Rehau has published its Sustainability Report, covering the year 2022, describing the sustainable activities carried out by Rehau Industries and Rehau Automotive, including achieved and future targets. 

The Report shows a significant improvement in the reduction of CO2 emissions and the use of recycled materials, for which the company has already aligned with the requirements of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) and the EU Taxonomy, which will only become mandatory for Rehau from 2025. 

"This report shows that sustainability is firmly embedded in our corporate DNA and that we have already achieved a lot." - stressed Uwe H. Böhlke, CEO of Rehau Industries SE & Co. KG, and Markus Distelhoff, CEO of Rehau Automotive SE & Co. KG - "However, this is only the beginning. We will continue to strive to drive positive change in our industry and society by consistently pursuing our ambitious path."

Positive results and ambitious targets 

Rehau's Sustainability Report 2022 confirms the positive results achieved. The measures taken have contributed significantly to the continuous reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, which have been reduced by a total of almost 64% since 2020. Furthermore, by 2025, the company has set itself the ambitious target of achieving zero Scope 2 emissions (i.e. zero tonnes of CO2), regardless of company growth. 

Today, almost 100% of the electricity used by Rehau Automotive comes from renewable energy sources, with a 77% reduction in Scope 2 emissions compared to the 2018 base year, while Rehau Industries has reduced emissions by 68%, covering 73% of the electricity consumption of its production facilities with clean energy. 

The target Rehau Industries had set for 2025 has also already been achieved in terms of the use of recycled material in products: the 15% quota, set as a target for the EMEA region in the base year, has therefore been raised to 20% worldwide, by 2025, while the target for carbon-neutral production has been set for 2035.

Transparency and future strategies 

Rehau's eighth Sustainability Report has been prepared according to the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the new European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The company thus transparently informs its stakeholders about the main areas of action, measures taken, targets set and the most significant data, while preparing for the transition to the future requirements of the CSRD. Rehau also maintains its commitment to the ten principles of the UN Global Compact to which it is a signatory, with a 2030 sustainability strategy and the respective fields of action derived from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

EU taxonomy: Rehau already aligned to new requirements 

With the Green Deal, the European Union aims to become carbon neutral by 2050, with a far-reaching impact on the economic activities of individual companies, the sustainability of which will in future be assessed on the basis of the EU Taxonomy. This defines specific thresholds and requirements for various environmental goals, such as climate protection, circular economy and pollution. 

To be classified as ecologically sustainable, Rehau must ensure that its activities, products and services meet these criteria in the long term. Although the EU taxonomy will only become mandatory for Rehau from the financial year 2025 onwards, the company has already carried out preliminary work to classify its product range, laying the foundation for reporting in line with the new requirements already this year.