STUTTGART (dpa-AFX) - According to a recent analysis, German stock market heavyweights emitted fewer greenhouse gases again last year. Compared to 2023, the direct emissions of DAX companies fell from 184.1 million to 172.6 million tons of CO2 equivalents – a reduction of just over six percent.
This is shown by the analysis, for which the auditing and consulting firm EY evaluated the sustainability reports of the 40 companies. In these reports, they document their efforts to achieve climate neutrality.
By way of comparison, according to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the CO2 footprint in Germany is 10.4 tons per capita per year. The reduction of around 11.5 million CO2 equivalents therefore corresponds roughly to the emissions of a good 1.1 million average citizens.
22 companies reduce emissions
According to the analysis, these figures include emissions generated by processes during ongoing operations, including machinery, the company's own power plants, and its vehicle fleet. However, greenhouse gases emitted during the production of purchased energy are also included. This is the case, for example, when a company purchases electricity or district heating from a utility company that uses fossil fuel power plants.
Despite a slight decline, the building materials group Heidelberg Materials remained the largest emitter. According to the report, a total of 22 DAX companies reduced their direct emissions. Sixteen companies emitted more greenhouse gases. Insufficient data was available for two companies.
Expert: "Realistic picture of the situation" for the first time
The increases were also due to stricter and more comprehensive auditing of companies' own emissions and changes in reporting, according to Simon Fahrenholz, head of EY's sustainability consulting practice. The companies had adapted to a new guideline and were now reporting on their progress in a more transparent and detailed manner. "This gives us a truly realistic picture of the situation for the first time."
Overall, Fahrenholz draws a mixed conclusion: "The German economy is making further progress in reducing CO2 emissions, but the path is by no means straightforward," he said. "The top companies in particular have a pioneering role to play and a great responsibility, so the decline in CO2 emissions is fundamentally good news." However, the days when companies could achieve large CO2 savings with relatively little effort are over.
Indirect emissions many times higher
The analysis also looks at another category of emissions: those that cannot be directly attributed to corporations because they arise at upstream and downstream stages of the value chain. These include, for example, the supply chain, transport, product use, and disposal. When these are included, the DAX companies account for emissions of almost 4.1 billion tons – 19 percent more than last year. According to EY, the increase is mainly due to the implementation of the new reporting standards and not to an actual increase. /jwe/DP/stw
