Sustainability

Climate change and the task of providing clean drinking water are important ecological and social challenges facing society. The consequences of global warming are impacting both humankind and the environment. Some possible effects include a rise in sea levels, changes in precipitation patterns, a greater frequency of extreme weather and the spread of tropical diseases. All three corporate groups of Georg Fischer are committed to making a contribution in the area of climate protection, both in its processes and in the products it manufactures.

Climate and energy. The objective in production is to further improve energy efficiency and thus reduce CO2 emissions. And the most important measure in this area is the expansion of waste heat recovery. Waste heat captured from engineering plants can be used either for heating or generating power, with a reduction in energy consumption as the result. The large-scale expansion of waste heat recovery in recent years marks a major contribution to saving energy.

Water. According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, about one billion people have no access to clean drinking water and 2.5 billion people lack basic sanitary facilities. Even 60 percent of all European cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants currently use more groundwater than is naturally renewed. Products from GF contribute to the efficient use of this resource and provide far-reaching system solutions for water supply, water treatment and building technology.

Georg Fischer provides periodic reports on its performance in the area of sustainability. A comprehensive sustainability report is published every two years; an abridged version is released in the interim years. The reporting period comprises a calendar year.

GF Piping Systems is closely involved in the research and development of the first bioreactors for algae production available in Europe and the USA. The new piping system designed for this application is made of transparent plastic. The successful collaboration with development partners LGem (NL), TH Wildau (D), Texas University in Austin (USA) and AlgEternal (USA) has led to the release of the first bioreactors for algae cultivation.