EN 
DE Sustainability
Sustainable from
day one
The term “sustainability” was coined in 1713 by Hans Carl von Carlowitz, a royal mining foreman from Freiberg in the Kingdom of Saxony. In his seminal work on forestry, he established the principle that only as much wood should be cut down as can be replanted.
The founding fathers of Hardenberg’sche Kornbrennerei, which was established in 1700, were farmers and foresters. They lived their lives and plied their trades guided by the idea of using only as many resources as could be regenerated – so that they would be available for future generations as well.
Tradition and responsibility today
For ten generations, our business activities have been guided by the principle of doing business in a way that will also benefit our grandchildren. As a mid-sized company, we feel more responsible than ever for our use of resources as well as for our employees, the people who work with us, and the customers who enjoy our products.
The challenges we are facing as a global community are immense: the climate, nature conservation, environmental protection, and a host of social issues. Being merely aware of this is not enough for us: We believe in taking action.
So in 2021, we began to systematically track and make transparent our environmental and social footprint.
Hardenberg-Wilthen AG’s sustainability strategy
Our framework: Sustainable Development
Goals of the 2030 Agenda
In 2015, the United Nations set 17 goals for sustainable development by 2030, covering the the economic, social, and ecological dimensions. Commonly referred to as the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs, the UN Agenda provides a framework for action that will help ensure peace and human rights; fight poverty; promote sustainable use of resources, clean energy and water, and human dignity at work; and create equal opportunities.
Hardenberg-Wilthen AG is committed to Agenda 2030. We have therefore decided to track, improve, and develop our sustainability strategy based on the SDGs.
Together with our employees, we defined ten goals that now help guide our actions. Since then we turned our company upside down, asking ourselves: Where are we doing well? Where is there room for improvement? What information do we still need? What will we change immediately, in the medium term, and in the long term?
SDG 3 - Health and well-being
The health and well-being of our employees and every individual along the entire value chain are important to us. In addition, we have a special responsibility to our customers because of the nature of our products.
Today:
Our goal by 2025:
Conduct an annual employee satisfaction survey, provide training on addiction prevention, and elect a spokesperson.
SDG 4 – Quality education
Today:
Our goal by 2025:
SDG 5 – Gender equality
At Hardenberg-Wilthen AG, professional equality is an expression of gender equality. We support a healthy work–life balance, for example by offering a range of individual working hours models.
Today:
We initiated certification as a family-friendly employer in 2022 and will have it recertified again and again in the coming years.
SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation
Today:
SDG 7 – Affordable and clean energy
Today:
100% purchase of green power. In 2022, we adapted our fleet policy and introduced a holistic energy roadmap.
Our goal by 2025:
Our goal by 2030:
SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth
Child labor and slave-like work are intolerable. Even though we consider the risk in our value chain to be very low, we carefully analyze the conditions under which each material is grown and produced. Together with our suppliers, we ensure fair wages and unconditional respect for human rights and labor rights.
Today:
We are creating a compliance policy and a supplier code of conduct.
Our goal by 2025:
SDG 10 – Reduced inequalities
Today:
SDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production
Today:
We are creating a list of requirements / sustainable purchasing code for our products and promotional materials, reviewing our warehouse, and how we move goods. We are reducing the weight of our glass bottles and cardboard boxes and increasing their recycled content. We are determining the exact emission factors for our raw materials and are working to ensure climate-friendly haulage. We are embracing alternative drive technologies by shifting to rail and regionalism.
Our goal by 2025:
Our goal by 2030:
SDG 13 – Measures to protect the climate
Today:
Our goal by 2025:
Our goal by 2030:
SDG 15 - Life on land
Today:
Our goal by 2025:
Our brands are involved in their respective "homes". For example, a tree is planted for every product of the Beverbach brand sold. Here we work together with our colleagues in the forestry and forestry administration. The Von Hallers Gin brand supports the Botanical Garden in Göttingen, the Lehment brand is involved in a project related to the Baltic Sea coast cleanup.
HWAG’s 2020 CO₂ emissions balance sheet
In February 2022, we drew up the first CO₂ emissions balance sheet for our entire company. For us at Hardenberg-Wilthen AG, it was the starting point for our climate strategy and CO₂ reduction targets, and the beginning of measures to achieve these targets.
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The balance sheet was based on the 2020 financial year. It was drawn up in accordance with the leading international standard, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The analysis included all emission sources relevant to our company, meaning we considered the emissions levels along our entire production chain from raw materials and manufacturing to packaging and logistics.
The emissions balance sheet also reflected our use electrical and thermal energy, the travel activities and mobility of our employees, water requirements, wastewater and other waste as well as all leased items. - Our emissions totaled around 12,000 tons of CO₂ in 2020, including a margin of error of 10%. 67% of emissions was attributable to purchased materials, i.e. raw materials and packaging materials, and 18% to logistics. Other emission sources contributed around 15% to our total emissions.
- If you convert the CO₂ footprint of the entire company into the amount of spirits produced, the average CO₂ footprint is 1.112 kilograms of CO₂ per liter of our products. This is also a good starting point when compared with other alcoholic beverages. However, this does not release us from improving the entire production process in the coming years with the aim of significantly reducing Hardenberg-Wilthen AG's CO₂ emissions again. Here see in which areas we have made improvements.