Nölken has been engaged in climate protection and energy conservation since 2011, when the first combined heat and power plant (CHP) has been installed on the site in Windhagen. The second CHP followed in 2014. They operate with natural gas, to efficiently heat drinking water and heating water. Since 2018, the Windhagen site has been exclusively using green electricity. Nölken has purchased green electricity from certified renewable sources with proof of origin (wind, solar, biomass) since January 2021. The company’s vehicle fleet includes one e-car and several hybrid vehicles. Seven e-fuelling stations were created for the fleet in 2021.
Since 2019, Nölken has been working with ClimatePartner. ClimatePartner supports companies in their climate protection commitment by calculating CO2 emissions and developing climate protection strategies. If CO2 emissions cannot be avoided, ClimatePartner offers hand-picked climate protection projects as compensation. If companies get involved, they can become climate neutral if the CO2 emissions caused are fully offset. This is exactly what Nölken has done deliberately, positioning itself once again as a climate-neutral company. In 2020, Nölken also calculated its production site in Nowogrodziec, Poland, and balanced the CO2 emissions with climate protection projects.
The climate protection projects offset all 2,067,500 kg of CO2 emissions generated at the Windhagen site in 2019. “In addition to avoidance and reduction, offsetting CO2 emissions is an important step towards more climate protection,” emphasizes Sustainability Manager Christoph Lerbs.
Those responsible at Nölken have currently decided on two further climate protection commitments to complement the projects selected in 2019. From now on, forest protection in Brazil will be supported with a project that is committed to preserve the rainforest in Brazil. Forest protection projects ensure that forests are preserved in the long term and that the protection of the forest is given a higher value than its deforestation. In addition, Nölken promotes clean wind energy in Chile.
Since energy from wind is generated without fossil fuels, it is considered emission-free. The expansion of renewable energy generation is essential to stop global warming and to secure the energy supply in the long term.
Since climate protection is part of Nölken’s canon of values, the company has created a product carbon footprint for several products and offset their CO2 emissions together with its customers. Nölken offers this procedure to all its customers. On request, product CO2 emissions are calculated, offset with climate protection projects of choice and marked with the renowned label of ClimatePartner.