all sites worldwide and each and every one of us. This is also precisely what enables us to draw from an enormous pool of opportunities. In the area of production, processing, warehousing and logistics, for example, further advances in digitalization are enabling us to optimize processes. We are working on improving traceability along the supply chain (tkontrol), developing recycling solutions for our tk Plastics customers (Green concept) and on a green product line (sustainable products). We can also achieve a great deal by successively switching to green electricity, renewable energies or our lighting to LED. With a good 400 sites in around 40 countries, this is already a big lever that we can move ourselves.

But we are also concerned with promoting diversity and acting responsibly – such as with our goals for greater gender equality and the associated increase in the proportion of women in management positions to match the proportion of the female workforce, as well as our social commitment (global reforestation and fundraising campaign). Here, too, we have already identified many projects that we will implement.

There is no alternative to sustainable action. Neither for us nor for our customers, our partners or our competitors. Those who are ahead in the sustainability race will also be able to operate profitably and be successful in the future. Because they have the solutions that the economy and society demand. This is not only confirmed by extensive market and competitor studies – we also encounter these demands for the near future in our daily customer business. And: Because we can. As the biggest mill-independent materials distribution and service provider in the western world, we operate in over 40 countries – and therefore have an opportunity to exert influence everywhere. We take advantage of this opportunity and see it not only as a chance, but above all as our responsibility. And when it comes to change and development, we at Materials Services are experts.

We have already taken a first major step by revising our previous self-imposed sustainability targets upwards: We will be 100% carbon neutral by 2030. In other words, instead of reducing our CO₂ emissions by 30% by 2030, we will now be completely climate neutral in the same period. The main aim here is to reduce direct emissions at our own sites and our own indirect emissions from our energy consumption as far as possible. This is a central target. In addition, each Operating Unit has its own roadmap, with key sustainability milestones up to 2030 and beyond. This involves, for example, switching to green electricity, renewable energies or our lighting to LED. With a good 400 sites in around 40 countries, this is already a big lever that we can move ourselves.

But we have also set ourselves clear goals in terms of diversity and occupational safety: We will increase the proportion of women in management positions at MX from the current 14.9% to 18.5% by 2025. We continue to work towards achieving our vision of zero accidents.

The issue of sustainability is not a new one for Materials Services. In the past we have already worked intensively on the topics of climate protection, diversity, good corporate citizenship, occupational safety, etc. The first is the holistic understanding of the topic: derived from our corporate vision and closely linked to our corporate strategy. What is new is on the one hand the holistic understanding of the topic: derived from our corporate vision and closely linked to our corporate strategy. On the other hand, it is the consistency with which we approach topics in concrete terms, back them up with clear goals and measures, and want to involve all areas of our company as well as each individual employee.

There is no alternative to sustainable action. Neither for us nor for our customers, our partners or competitors. Those who stay ahead in the sustainability race will also be able to operate profitably and be successful in the future. Today, there is no business in the world that can operate climate-neutrally without compensation. As a materials distribution and service provider, however, we are not a particularly energy-intense business by industry standards. We emit around 180,000 kilograms of CO₂ per year. By contrast, a steel producer like thyssenkrupp Steel Europe emits 22 million tons. As things stand today, we therefore estimate that the compensation amounts from 2030 for most of our Operating Units will be moderate. (This amount will have to be recouped through the market position achieved in the sustainability area by then).

At Materials Services, sustainability is a joint construct to which we call on every employee. The projects currently being implemented are supervised by young employees ("talents") and project sponsors (e.g. department/team leaders) and supported by other colleagues. The aim here is for each and every one of us to approach the topics and projects with openness and commitment and, for example, to get involved locally – such as with our worldwide fundraising campaign for children's homes or reducing our own electricity consumption at the site.

We will reduce direct emissions at our own sites (Scope 1) and own indirect emissions from our energy consumption (Scope 2) as much as possible by 2030. We are implementing energy efficiency programs, green initiatives and sustainable construction. This involves, for example, switching to green electricity, using renewable energies or switching our lighting to LED. With a good 400 sites in around 40 countries, this is already a big lever that we can move ourselves and with which we will achieve a CO₂ reduction of almost 60 percent compared to 2017/18. We will compensate for what cannot yet be reduced from a technical point of view. But we will also stay on top of this and will always use further ways to reduce in step with the technical possibilities.

Materials Services is about moving materials and raw materials and bringing them to our customers. By digitalizing our processes and workflows we will be able to use goods more efficiently and act more flexibly. Better data evaluation and use is essential to make our supply chain more transparent. In concrete terms: the better a delivery route is planned, for example, the fewer kilometres have to be driven and the less CO₂ is emitted.

There is no alternative to sustainable action. Our partners know this too. We use our size and position in the industry to exert influence here. After all, we are the market leader in Europe and the leader in North America! We see ourselves, for example, as a natural partner to steel manufacturers who are also moving forward with ambitious goals, so that together we can establish a green supply chain for our customers. We are in exchange with them. As part of our strategic supplier management, the issue of climate neutrality has a high priority.

Our sustainability strategy covers all scope emissions. We can exert the greatest possible influence on the emissions resulting from direct emissions from our own sites and indirect emissions from our own energy consumption. Since we want to make rapid progress with our sustainability strategy, this is our focus for the time being. In principle, we are pursuing the "reduce", "replace", "remove" approach on our way to climate neutrality.

• "Reduce" focuses on measures with the aim of reducing the intensity and/or extent of impacts that cannot be completely avoided, i.e. we reduce our energy consumption and focus on energy efficiency measures, e.g. in building design, conversions and new buildings.

• "Replace" focuses on measures to substitute climate-damaging energy sources with climate-friendly ones, i.e. we are increasingly replacing fossil fuels with renewables. In other words: We are focusing on green electricity. We are also increasing the degree of energy self-sufficiency, for example by installing solar systems on storage sites such as those in Rotenburg. This will enable Rotenburg to fully supply its own and further sites with electricity in the future.

• "Remove" relies on measures that lead to CO₂ carriers becoming completely redundant through the development of new technologies. This path is the most long-term and sustainable and is essentially achieved through the interaction of all market participants. Smart offset partnerships play a major role at the beginning, but will become obsolete in the course of further development through climate-friendly solutions.

We will be climate neutral by 2030. From today's perspective, we will achieve a CO₂ reduction of just under 60% with this project compared to 2017/18. As a materials distribution and service provider, we are not a particularly energy-intensive business by industry standards. Emissions that cannot yet be avoided with the current status because neither corresponding technologies nor the necessary infrastructure are currently available on the market are compensated for by climate protection projects. This applies, for example, to parts of our own truck fleet or to special machinery and vehicles in the area of steel mill services in Germany. It is a matter of course for us that we will also invest in appropriate technologies for more climate neutrality here as soon as they are available.
Parts of the company can even reduce the greenhouse gases generated by 70 to 80% compared to the base year. As things stand today, we therefore estimate the compensation amounts from 2030 onwards to be moderate for most of our Operating Units. (This amount must be recouped through the market position achieved in the sustainability area by then).

Sustainability is not created centrally. For us, it is the many small and large individual levers in the stores with which we can achieve a great deal. And you move these levers – also with your great personal commitment. We are very impressed by what you have already achieved here. By the end of the last fiscal year, more than 40 projects had already been initiated or implemented – from global fundraising for children's homes to reforestation campaigns and volunteer days. Sustainability, in all its facets, lives from doing, from commitment.