"We are proud that we have succeeded in improving our CDP climate rating from "D" to "A-" in just two years," says Corinna Schittenhelm. She is responsible for Human Resources and Sustainability on the Executive Board of Schaeffler AG. "We were able to achieve this goal a whole year earlier than originally planned." The Schaeffler Group was also selected as one of 50 Sustainability and Climate Leaders worldwide as part of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.

_CO2-neutral production by 2030
As part of its sustainability strategy, Schaeffler is consistently aligning its production processes with resource efficiency, environmental compatibility and resource conservation. Since 2020, 100 percent of the electricity purchased at all German production sites has come from renewable sources. "By 2030, Schaeffler will have_CO2-neutral production at all production sites worldwide and thus make an important contribution to greater climate protection," says Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG. The company also aims to reduce its annual fresh water consumption by 20 percent by 2030.

Social responsibility is also a high priority for the company. "Our employees are the key pillar of the Schaeffler Group's success. Consequently, the continuous improvement of health protection and occupational safety is a top priority for us," says Corinna Schittenhelm. The goal is to reduce the accident rate by an average of ten percent annually by 2024. Thanks to targeted measures, the annual reduction target was achieved for the fourth time in a row in 2020.

Sustainable solutions for the future

"Sustainability, with all its facets and challenges, is becoming a key management task for the coming years," says Klaus Rosenfeld. "When it comes to sustainable value creation, we are not only focusing on our own processes and supply chains, but also on our products - for example in the field of electromobility or wind power." The Schaeffler Group sees particularly great potential in connection with the production and use of hydrogen. The company is developing innovative core components in this area.

Sustainability also plays a central role for the global automotive and industrial supplier in the further development of its corporate strategy. It is an elementary component of the Roadmap 2025, with which the company aims to become even more future-proof. "With Roadmap 2025, we have not only defined our strategic direction and the implementation program, but also the medium-term goals that we want to achieve," says Klaus Rosenfeld. "These include, above all, our sustainability targets, which we integrated into the remuneration of our managers last year."

The Schaeffler Group's Sustainability Report provides information on where the company focused in 2020 and how the Schaeffler Group has developed in terms of key performance indicators and targets. The report is available digitally and can be accessed on the company's microsite