Climate neutral by 2030

Responsible and sustainable action is firmly anchored in REHAU's DNA. For decades, the company has been committed to the careful and efficient use of resources and conducts intensive research on the closed cycle. Now REHAU Automotive is setting a clear example: "We want to become one of the first climate-neutral suppliers in the world," explains Dr. Markus Distelhoff, CEO REHAU Automotive.

The path to the goal is already underpinned with concrete stages: By 2025, the supplier wants to switch the energy required for production worldwide to climate-neutral alternatives; by 2030, suppliers are to supply the company only with balance-neutral raw materials and materials. Already by 2022, only electricity from renewable sources is to be used for global production. REHAU Automotive wants to achieve this initially by purchasing certificates. In the next step, the company wants to generate energy from renewable sources, for example via photovoltaic systems, wind power and heating with renewable raw materials. Talks on various projects and cooperative ventures, for example with farms, cities and municipalities, are already underway.

Recycled materials are also an important factor in achieving the ambitious goals by 2030. Their use is currently still limited in the REHAU product portfolio, and they cannot be used everywhere. Painted exterior components, for example, are not used because the surface quality cannot be guaranteed. In other areas, however, such as carrier components, there are potential applications. "We are researching and developing intensively in the direction of a closed material cycle and can already demonstrate success," explains Distelhoff. As part of a series production order, the entire painted scrap is already shredded, melt-filtered and returned to the production process.

But transport and logistics processes are also under scrutiny. "In the past, people looked at where labor costs were lowest and that's where everything was transported to. This is different today. The CO₂ impact is gradually flowing into our calculations. Energy efficiency and sustainability now also play a role in our customers' decisions to award contracts," emphasizes Distelhoff. REHAU Automotive therefore first analyzed its own production network in detail and reorganized it according to the premise of "everything under one roof" in order to reduce logistics routes and thus emissions and costs.

The adjusting screws in terms of sustainability, it becomes clear, are manifold. With its clear objectives, REHAU Automotive stands out in comparison to other suppliers.