Excellence in Sustainability: Pfeiffer’s Commitment to Innovation and Environmental Responsibility
10-23-2024
In a world that faces the urgent challenges of climate change, the call for action has never been louder. With dwindling natural resources and rising global temperatures, the manufacturing industry in particular bears a tremendous responsibility to counteract. For Pfeiffer Vacuum+Fab Solutions – a member of the global Busch Group – this responsibility is not a duty, it's a profound commitment: Responsible corporate governance, reducing CO2 emissions, and minimizing energy consumption are fundamental to Pfeiffer’s corporate strategy. The company is dedicated to making its entire value chain sustainable, as well as responding to the growing number of customers who prioritize efficiency and sustainability in their purchasing decisions.
Pfeiffer is fostering a more sustainable future by developing innovative, energy-efficient vacuum technologies that also enhance the sustainability of its customers’ applications. Additionally, the company is also committed to making its own production processes greener, reflecting its dedication to ecological, economic, and social responsibility. This commitment is further demonstrated through the company’s active participation in numerous sustainability initiatives.
Participation in recognized sustainability initiatives promotes sustainable business practices
As part of its dedication to sustainable business practices, Pfeiffer has committed to implementing the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. Founded by the United Nations in the year 2000, this is the world’s largest sustainability initiative, uniting over 13,000 companies from 160 countries. By joining, Pfeiffer pledges to align its strategies and actions with the predefined principles on human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption. Annual reporting on activities in these areas ensures transparency and shows the company’s progress.
The Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC) is a pioneering global initiative that fosters cooperation along the entire value chain of the semiconductor industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As a founding member, Pfeiffer is specifically committed to climate protection. Member companies are developing joint approaches to support the Paris Agreement and achieve the 1.5 °C target.
This commitment to a more sustainable semiconductor industry is also supported by another company in the Busch Group that manufactures products and systems: centrotherm clean solutions, a leading supplier of gas abatement systems mainly for this high-tech industry. In the production of microchips, insulating and conductive layers are applied to wafers – thin silicon disks that serve as the foundation of the microchips. Various process gases, some with high global warming potential, are used in multiple production steps. Without proper treatment, these gases can contribute significantly to environmental harm. The advanced gas abatement systems from centrotherm clean solutions are specifically designed to reduce the global warming potential of these process gases, ensuring a more environmentally friendly and responsible manufacturing process. By effectively neutralizing harmful emissions, the company is playing a key role in enabling semiconductor manufacturers to meet both regulatory requirements and their sustainability goals, driving the industry towards a cleaner and greener future.
In addition, Pfeiffer participates in the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), which is led by international organizations such as the UN Global Compact and the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). The initiative requires companies to set science-based emission reduction targets to be implemented by 2050 at the latest. With this commitment, Pfeiffer demonstrates its strong commitment to making a significant impact in the fight against climate change.
Awards for sustainability measures
The company’s achievements in sustainability have already been recognized on several occasions: Pfeiffer’s site in Asslar, Germany, was recently awarded the gold medal in the renowned EcoVadis sustainability rating for the second time, positioning the company among the top 2% of all manufacturing companies assessed worldwide. This award is given based on a range of sustainability criteria, including environmental impact, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. It highlights the company’s first-class greenhouse gas management system and the ambitious decarbonization program based on scientifically grounded and binding targets.
“This recognition highlights our unwavering dedication to enhancing our sustainability initiatives. Despite already high standards, we succeeded in further improving our performance from last year and increased our overall score. Being awarded the EcoVadis gold medal for the second consecutive time is a great motivation for our entire team to further advance our efforts in the coming year,” says Thilo Rau, CIO of Pfeiffer.
Pfeiffer’s site in Yreka, California, was honored as the first recipient of the Blue Sky Business Partner Luminary Award in the California service territory. This award is presented to companies that meet 100% of their total electricity consumption with renewable energy.
Sustainalytics, one of the leading sustainability rating agencies, has classified Pfeiffer as a company exposed to a medium risk of suffering material financial impacts from sustainability factors. This rating reflects a combination of a medium-risk environment and strong management of key CSR issues. Sustainalytics highlighted the strong corporate governance, which helps to reduce the company’s overall risk. Additionally, Pfeiffer has not been involved in any significant controversies.
“We are dedicated to our sustainability initiatives and immensely proud of the recognition we have received for our efforts. By continuously optimizing our measures and exceeding industry standards, it is not only our company that benefits, but also the global community and the protection of our planet,” says Wolfgang Ehrk, CEO of Pfeiffer.
