- Country-level action towards climate target
- Development of climate policy
- Preparations for the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive
The PHOENIX group has published its Sustainability Report 2023/24. In the past reporting year, the company’s particular focus has been on implementing measures towards realising its climate target for the PHOENIX group to be carbon neutral in its own business operations by 2030. To achieve this, it aims to reduce the carbon emissions in its own operations by 42 per cent by 2030 compared with 2021/22 figures. The company will offset its remaining CO₂ by supporting selected climate protection projects qualifying for emissions credits.
Step by step towards the climate target
In the reporting year, the PHOENIX group broke down its overall climate target for its subsidiaries and set milestones for each country. It also set up a climate fund at group level to support the various countries in their decarbonisation process. The PHOENIX group’s climate target is part of its recently developed climate policy, which defines responsibilities at group and country level as well as a catalogue of measures that can be used as a guide for the local implementation of emission-reducing measures. The policy’s main focus areas are energy efficiency, in-house generation of energy, and conversion of transport fleets.
“In the past year, we have made further progress on our journey to become a more sustainable company. With our new climate policy, we are pushing forward our self-imposed climate target to achieve carbon neutrality and supporting our subsidiaries in their efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions at a local level,” says Leon Jankelevitsh, Member of the Executive Board Healthcare Logistics & Sustainable Supply Chain, adding: “We are also currently rising to the challenge posed by the introduction of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) by integrating sustainability aspects into all relevant company processes within the PHOENIX group.”
Application of the CSRD standards will become mandatory for PHOENIX for the first time in fiscal year 2025/26, requiring it to carry out a double materiality analysis. This double materiality analysis identifies the impact of a company’s business activities on people and the environment as well as opportunities and risks of sustainability aspects for the company. The analysis also forms the basis for defining key topics and the content of future sustainability reporting.
Energy efficiency at country level
In the reporting year, several PHOENIX subsidiaries modernised their heating systems, switched to LED lighting, and installed new solar power systems. Ongoing modernisation of the vehicle fleet is helping to realise continuous reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from transport. Alternative drive systems such as electric vans, continuous route optimisation, and fuel-efficient driving are also making an increasing contribution.
Climate protection is one of the five focus topics of the PHOENIX group’s Sustainability Agenda, which was launched in 2021. The other focus topics covered by the agenda are the circular management of resources; responsible supply chains; diversity, equal opportunity, and inclusion; and social engagement. PHOENIX is driving the agenda forward by drawing up targets, developing performance indicators, and establishing monitoring processes for each of these pillars in a group-wide process.
