Energy and CO₂

Management approach

The procurement of materials, the manufacture, use as well as the disposal and reuse of the products cause CO₂ emissions and contribute to climate change.

Geberit has been calculating its carbon footprint along the value chain since 2012. Within this context, the following activities are relevant: the purchase of (production) materials and the provision of combustibles and fuels (both Scope 3), the manufacture of products (Scopes 1 and 2), logistics, and the use and disposal of products (all Scope 3). The graphic below shows the carbon footprint:

Geberit’s carbon footprint along the value chain

According to the calculation, the purchase of materials causes the most CO₂ emissions at around 54.7%, followed by the disposal of sold products (21.8%) and production (11.8%). Intercompany and distribution logistics (5.0%), the provision of combustibles and fuels (2.3%), business flights (0.1%), and the use of products sold (4.3%, emissions resulting from electricity consumption) result in only few emissions. For further information, see Tables of key figures > Environmental matters.

The greenhouse gas emissions are calculated using the recognised Ecoinvent database (version 3.8) and the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) factors from 2013. For this, production-related emissions are taken into consideration. The effectively purchased local electricity mix is also included, if possible. The calculation follows the IPCC specifications and is shown as a CO₂ equivalent.

Different production emissions are recorded, calculated and analysed in detail as part of the corporate life cycle assessment. CO₂ emissions are particularly important to Geberit. The reduction of other air emissions (NO_x, SO₂, hydrocarbons etc.) is directly related to the reduction targets of the CO₂ strategy.

Impacts, risks and opportunities

On the one hand, energy consumption has an impact on climate change and, on the other, harbours various risks and opportunities for the company. Excessive energy consumption in a company’s own business activities results in various risks such as high energy costs, supply bottlenecks as well as a possible loss of reputation, particularly due to the use of fossil fuels. Rising CO₂ taxes on fossil combustibles and fuels, particularly in European ceramics plants, and higher costs for alternative fuels (e.g. biogas or green hydrogen) or new machines could also increase operating expenses. Opportunities lie in the targeted use of energy, which reduces dependence on fossil fuels. In addition, the purchase of renewable energy sources stimulates regional energy systems. Products with a low carbon footprint, high quality and durability also offer potential for competitive advantages and increased sales in an increasingly regulated market. The biggest environmental contribution by Geberit products lies in the conservation of water, which indirectly also saves on energy and reduces CO₂ emissions.

Management system

The Geberit Group stands for an ambitious and implementation-oriented approach in its activities. This also applies to the CO₂ strategy, which was revised and developed further in 2022. The goal is to achieve an annual decrease in CO₂ intensity (Scopes 1 and 2) of 5% on average, with a long-term reduction of the relative CO₂ emissions in comparison to the reference year 2015 by 75% by 2030 and by 80% by 2035. In the same period of time, the absolute CO₂ emissions are to decrease by 54% by 2030 and by 57% to 104,000 tonnes by 2035. Key measures are set out in the CO₂ strategy and in the energy master plan. Pivotal are measures for saving energy, increasing efficiency, heat recovery and procuring energy in the plants.

The proportion of renewable energies is being increased systematically throughout the company, always taking the internal CO₂ reference price and the economic efficiency of the planned projects into consideration. There are various ways of doing this: purchasing green electricity with proof of origin, long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) with selected operators, or the installation of photovoltaic systems on the roofs of the production plants to generate electricity to be used within the company.

The five German plants in Lichtenstein, Pfullendorf, Langenfeld, Wesel and Haldensleben are certified in accordance with the ISO 50001 standard for energy management. Since 2015, all Group companies have implemented the European Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU. Implementation is reviewed every four years, with the last review taking place in 2023.

Energy consumption and energy intensity

Geberit generally uses energy purchased externally. The direct energy carriers (Scope 1) include the combustibles natural gas, biogas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), diesel for power generation, heating oil extra light, as well as the fuels diesel, gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas (CNG). The indirect energy carriers (Scope 2) include electricity and district heating.

