Buying electricity and gas in Germany: FIEGE taps Co2-neutral power

Since January 2020, the logistics company FIEGE has been tapping into CO2-neutral power sources across Germany, thus investing sustainably into the protection of our climate. Next to greater energy efficiency and sensitising employees on the issue of climate protection, this is a further material step in the company’s approach towards stepping up sustainability at FIEGE.

“Climate protection rests in our hands – in those of us businesspeople, but also in the hands of our co-workers who help to save energy wherever possible. Our operations are currently still in the process of becoming emissions-free. For this very reason it is crucial for us to offset unavoidable emissions”, says Felix Fiege, Chief Executive of the FIEGE Group. “Especially as a family business, sustainability is paramount. Only when we use our resources responsibly can we preserve the environment, protect the climate, and hand over our enterprise to the next generation in a healthy environment.”

Effective immediately, the company will voluntarily offset several thousand tonnes of CO2 emissions annually which are generated by operating logistics warehouses and their consumption of electricity and gas. By buying in CO2-neutral energy, FIEGE specifically supports TÜV Süd-certified hydropower projects in India. A run-of-river power station is being built alongside the river Sutlej with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts. In turn, the utilities provider innogy will issue a respective carbon credit certificate to FIEGE for the emissions that are offset by the hydropower station.

Not all companies have the possibility to generate “green” power themselves and in such large quantities nation-wide to avoid CO2 emissions. Therefore, investing into these carbon credits is a good option to voluntarily offset CO2 emissions, adds Ulrich von den Benken, head of the Multisite segment at the E.ON subsidiary innogy, FIEGE’s biggest energy provider. There is flexibility when it comes to choosing the projects: “On principle, there are many different projects in the market to invest in. However, the projects should go hand in hand with our clients. Many of the projects have us invest in hydropower. Clients also express their wishes on certain climate protection measures at home and abroad, such as reforestation efforts in the rain forest.”

For FIEGE, offsetting CO2 emissions is merely an interim step on the path towards a more sustainable future. “Even planes don’t fly CO2-free these days, yet we can all make up for our share of CO2 emissions in the flight with a compensatory measure. We are pursuing the same principle for our logistics warehouses”, Marc Borgmann says, who is stationed at FIEGE’s centralised Energy Management division. At the same time, the goal is to further expand the company’s in-house production of electricity at the locations. “Greven-Reckenfeld is in its final stages of launching a PV system. Similar steps are in the pipeline for other locations.”

The centralised Energy Management unit, together with the individual branches, actions numerous projects every year that focus on greater energy efficiency and sustainability. This includes especially the conversion of conventional lighting to intelligent LED lighting; load management; in-company generation, and renaturation projects.