The transportation industry’s global impact is undeniable, and the significant carbon emissions it generates pose a grave threat to our climate. This demands forceful and collective action. The transition to zero-emission transport is not just a responsibility;
it’s a necessity that will shape the future of our society.
We chose not to set overly ambitious goals for our first report. Instead, we aim to conduct thorough research over the next 12 months to establish realistic ambitions and targets that are grounded in reality.
At Ziegler, we’ve identified five compelling reasons why Sustainability is a must.
1. Alignment with Customer Needs
Our customers seek partners who can support their decarbonization efforts, and we aim to be a trusted ally, pioneering innovative solutions and leading the way in reducing carbon emissions across their supply chains.
2. Ensuring Lean Operations
By minimising carbon emissions, energy consumption, and absenteeism, we reduce operational costs, presenting a dual incentive—both economic and environmental.
3. Being Compliant
Ensuring adherence to regulations is paramount for Ziegler, as governments and financial institutions mandate transparent reporting on sustainability practices, emphasising long-term commitments to societal and environmental contributions as required by European Commission directives.
4. Being attractive for investment
Banks and investors increasingly factor sustainability into decisions, giving companies with strong transition strategies a competitive edge in accessing affordable capital. This is also mandated by the European Commission, which requires banks to offer lower rates to those companies that demonstrate significant progress in these areas, while higher rates or further application difficulties are presented to those companies with inadequate measures to show.
5. Employer branding
In the competitive landscape of talent acquisition, employees, particularly younger generations and recent graduates, increasingly prioritise companies with a defined purpose and strong commitment to sustainability.
We’ve opted for the 6 Capitals reporting format because it offers a blend of qualitative and quantitative data. Our decision to choose this format stems from extensive research into this system, which has demonstrated its ability to enhance transparency for both our customers and society, provide a long-term focus, and bolster our decision-making and risk-management processes.
Our primary aim is to demonstrate to our stakeholders how our organisation generates sustainable value over time. The 6 Capitals format, with its blend of quantitative and qualitative information, provides the optimal means to achieve this objective. Since this is our first year reporting, we consider the 2023 KPIs as our baseline for systematic reporting for future progress.
How do we execute our sustainability and transition strategy? We have a well-functioning organisation in place to ensure we make strides towards our CO2 reduction priority. To reinforce our organisation and measure progress through KPIs, we launch enablers.
1. Innovative Solutions
We innovate continuously to improve supply chain outcomes—cheaper, faster, and cleaner—by monitoring trends, testing zero-emission solutions, and using our CO2 reporting engine to track progress.
2. Ziegler Academy
Our employees drive Ziegler’s success, and we prioritise their well-being and skill development to deliver value through efficient supply chain solutions, supported by our CO2 reporting system and ongoing training initiatives like “CO2 in transport” at Ziegler Academy.
3. Data-Driven Approach
Our intelligence is anchored in robust data systems like our TMS, data warehouse, and analytics platforms, which are crucial for organising, securing, and evolving comprehensive information to tailor solutions that meet varied customer needs. This is done with a focus on CO2 reduction, exemplified by initiatives like the 3StepIT program launched in 2022 for IT hardware recycling.
Since 2023, our Transition Team of 15 members, led by the Corporate Sustainability Manager who reports to the CEO, has overseen the execution of our Sustainability strategy and projects, while the Executive Committee has guided the initiative through the workshops outlined in our Sustainability Report.
