Heraeus Precious Metals wins Green Controlling Award

In a ceremony on 20 September in Stuttgart, Prof. Dr. Heimo Losbichler, Chairman of the International Controller Association, awarded Heraeus Precious Metals (HPM) the Green Controlling Prize. The prize, worth 10,000 euros, is awarded annually by the Péter Horváth Foundation in cooperation with the International Controller Association.

Heraeus Precious Metals' project "Combining Planet & Profit" demonstrates the sustainable transformation process of Heraeus' precious metals division, which begins in Controlling, extends throughout the entire business unit and has the aim to further extend to the entire industry.

Heraeus Precious Metals has already anchored the overarching goals in its strategy in 2021: HPM wants to be carbon-neutral by 2025 and free from the use of fossil fuels by 2033. To achieve this, the electricity required worldwide is to be obtained entirely from sources of renewable energy, and the efficiency of the energy used is to be increased by 20 percent.

The starting point for this transformation is in Finance: Based on the current carbon footprint, the Finance team created management and cost center reports, set CO₂ targets in management scorecards, and included the carbon footprint in upcoming investment decisions and budget processes. In the second stage of development, this process was rolled out throughout the organization with target setting agreements, review meetings and production inspections. Today, Heraeus Precious Metals is in the third stage, "green business transformation." The transformation is accompanied by a revision of the previous corporate strategy. Heraeus Precious Metals' stated goal is to set new standards for its industrial sector.

"As Heraeus Precious Metals, we have a concrete plan for how we want to protect our planet. Our project addresses two important points: First, we have various products in our portfolio that make a positive and sustainable contribution. At the same time, we want to do our own homework with the way we manufacture our products. In doing so, our goals and ambitions go far beyond the requirements of the legislator. We are convinced that this step will also have a decisive impact on our business success in the future," explained Maria Busch, Head of Global Controlling, Reporting & Projects, under whose leadership the comprehensive project is being driven forward.

For the jury of the Green Controlling Award, three key points were decisive in selecting Heraeus Precious Metals as the winner of the 2022 Green Controlling Award. "Firstly, it is remarkable that the project is not a reaction to the requirements of the capital market, but was created 'out of one's own conviction'," emphasized Prof. Dr. Heimo Losbichler at the award ceremony. "Moreover, the controlling team offers a holistic solution - from strategy to operational reporting, from the service creation process to the products." The entire value chain up to Scope 3 was designed and ensured comprehensive application throughout Heraeus' precious metals division. He continued by saying it was impressive that the focus was not only on CO₂, but on GHG (Greenhouse Gas Protocol). "In addition, the project demonstrates the ideal case of modern controlling: the solution creates transparency, starting from a clear actual status and clear targets. The role of controlling in this context is active business partnering," the ICV CEO emphasized with enthusiasm.