We Take Responsibility

At BayWa r.e. sustainability is at the core of everything we do. Since 2018, we have fully offset all emissions resulting from our business operations and travels. This action reflects our dedication to environmental responsibility, ensuring that our impact on the planet remains minimal while upholding our mission to accelerate the growth of renewable energy.  

In 2020, the launch of our Sustainability Framework 2025, guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, marked a transformative leap, propelling us ‘to go beyond carbon’. We embraced a holistic sustainability approach, addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges, with the aim of creating lasting positive impact that goes far beyond decarbonization. 

Our Sustainability Framework 2025 empowers employees to drive sustainability initiatives. We believe in the power of collective action, encouraging our team to champion endeavors that bring positive change to our communities and our planet. 

In 2024, we have elevated our responsibility by shifting from a carbon compensation approach to a climate contribution approach that aligns with the best practices for climate action. While reducing our corporate carbon footprint, we also aim to actively invest in internal and external actions that enhance our holistic sustainability impact. Together, we're paving the way for a more sustainable and prosperous future.     

Our Sustainability Framework 2025 is inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations General Assembly.

Out of these UN Goals, we have selected ten priority SDGs that will help us to guide our company’s internal sustainability efforts and in turn contribute to the wider UN Goals.

We recognise that sustainability is a holistic endeavor and we still have a long way to go on the path of true accountability. We aim to go ‘beyond carbon’ and to address a wide range of sustainability aspects for society, the economy and the environment. 

Following our SDG selection, we have initiated working groups that are driven by employees from across the globe. Prioritised objectives that directly contribute to our Sustainability Framework are ‘Promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’, ‘Foster Sustainability within our Supply Chains’ and ‘Enhance Acceptance of Renewable Energy Projects’. Our working groups are already working towards these objectives.

Another initiative is our Sustainable Lecture Series. This internal event series has been set up to give our employees the possibility to listen to and speak with leading scientists, activists or policy makers on different aspects of sustainability. Our first speaker was Prof. Rex, leader of the MOSAIC Expedition to the Arctic, who shared with us first results from the expedition and his urgent call for immediate action on climate change.   

We will continue to build and evolve our approach to sustainability in the coming years. The journey we are on is not one that has an end, rather it is a way of thinking and acting that will continuously evolve and help shape our business.

We welcome your interest to creating change together. If you have questions, feedback or would like to hear more about how we're working towards these goals, please contact us.

A group-wide Climate Strategy was implemented by the BayWa Group in 2019, which outlines ambitious commitments and goals. 

BayWa’s climate strategy is guided by the Paris Agreement on gobal warming. An important foundation for our work is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) Special Report ‘Global Warming of 1.5°C’ in which immediate action to mitigate climate change, sequester carbon emissions and steer the future of our Earth in a better direction is called for.

As part of its commitment to work towards clear and tangible sustainability goals, the BayWa Group has joined RE100. RE100 is a group of corporations that have publicly committed to using 100% renewable energy in the coming decades.

In its second year of participation, BayWa AG has achieved a B rating in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) and is above both the European and the industry average.

In 2020, BayWa was named one of "50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders" by the United Nations and Bloomberg. The film published for this purpose shows how BayWa, as a traditional conglomerate, is driving the agricultural, energy and building materials sectors forward through sustainable innovations. 

As part of the BayWa Group, we disclose our sustainability related data such as our energy consumption and other CO₂ emissions via the annual BayWa AG’s sustainability report since 2015. 

The BayWa Sustainability Report is prepared in accordance with the standards of the internationally recognised Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and is subject to an external independent audit.