Sustainability – pointing our way over the long term

Increasing pressure from new statutory requirements, including the CSRD, the EUDR, the EU Taxonomy, the CPR, the ESPR and REACH, that were agreed by the European Commission as part of the Green Deal in a bid to achieve climate neutrality has made it crystal-clear that sustainability is no longer allowed to be merely a sideshow but must instead be firmly integrated into a company and all its processes. And the Pfeifer Group is actively embracing this challenge in order to do its bit as a global market player: “We take responsibility for the environment in order to achieve business success. By reducing our consumption of resources and CO 2 emissions, we create sustainable value. As a family-owned business, we position ourselves as an attractive employer for talented professionals and a reliable supply chain partner with targeted competitive advantages.”

This is the Pfeifer Group’s sustainability mission statement, a clear and concise guiding principle that combines environmental, economic and social responsibility. It was born out of efforts across the whole company to answer the question of how sustainable action could be put into practice at Pfeifer and made an integral part of its strategy. An area dedicated to sustainability was created on the Pfeifer Group website to explain this engagement to external stakeholders as well, thus making it clear how important Pfeifer believes the issue to be.

Visit the Sustainability Section

The page provides a comprehensive insight into objectives, ongoing initiatives and projects, and achievements in three key areas: climate-friendly value creation, expansion of the circular economy and the continued development of our values. These form the three pillars of our current sustainability strategy, providing a guiding framework, fostering a sense of commitment and translating the mission statement into tangible steps. These range from cutting carbon emissions by up to 40 per cent by 2030 and increasing the percentage of sustainable packaging material used through to the targeted expansion of advanced training opportunities and occupational health and safety.

One key issue to which the Pfeifer Group has devoted much time and attention over the past year is the introduction of environmental product declarations (EPDs), which illustrate the environmental impact of Pfeifer products throughout their entire life cycle. In publishing these EPDs, we want to give our stakeholders – especially our customers – a sound basis for decision-making while also underlining our commitment to sustainable products. Pfeifer is thus delivering a valuable contribution to making the construction industry sustainable.

Another landmark achievement for the Pfeifer Group was its finalisation of a greenhouse gas balance. Pfeifer is now able to log emissions systematically, identify areas with particularly high emissions (“hotspots”) and formulate targeted measures for reducing them. We are thus laying the foundations for a forwardlooking climate strategy and an effective carbon reduction strategy that, together, will open up a path leading us towards a more sustainable future and create even more transparency in our dealings with stakeholders.

Sustainability – an issue that affects every one of us

Rather than remaining an abstract concept at Pfeifer, sustainability needs to matter to all of its 2,600 employees at every level. “We want to turn sustainability into something tangible – not something that is decided on by management, but a tool that everyone can use day to day,” explains Head of Sustainability Mario Neururer. “In the timber industry in particular, we’ll have massive potential if we handle the resources at our disposal shrewdly and responsibly.” Alexander Kainer, CEO of Pfeifer Timber, also underlines its strategic relevance:

“Sustainability is a key part of our corporate strategy. The mission statement highlights how we’re taking responsibility for the sake of our customers, our partners and lawmakers. At the same time, it’s also giving our staff the motivation to work together on future-proof products and processes – for a sustainable future driven by wood.”