Environmental protection is a true priority

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. At the end of June, the German Bundestag passed the new Climate Protection Act establishing the national goal of achieving greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045. The voluntary reduction of emissions and offsetting of unavoidable emissions are very important steps in the effort to counteract climate change.

Wheel and castor specialist Blickle has therefore decided to reduce and neutralise its CO2 emissions in stages to make a contribution to a better future. “Climate change is one of the central challenges we must overcome as a society today. We therefore consider it part of our responsibility to make a contribution to climate protection, and we would also like to help strengthen awareness of how to sustainably manage finite resources,” say Dr. Sarah Blickle-Fenner and David Blickle, Managing Partners.

Blickle has been continuously reducing its specific energy consumption and CO2 emissions for years. Already in 2012, the quality management system was expanded to include the environment (ISO 14001), and this was followed by energy management (ISO 50001) in 2014. With the designation as a “climate-neutral company”, the wheel and castor specialist is continuing its path of environmental responsibility.

Blickle is assisted in this endeavour by Fokus Zukunft GmbH & Co. KG, an industry-independent sustainability consulting company for medium-sized companies. Fokus Zukunft has calculated Blickle’s net emissions based on the official guidelines of the Greenhouse Gas Protocols to determine the company’s CO2 footprint. The resulting analysis provides a transparent overview of greenhouse gas emissions at Blickle and plays an important role in the manufacturer’s climate protection efforts. The main focus of the report is the reduction of CO2 emissions. The currently unavoidable CO2 emissions have been offset by the purchase of a corresponding quantity of climate certificates. Blickle’s production site became climate-neutral in this way, leading to its recognition as a “climate-neutral company”.

The climate protection certificates purchased for the year 2020 support various climate protection projects, such as cook stove projects in Rwanda and Tanzania and a reforestation project in Uganda. These projects are all certified by Gold Standard, meaning that they satisfy the highest standards for the positive impact of climate projects. Another example is a forest protection project in Peru certified according to the respected VCS Standard.

Greenhouse gases distribute themselves evenly throughout the atmosphere. It therefore makes sense to reduce emissions where the costs are lowest. In addition, projects in emerging and developing countries improve the economic, social and ecological conditions in those countries and contribute to the realisation of the United Nations’ sustainability goals. For emerging and developing countries, emissions trading is an important factor driving the transfer of cleaner technologies and more sustainably oriented economic development.

Alongside its recognition as a “climate-neutral company”, Blickle has also joined the Alliance for Development and Climate, which is supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. As one of over 1,000 supporters, the wheel and castor specialist has taken this step with the goal of actively advancing the cause of climate protection.