For companies, achieving climate neutrality is no longer considered merely an environmental objective. Rather, it has become an essential strategic factor in remaining competitive and viable well into the future. In the context of its sustainability strategy, Thomas has put its focus on developing a circular economy and decarbonizing the entire value chain. The decarbonization strategy drawn up by Thomas sets out clearly defined, step-by-step targets for the three so-called Scopes. These are based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol)[1], a globally recognized standard for recording and calculating greenhouse gas emissions. The overarching goal is to achieve climate neutrality in the Thomas value chain by 2040.
Climate target in sight: 90% reduction in CO₂ by 2040
The Thomas decarbonization strategy is aimed at achieving two key goals: by 2030, direct emissions are to be reduced by 42% from the current level of around 843 t of CO2 per year to 489 t of CO2 per year.
Initial measures implemented by the company, such as the use of geothermal energy, have already led to an annual saving of 80 tons of CO2. In addition, further indirect emissions that arise in Thomas‘ upstream and downstream value chain and fall under Scope 3 are to be reduced by 90% by 2040. Total emissions from Scope 1, 2, and 3, which amounted to 21,637 tons of CO2 per year in 2023, are to be reduced to a maximum of 2,122 tons of CO2 per year by 2040. Emissions that are unavoidable are to be offset so as to achieve climate neutrality in Scope 3 too, thus allowing Thomas to achieve its ambitious climate targets.
“Scopes”: The key to an all-encompassing emissions assessment
Scope 1, 2, and 3 are categories used to describe the different types of emissions generated by a company’s business activities and the entire value chain. They are used for the purpose of calculating the carbon footprint:
Thomas has already succeeded in achieving climate neutrality with regard to indirect emissions. In this context, purchased energy is covered by green electricity. In addition, Thomas records and analyzes its energy requirements for the purpose of reducing them. After all, zero energy consumption also means zero emissions when generating power.
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Competitiveness and decarbonization go hand in hand – and this is precisely what Thomas is keen to demonstrate with the ambitious targets it has set. The company shows that international competitivCompetitiveness and decarbonization belong together – and this is exactly what Thomas is demonstrating with its ambitious goals. The company proves that sustainability contributes to international competitiveness. To this end, it strives to make real contributions to solving social sustainability problems. The whole team works with joy on the implementationeness can be underpinned by a sustainable approach. In this context, it strives to make genuine contributions to addressing social sustainability issues. The entire team is eager to implement the associated measures.
[1] GHG Protocol
As part of EU-wide reporting obligations relating to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), companies are required to document their greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the ESRS E1 standard. In this context, one of the explicit requirements is that the provisions of the GHG Protocol are taken into account.
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