EcoVadis and the KION Group: Transparent Ratings for Ambitious Sustainability Goals

How do we want to live in the future? And how will the way we act today affect future generations? As a company with a global presence, we here at KION firmly believe that we can provide answers to these questions – and use our influence to develop the right strategies to advocate for a healthy and just future. That’s why we have been using sustainability concerns to guide how we act as a company for some time. We take consistent action to protect the environment and use energy-efficient products, as well as socially responsible practices in all areas.

In line with this, KION’s approach to sustainability is not only based on direct environmental protection measures. Instead, our efforts are wide-ranging and cover all four areas of an EcoVadis assessment: environment, working conditions and human rights, fair business practices as well as sustainable procurement. After all, only once consistent success is achieved in all of these areas, can an international company rightfully claim that it is making a substantial contribution to protecting the environment, promoting equal opportunities, and making the world livable for everyone.

KION Operating Units Linde Material Handling EMEA and STILL EMEA have been taking part in the assessment since back in 2012 and have improved every year. In 2020, Linde Material Handling EMEA was awarded the Gold medal for the second successive year, with sister company STILL EMEA achieving the same ranking in 2021. This means that both Operating Units are among the best of the mechanical engineering companies around the world assessed by EcoVadis, particularly in term of environmental protection aspects: STILL EMEA and Linde Material Handling EMEA are ranked among the top 1 percent of all future-oriented, globally active industrial companies assessed. “The gold medal is testament to the fact that our Operating Units Linde Material Handling EMEA and STILL EMEA are reliable partners and take responsibility for social, ethical and ecological matters,” says Andreas Mix, Vice President Sustainability & HSE at KION Group. He adds that the EcoVadis rating always highlights specific areas where the brands can still improve. “We are harmonizing this potential for improvement with the goals and actions of our long-term corporate strategy.” All KION Group Operating Units worldwide, and the KION Group itself, are aiming to achieve a gold medal from EcoVadis by 2027. While STILL EMEA and Linde Material Handling EMEA have already achieved this goal, the KION Group and the remaining Operating Units are already making good progress.

In order to continue developing consistently, and taking into account the broad range of measures involved, you need fixed relations that you can build on, and an objective view from outside. EcoVadis’ comprehensive assessment catalog offers us both of these. With scores provided annually, participating companies can compare their own performance as a whole and in the individual categories, as well as at national and industry level. The score indicates where companies’ strengths are and where there is room for improvement. By taking part in the rating process, the KION Group and its brands gain a valuable insight into the area of sustainability. The results help us to develop our global sustainability strategy, serve as a basis for setting specific performance indicators and objectives, and therefore help us to take the right steps.