GELITA publishes 2021 Sustainability Report

Sustainability is firmly anchored in GELITA’s corporate strategy and has a significant influence on the development of innovations, the optimization of processes, the use of resources, and investment decisions. As one of the world’s leading manufacturers of collagen proteins and a globally active company, GELITA develops solutions at all levels to meet its responsibilities to the environment, its employees and society and documents the success of its sustainability commitment every year. For Dr. Sven Abend, Chairman of the Group’s Executive Board since the beginning of 2021, sustainability is high on the agenda: "My goal is to present our environmental, social and corporate governance performance transparently and measurably. We will further intensify our efforts in the coming years."

Climate-neutral by 2050

GELITA has set itself the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The focus here is on reducing CO2 emissions. The Group aims to halve its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 compared with 2020. Investments in modern technical infrastructure, innovative production processes, an efficient energy supply and renewable energy are helping to achieve these targets. They include projects such as the construction of a solar park at the Chicago plant in the USA and biomass-based steam generation at the Mococa site in Brazil, both of which were successfully completed in 2021. GELITA has already significantly cut its CO2 emissions in relation to production volume over the past few years. Another focus of the company’s commitment to sustainability is on initiatives to use water, a vital resource, more sparingly and on continuous investment in wastewater treatment processes and facilities.

Healthy and safe workplaces

The health and safety of GELITA employees remained a top priority in the second year of the corona pandemic. In addition to the rules already in place, GELITA intensified protective measures at workplaces, massively expanded the working-from-home offer and implemented testing and vaccination campaigns. "GELITA successfully met the challenges posed by the corona crisis. We are proud to say that administration and production worldwide were both 100 percent available last year," says Dr Sven Abend.

GELITA is pursuing a clear goal regarding work safety with its "Zero Accident Vision" and achieved the second most successful year in the Group’s history in 2021. The company aligned its accident and plant incidents reporting to the recommendations of international associations and introduced the "Process Safety Incident Rate", a key figure for plant incidents, as a performance indicator. The results achieved by GELITA last year are very respectable in an international comparison with other companies.

Social responsibility

Supporting people and ensuring their well-being is firmly anchored in GELITA’s corporate DNA. To promote social responsibility, the Group provides neighborhood assistance in the vicinity of its sites, helps people in need with monetary and product donations, and supports selected institutions. In addition, GELITA is committed to the education of young people and is active as a sponsor in recreational and professional sports. The Group has been supporting many projects and initiatives for several years.