Corporate Carbon Footprint as the Basis
Developing and implementing robust data is a key prerequisite for informed decisions and targeted action towards decarbonization.
As part of our climate protection strategy, WAGO has systematically determined its complete Corporate Carbon Footprint for the first time, taking 2023 as base year. This footprint includes all Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for all international production and sales locations, as well as subsidiaries.
In collaboration with all relevant departments, we have used this data to develop our medium- and long-term climate targets. Climate protection is a central element of our corporate responsibility. Therefore, we pursue ambitious, realistic science-based climate targets that focus on the factors we can actually influence. We have a clear, measurable reduction strategy in line with the standards of the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
Near-Term Target: Reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 Emissions
Scope 1 and 2 emissions include both our direct emissions – for example, from operating our own equipment and vehicle fleets – and indirect emissions from purchased energy. In the base year 2023, these accounted for around 9 % of our total corporate carbon emissions. By 2030, WAGO aims to reduce these emissions by 70 %, in line with the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement, validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
For Scope 2, the target is 100% of the emissions recorded in the base year 2023. For Scope 1, the reduction target is based on 85 % of the emissions, since a small proportion is categorized as unavoidable at present for technological reasons.
Energy Transformation Project at WAGO
A central component of our climate strategy is the “Energy Transformation” project. The goal is to gradually switch the power supply at all our large locations over to renewable and climate-neutral sources, with a focus on decarbonizing purchased energy (Scope 2) and electrifying heat generation (Scope 1). This will be implemented on a country-specific basis, taking a two-stage approach: In the long term, we aim to meet 30 to 50 % of our electricity demand from our own generation (e.g., solar and wind power) and obtain the remaining 50 to 70 % from sources with high-quality Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) in line with the RE100 standard.
The first decarbonization pathway we developed was for heating at the Minden location and includes measures such as the optimizing ventilation technology, implementing free cooling and switching to renewable heating systems. This project should also serve as a model for our other sites. The initial implementation in Germany and China has already succeeded in reducing Scope 1 and 2 energy-related emissions by around 35 % in 2024 compared to the base year.