Representing a 96.4% share of the corporate life cycle assessment, the consumption of energy in the form of electricity, combustibles and fuels represents the company’s greatest environmental impact. Combustibles (primarily for ceramic production), including district heating, still make up the main energy carriers at 64.5% (previous year 64.6%), followed by electricity with 31.8% (previous year 31.4%), of which 78.5% from renewable sources, and fuels with 3.7% (previous year 4.0%).

Energy consumption increased in the reporting year by 2.6% to 649.9 GWh (previous year 633.4 GWh) due to volume-related reasons. Since the acquisition of the energy-intensive ceramics business in 2015, energy consumption has been reduced by 28.7% overall, see figure:

For detailed key figures on the consumption of combustibles and fuels (Scope 1), as well as electricity and district heating (Scope 2) and the electricity mix, see Tables of key figures > Environmental matters.

Outside the organisation, the purchase of materials resulted in grey energy consumption of 11,900 TJ (previous year 11,600 TJ). Business flights, with energy consumption of 12.4 TJ (previous year 9.9 TJ), and logistics, with 991 TJ energy consumption (previous year 973 TJ), were further factors. The increase in energy consumption in logistics is due to the increase in transport volume to 564.8 million tkm (previous year 524.7 million tkm). For further information, see Production and Logistics.

Energy consumption arising from the products sold, mainly due to the electricity consumed by the shower toilets and for the heating of water in the washbasin taps, amounted to 420 TJ. This indicator is based on the average annual consumption of the product in question multiplied by the sales figures in the reporting year and its expected useful life.

Energy intensity

Energy intensity is a key figure at the production plants. It refers to the quantities produced and, in the ceramics plants, also to the weight. Energy intensity is recorded monthly. Plants certified to ISO 50001 use more detailed monitoring for this purpose. Consolidated at Group level, currency-adjusted net sales serve as a reference alongside the calculation of environmental impact factors and CO₂ emissions. With an increase of 0.1% due to the higher production volumes in the reporting year, energy intensity remained at the previous year’s level.

Reduction measures

Comprehensive ongoing energy-saving measures in production include:

• Optimisation of production processes in terms of efficiency, utilisation level, stability, scrap, energy and resource consumption.
• Continuous modernisation of the machinery and the purchase of energy-efficient equipment, and the systematic switchover of lighting to LED technology.
• Optimisation of cooling systems through the use of natural ambient cold (free cooling, ground water).
• Recovery and use of waste heat (pre-heating of plastic granules, drying of plaster moulds and ceramic blanks).
• Efficient use of compressed air.
• Improvement of building insulation.

Examples of the reduction in energy consumption in production:

• Increase in the share of state-of-the-art, energy-efficient injection moulding machines to 75% (corresponds to 268 machines) and commissioning of an eighth fully electrical blow-moulding machine.
• Installation of a fully automated, energy-efficient production line for Duofix installation elements in Lichtenstein (DE).
• Commissioning of several energy-efficient assembly lines for valve technology used in cisterns in Pfullendorf (DE).
• Optimisation of the production of Mapress Stainless Steel fittings in Langenfeld (DE) to save electricity and gas and reduce the use of chemicals.
• Commissioning of a new, energy-efficient tunnel kiln as replacement for three old, inefficient kilns in the ceramics plant in Carregado (PT).
• Commissioning of the latest generation of WC high-pressure casting cells as replacement for existing systems in the ceramics plant in Ekenäs (FI) in order to increase efficiency while simultaneously reducing energy consumption.
• Replacement of conventional plaster casting systems with modern high-pressure casting systems in Koło and Włocławek (both PL) in order to increase efficiency and reduce raw materials and waste.

Measures for improving energy efficiency in intercompany and distribution logistics:

• Optimised utilisation of the transport capacities thanks to the deployment of larger trucks and efficient utilisation of freight capacity: Use of high cube swap bodies (with around 10% more capacity), double-decker systems and double stacking for major customer deliveries, deployment of super-size trucks in Scandinavia with a length of up to 34 metres.
• Use of state-of-the-art truck technology: Share of Euro 6 trucks at 86.2% (previous year 89%); increased use of HVO diesel (hydrotreated vegetable oil).
• Use of gas-powered trucks and several electric trucks on various routes in Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
• Goods transport by road, rail and water: Most trips between Pfullendorf (DE), Italy and Switzerland take place using combined transport. Ocean freight shipments via the port of Hamburg are handled entirely in this way. In addition, the sites in Villadose (IT), Carregado (PT) and Ruše (SI) use combined transport in order to transport goods to other production sites of the Group.

