Climate change, extreme weather events and longer periods of drought have a major impact on the availability of clean drinking water. To counteract the risks posed by water scarcity and the associated water stress, Zeppelin has defined goals for the efficient use of this important resource.
Progress in water consumption
- 1. Reduce fresh water consumption by 17.2% by 2027 (base year: 2022)1
- 2. Reduce fresh water consumption by 30% by 2030 (base year: 2022)2
In 2021, the Zeppelin Group set itself the goal of reducing fresh water consumption by 30% by 2030 as part of the Group Strategy Call. In the 2023 reporting year, a voluntary audit of the 2022 non-financial KPIs in the area of water took place for the first time. For this reason, the base year for target achievement was adjusted from 2021 to 2022 and taken into account when renewing the syndicated loan agreement. The fresh water consumption is based on the individual consumption per national company.
In the 2023 reporting year, water consumption decreased
by 10.2% overall. Fresh water consumption was reduced by 10.7% compared
with the base year 2022, which represents a major step forward in achieving the
target. This is also due to an increased proportion of rainwater used in total
water consumption, which was 1,810 cubic meters in 2023 (2022: 1,186 m3). The
largest water savings were recorded in the Construction Equipment Eurasia
SBU and the Plant Engineering SBU.
| SBU | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Equipment Central Europe SBU | m³ | 42,054 | 42,379 | 36,337 |
| Construction Equipment Nordics SBU | m³ | 8,332 | 10,749 | 12,774 |
| Construction Equipment Eurasia SBU | m³ | 40,503 | 37,370 | 28,830 |
| Rental SBU | m³ | 20,960 | 21,654 | 23,819 |
| Power Systems SBU | m³ | 3,014 | 3,053 | 3,313 |
| Plant Engineering SBU | m³ | 19,294 | 29,469 | 24,117 |
| Zeppelin GmbH (holding company) | m³ | 4,281 | 4,220 | 4,450 |
| Zeppelin Group | m³ | 138,438 | 148,894 | 133,640 |
Using the program “Aqueduct tool. The Aqueduct 3.0” from the World Resource Institute, a detailed analysis was conducted to identify sites with high water risk and water stress. Water risk refers to the likelihood that a site will be faced with high challenges due to water scarcity, water stress, flooding, deterioration in infrastructure, drought or weak water management. The severity of the future impact is also considered here. There is a high water stress if the demand for water within an area cannot be met with the help of the available water resources. A total of 20 sites with extremely high water stress were identified. These are located in India, Armenia, China, Russia3, Uzbekistan, Belgium, Greenland, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The water consumption of these sites in 2023 was 20,801 m³ (2022: 22,132 m³). Particularly in these regions, it is very important to use water sparingly.
As part of the environmental management system, those sites that are integrated into the scope of ISO 14001 deal with the material environmental aspects. These include the impact of our business activities, including water consumption, such as in our washing facilities through the cleaning of construction equipment. If the consumption of water or the production of wastewater is classified as a material environmental aspect, appropriate options for reducing the effects on the environment are identified.
Measures in 2023
Some of the measures successfully implemented in 2023 include:
Wash stations at Zeppelin Baumaschinen GmbH
A potential analysis for the overhaul of rainwater cisterns was carried out at the Zeppelin Baumaschinen GmbH sites. This enabled a rainwater cistern to be put back into operation in 2023. Water-saving technologies were used in the construction of the new Eschweiler site. The use of rainwater for the washing hall and the outdoor wash station makes it possible to significantly reduce drinking water consumption. The washing hall is equipped with a medium-pressure system that works with circulating water and is supplied exclusively with rainwater. In addition, the high-pressure cleaners are electrically operated, which results in minimal emissions.
Zeppelin Systems GmbH refrigeration system
Increased water consumption was recorded in 2022. This was caused by the constant room cooling required for the calibration and measurement equipment. In the reporting year, the previous evaporative cooling system was replaced with a more efficient, electrically operated compression chiller with closed refrigerant circuits. This concept can be easily combined with a photovoltaic system, as heat input and photovoltaic power generation are consistently coupled due to the sun.
1 Target adjustment compared with previous year: New intermediate target added.
2 Target adjustment compared with previous year: Base year adjusted from 2021 to 2022.
3 Three Russian sites, two of which were closed during the 2023 reporting year.