Setting an example – sustainability initiatives at ASSA ABLOY (Schweiz) AG show the way

One of the most important main goals of the 2025 sustainability programme – to reduce the total CO2 emissions by 25% – was achieved by ASSA ABLOY in Switzerland in 2022. One reason for this is the extensive energy-related renovations at the sites in Richterswil and Kleinlützel, including the conversion of the heating systems from oil to pellets or the renovation of the facades and windows. As a result of the measures taken, the company has reduced its CO2 emissions in Scopes 1 and 2 to such an extent that the reduction targets have already been significantly exceeded despite large-scale business operations.

Responsibility for the region

The 2025 sustainability programme implemented by the Group reflects the long-standing commitment to greater climate protection and, with the integrated scientific findings and goals of the Paris Agreement, is the benchmark for all sustainability initiatives at the sites in Switzerland. Another milestone in the program was reached with the successful commissioning of the new photovoltaic plants in 2023 September. By installing the systems, the plan was to produce around a third to around 40% of the company's own electricity requirements. Depending on the day, this target is sometimes exceeded. In Kleinlützel, for example, up to 50% electricity coverage is not uncommon. ASSA ABLOY has also agreed with the local municipalities not to store the surplus produced for their own use, but instead to feed it into the public network so that the entire region can also benefit sustainably.

Internal sustainability ambassadors

It is remarkable how all employees are naturally committed to sustainability and therefore make the best sustainability ambassadors of their own company. In addition to the Green Team set up internally from all corporate divisions, which keeps a constant eye on the overarching sustainability goals and regularly implements new impulses and smaller projects, the annual “Green Week” or “Earth Day” also plays a key role here. Employees also appreciate the company’s transparent flow of information, for example via the freely accessible information screens with real-time evaluations of the most important sustainability parameters in the company.

Scope 3 firmly in our sights

The pleasing monitoring and consistently positive Ecovadis ratings repeatedly validate ASSA ABLOY’s sustainability aspirations. In Scopes 1 and 2, the Group’s sites in Switzerland are significantly above the previously defined target corridor in several areas, such as energy efficiency and CO2 intensity. The good result earned the company sites in Richterswil and Kleinlützel one of Ecovadis’ renowned silver medals in 2024. This places ASSA ABLOY among the top 15 percent of all companies rated and compared within the last 12 months based on submitted and verified data. This also impresses many customers, who can request to view the detailed Ecovadis reports in full.

This is also a major motivational boost for the current development of concrete ideas for successfully addressing the Scope 3 goals in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol in the near future. Unlike Scope 1 and Scope 2, where companies can typically have a very direct impact on emissions from sources that are directly within their ownership or scope (Scope 1) or that they purchase directly (Scope 2), accounting for Scope 3 emissions is much more challenging. This is because both the upstream and downstream value chains that do not belong directly to the company are included here.

For ASSA ABLOY in Switzerland, for example, these are emissions that arise from the manufacturing processes of the raw material and semi-finished products, i.e. the extraction and production of purchased raw materials. Consumables used by the company, such as aluminium, are also evaluated. Adjusting consumables can have a high impact on CO2 emissions. For example, so-called recycled aluminium has approximately 20 times lower CO2 emissions in production compared to primary aluminium. These approaches are also addressed accordingly within Scope 3.

For the time being, accounting for Scope 3 emissions is an optional component of the mandatory sustainability reporting. However, progressive companies like ASSA ABLOY are already firmly focused on Scope 3 and want to act as a role model as a pioneer in the industry.