Reductions in energy requirements of products and services

The biggest environmental contribution by Geberit products lies in the conservation of water, which also saves on energy and reduces CO₂ emissions.

According to the Ecoinvent database (version 3.8), 9.9 MJ of energy are required and 0.6 kg of CO₂ emissions released per cubic metre of water. As almost 100% of the water consumed by Geberit can be attributed to product use, the sanitary technology group focuses on developing and distributing water-saving products. For example, all Geberit dual-flush and stop-and-go cisterns installed in place of traditional flushing systems (with 9-litre full flush) since 1998 have so far saved a total of 38,300 million m³ of water. In the reporting year, the amount of water saved amounted to 3,130 million m³ (previous year 2,940 million m³).

Examples of energy savings through products and services:

• The Geberit DuoFresh module: Saves around 50 litres of heating oil per household compared to opening the window for ventilation.
• The energy retaining valve ERV: Avoids unnecessary heat loss, saves around 50 litres of heating oil per year.
• The AquaClean Sela Comfort shower toilet: Reduces energy consumption with WhirlSpray and heating-on-demand technology.
• Geberit urinal systems: Water- and energy-efficient, completely waterless in some cases, optionally with an autonomous energy source (for example, urinal ceramics Preda and Selva).
• Modular tap system: Minimises water and energy consumption.
• The Geberit Control app: Constantly optimises water and energy management.

CO₂ and other emissions

The procurement of materials as well as the manufacturing, use and disposal of Geberit products cause CO₂ emissions. Other air emissions (NO_x, SO₂, hydrocarbons, etc.) have a comparatively minor impact on the environment.

Emissions in Scopes 1 and 2

In the reporting year, the absolute CO₂ emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) increased to 123,975 tonnes (previous year 121,014 tonnes) due to volume-related reasons, which corresponds to an increase of 2.4%. This includes 3,267 tonnes of CO₂ emissions (2.6% of Scope 1 and 2 emissions) from rented or leased buildings and vehicles. At 69.9% (previous year 69.8%), combustibles represent the largest source of CO₂, followed by electricity at 24.1% (previous year 23.9%) and fuels at 5.2% (previous year 5.7%), as well as process emissions and district heating at 0.8% in total (previous year 0.6%).

Since the acquisition of the energy-intensive ceramics production in 2015, Geberit has been able to reduce absolute CO₂ emissions by 48.7%.

Key figures concerning greenhouse gas emissions can be found at Tables of key figures > Environmental matters.

Emissions in Scope 3

Where other indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 3) are concerned, the company focuses on measures in the following categories:

• Materials used and the resulting CO₂ emissions amounting to 577,357 tonnes (previous year 555,619 tonnes).
• CO₂ emissions from the provision of combustibles and fuels, which in 2024 accounted for 19,542 tonnes from combustibles (previous year 19,114 tonnes) and 4,381 tonnes from fuels (previous year 4,539 tonnes). CO₂ emissions of electricity generation from the upstream chain are included in Scope 1.
• Business flights, at 871 tonnes of CO₂ emissions (previous year 695 tonnes). These CO₂ emissions comprise direct and indirect emissions and are based on the Ecoinvent database (version 3.8) and the IPCC factors from 2013.
• Intercompany logistics and distribution logistics, which gave rise to a total of 52,993 tonnes of CO₂ in 2024 (previous year 52,815 tonnes). Since 2015, Geberit has managed to improve the eco-efficiency of its logistics operations (environmental impact per tkm) by 37%.
• Use of the products (shower toilets and washbasin taps): Consumption of electricity required to operate the products or provide hot water, and the resulting CO₂ emissions at 45,547 tonnes (previous year 38,152 tonnes).
• Disposal of products: CO₂ emissions amounted to 230,218 tonnes (previous year 219,151 tonnes) in the reporting year. The calculation is based on the assumption that plastic parts are incinerated at a waste incineration plant, mineral products are sent to landfill, and metals, cardboard and paper are recycled.

