Press Releases - 09.05.2023
Eschborn, May 9, 2023. As an active player in the energy transition, Techem has strictly focused its company purpose on achieving climate neutrality in buildings. In this context, the overarching sustainability strategy and sustainability management represent key levers. Both are closely aligned with ESG criteria (E = Environmental, S = Social, G = Governance) and have been further developed in a targeted manner in recent years. As part of an ESG risk rating, Sustainalytics, a rating agency that specializes in sustainability, has now awarded Techem a rating of 8.7-“Negligible Risk” and recognized the sustainability work of the Eschborn-based energy service provider. This outstanding result places Techem in the best possible category and thus internationally among the current TOP 2 percent of over 15,200 companies in various industries. Within the “Business Support Services” sub-industry, Techem came in 2nd place out of 164 companies, and within the “Commercial Services” industry, 16th place out of 434 companies worldwide. The ESG risk rating is made up of the assessment of ESG risk exposure and the corresponding management. With a score of 27.5 in the area of ESG risk exposure (“Low”) and 71.8 in the area of ESG risk management (“High”), Techem is right at the top. ESG risk management is also determined on the basis of a total of eight different criteria. Techem achieved the best results in the areas of “Bribery & Corruption” and “Emissions, Effluents & Waste.”
"As a leading service partner for smart and sustainable buildings, energy efficiency and decarbonization are at the core of our company’s activities. We have aligned our sustainability program along clear targets and key performance indicators, thus ensuring the effective implementation of our sustainability strategy. In the “E” dimension, for example, we have ambitious decarbonization targets for our contracting business: we want to be climate neutral by 2045,” explains Techem CFO Dr. Carsten Sürig. Techem is also pursuing concrete goals in the “S” dimension and would like to fill 35 percent of Group-wide management positions with women by 2025, for example. In the “G” dimension, the Eschborn-based energy service provider is focusing on ongoing risk minimization in information security and underwent voluntary certification to ISO 27001 last year.
“Regulators, investors and banks are increasingly holding companies accountable, by pushing for clear sustainability strategies, for example. The next financing elements we conclude will also have a clear ESG link. This first ESG risk rating therefore represents another important milestone for Techem. It underscores our achievements in reducing our environmental impact and promoting social justice and responsible corporate governance. At the same time, this excellent result gives us access to a wider circle of potential investors. But this external assessment is also a further basis for consistently expanding our sustainability efforts and continuously improving ourselves, of course,” Dr. Sürig adds.
Clear responsibilities for sustainability
Techem bundles all of its sustainability activities according to the ESG criteria. These provide the framework for seven fields of action on which the company is currently focusing and serve as a framework for the energy service provider’s sustainability program. In order to make the maximum contribution to all relevant reference groups, sustainability at Techem is also understood as a cross-cutting issue and is anchored in the company across all divisions. Katharina Bathe-Metzler has been responsible for Sustainability, Communications & Public Affairs since March 1, 2023, and in this role coordinates the company’s sustainability strategy. The Sustainability department also coordinates Techem’s sustainability-related activities and continuously develops them together with the Techem Research Institute on Sustainability and the Finance department. Bathe-Metzler reports to CEO Matthias Hartmann, who heads the company’s Sustainability Council, consisting of relevant division managers and experts, and is responsible for Techem’s sustainability performance. You will find more information here: www.techem.de.
Transparent insights into ESG risk
Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Rating provides clear insights into a company’s ESG risk by assessing the extent of an organization’s unmanaged ESG risk. On a scale from negligible risk (Techem’s rating) to high risk, the rating assesses the ESG performance of over 15,200 companies worldwide. Sustainalytics’ rating scale ranges from 0 to 40+,* with Techem scoring 8.7 for fiscal year 2021 / 2022, placing it in the best category.
For more information, please visit: www.sustainalytics.com.
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* Negligible (0-10), Low (10-20), Medium (20-30), High (30-40), and Severe (40+).
Dr. Carsten Sürig, CFO at Techem
About Techem
Techem is a leading service provider for smart and sustainable buildings. The company's services cover energy management and resource conservation, residential health and process efficiency in real estate. Founded in 1952, the company is now active in 18 countries with around 4,300 employees and services more than 13 million homes. Techem offers efficiency improvements along the entire value chain of heat and water in real estate. As the market leader in remote radio detection of energy consumption in homes, Techem continues to drive networking and digital processes in real estate. Modern radio smoke detectors with remote inspection and services related to improving drinking water quality in properties complement the solution portfolio for the housing industry. For more information, visit www.techem.com/corp/en.
