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Sustainability strategy

Responsible behaviour plays a central role in our business model and in our self-image as a traditional company. For us, responsibility means organising all our business activities in an ethically and socially responsible, environmentally friendly and economically successful manner. The issue of sustainability along the value chain is of particular importance and a key part of our ‘Klöckner & Co: Leveraging Strengths – Step Up 2030’ strategy.

We consider ourselves responsible for the environment, safety and our society. This commitment serves as a benchmark for all our actions and decisions. As an important link in the value chain, we see it as our duty to continuously improve our processes in order to minimise the negative and maximise the positive impacts of our business activities. Our purpose is a special affirmation of our sustainable transformation, both internally and externally. This guiding principle determines our daily actions. It provides our employees with guidance and shows our customers and partners what they can rely on from us. 

„We partner with customers and suppliers to deliver innovative metal solutions for a sustainable tomorrow.“

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We view our dedicated sustainability strategy from an overarching ESG perspective (environment, social, governance) and integrate it in a targeted manner. In addition to environmental aspects, social responsibility and reliability of corporate governance are integral components.

We are convinced that innovation, technology and new business models in particular will enable a successful sustainability transformation of the steel industry. As part of our Group strategy, we are therefore working as a pioneer of a sustainable steel industry to develop innovative business models by creating a comprehensive range of sustainable customer solutions for our customers. By expanding our range of products and services, we are seizing the strategic opportunity to anchor the new, attractive business with sustainable solutions in our business model.

Nexigen®

Under our Nexigen® umbrella brand, we have focused our sustainable product and service portfolio across the Group, providing transparent, CO2-reduced solutions in the categories of materials, processing, logistics, circularity (closed-loop) solutions and comprehensive Sustainability Advisory Services for sustainable customer solutions. In this way, we are already helping customers to source CO2-reduced steel and metal products, while our smart software solutions give them visibility into the carbon footprint of the products they buy. To provide our customers with optimum support in establishing sustainable value chains, we have introduced rating scales for our CO2-reduced steel, stainless steel and aluminum products. The calculation methodology is rooted in international, science-based standards and categorizes the CO2-reduced materials according to their certifiably calculated emissions along the entire value chain from resource extraction to production and processing, or cradle to Kloeckner exit gate. Our scales serve customers as a guide and a comparison tool for determining the carbon footprint of end products. Through partnerships, we already offer our customers CO2-reduced steel and metal products today.

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Steel categorization
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Aluminum categorization
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Stainless steel categorization

Product Carbon Footprint (PCF)

Flowchart illustrating the Nexigen PCF Algorithm: resource extraction, production, processing/stockholding, shipment to customers, and resulting PCF calculation.

In addition, we provide customers with an individual product carbon footprint (PCF) for almost every item in our product portfolio. This allows customers to reliably, transparently and easily verify the carbon footprint of a product purchased from Klöckner & Co. With the Nexigen® PCF Algorithm, we have developed an innovative tool whose automated PCF calculation methodology is certified by TÜV SÜD. In calculating the PCF, the Nexigen® PCF Algorithm follows the internationally recognized Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ISO standards 14067, ref. 14040 and 14044. On the basis of those standards, the algorithm calculates a product’s cradle-tocustomer entry gate emissions. As a result, customers have information about the carbon footprint of their materials, thus enabling them to make more sustainable product decisions.

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Nexigen® Data Services

We offer our customers the opportunity to actively manage the CO₂ emissions of their Klöckner products.

Nexigen® Data Services

With Nexigen® Data Services, we also enable active management of product carbon emissions. This technology solution provides customers with a transparent digital overview of the cradle-to-customer entry gate carbon emission history of all products sourced through Klöckner & Co, and automatically suggests alternative CO₂- reduced products together with corresponding potential for reductions compared to past orders.

Two logos for "Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis" with "Winner" text, one for 2025 and one for 2023, featuring a black circle and German flag colors.

German Sustainability Award

In recognition of our contribution to the decarbonization of the steel industry, we won the prestigious German Sustainability Award for the second time in succession in 2025. The repeat award underscores the fact that we have successfully integrated sustainability into our business model and are thus making an effective contribution to transformation in the long term.

Our CO₂ reduction targets

In addition to the strategic opportunities that we see in the sustainable transformation of the steel industry, we are taking responsibility for reducing our own emissions and those of our upstream and downstream supply chains. Our CO2-Net-Zero targets have been recognised as scientifically sound by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in the regular process. Klöckner & Co is thus committed to reducing emissions in Scope 1 & 2 to net zero by 2040 and in the entire value chain by 2050. Our path to Net Zero is based on the following science-based medium and long-term CO2 reduction targets:

62.5%
reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030
50%
reduction in directly controllable Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2030
30%
reduction in indirectly controllable emissions by 2030
Net zero
in directly controllable Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2040; in indirectly controllable Scope 3 emissions by 2050

Your contact

Marc Grewe

Head of Strategic Sustainability

Marc Grewe