Intensity of greenhouse gas emissions

The CO₂ intensity (CO₂ emissions in relation to currency-adjusted net sales, Scopes 1 and 2) remained at the previous year’s level in 2024 (-0.1%). Since the acquisition of the energy-intensive ceramics production in 2015, the Swiss Group has been able to reduce the CO₂ intensity by 63.2% overall, which corresponds to an average reduction in relative CO₂ emissions of 10.5% per year. The medium-term goal is to reduce relative CO₂ emissions by 5% per year on average.

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

The measures for implementing the CO₂ strategy (Scopes 1 and 2) are based on the three pillars energy saving, heat recovery, and the replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, see also Energy and CO₂.

In the reporting year, the volume of purchased green electricity with proof of origin increased by 6.3 GWh to 134.6 GWh (previous year 128.3 GWh), which corresponds to around 65% of the entire volume of purchased electricity. As a result, CO₂ emissions were reduced by around 61,900 tonnes (previous year 57,500 tonnes). Taking into account electricity from renewable energy sources included in the standard electricity mix, renewable energy sources accounted for 78.5% of electricity (previous year 78.9%).

The share of renewable energies for district heating and combustibles was 5.1% in total in 2024 (previous year 5.2%). The block heating station in Pfullendorf (DE), which was commissioned in 2012 and which was fed by 6.5 GWh of regionally generated biogas in 2024, makes a key contribution. The electricity generated (2.7 GWh) is fed into the transmission grid, whereas the resulting heat (3.3 GWh) can be used in production. In the ceramics plants, 14.5 GWh of district heating was sourced from a paper factory and a block heating station.

In addition, two new systems were installed on the roofs of the building extensions in Pfullendorf and Lichtenstein (both DE), while the roof of the existing production building in Matrei (AT) was also equipped with systems for generating solar power. The PV installations already commissioned in Pfullendorf (DE) and Matrei (AT) are expected to generate 700 kWh and 200 kWh of electricity, respectively. The installation in Lichtenstein (DE) will be commissioned in 2025.

A wide range of measures for saving energy and increasing efficiency is being carried out at the plants. Accordingly, the area of ceramics, which accounts for around two-thirds of all the company’s CO₂ emissions, has the largest structural savings potential. This includes a special focus on the reduction of scrap rates. To this end, Geberit continuously optimises the manufacturing processes. The first measures of the Group-wide process launched in the previous year in the casting area were implemented in the reporting year at the plants in Koło (PL) and Haldensleben (DE).

The firing process and the use of the resulting waste heat will be further optimised. This can be used for other process steps, such as drying the cast plaster moulds or ceramic blanks. In the reporting year, a new tunnel kiln was put into operation in Carregado (PT). This kiln is 120 metres long, can be loaded on two levels and replaces the three existing kilns. The plant recovers energy from the hot exhaust air in the cooling zone, which is then used for heating the dryers and production halls. Overall, the replacement results in an energy saving of around 40%. Furthermore, projects were launched to investigate the possibilities of switching to alternative energy sources – for example, biogas or hydrogen – in the long term, as well as the systematic reuse of ceramic waste.

Fuel consumption is determined primarily by the company’s own and leased fleet of cars and delivery vans. Since early 2008, binding guidelines have also applied to the purchase of new vehicles and in 2019, these rules were adjusted to take into account the new Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP).

The consistent application of eco-design in product development is paramount in terms of reducing CO₂ emissions in Scope 3. Specific examples of resource-saving, CO₂-reducing products can be found at Eco-design. All targets and measures for improving the carbon footprint are disclosed in detail as part of the company’s participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

Other air emissions

Emissions of ozone-depleting substances, measured in CFC-11 equivalents (chlorofluorocarbons), as well as emissions of NO_x, SO₂, NMVOC (non-methane VOC), and dust (PM10) can be calculated based on the corporate life cycle assessment using the basic data from the Ecoinvent database (version 3.8). The calculation includes both direct emissions (Scope 1) from the burning of combustibles and fuels and process emissions (solvents), as well as indirect emissions (Scope 2) resulting from electricity consumption and the provision of district heating. Key figures concerning ozone-depleting substances can be found at Tables of key figures > Environmental matters.