Environment

Protecting the environment is an important priority for STILL. The company is committed to minimizing the environmental impact of its operations through its HSE management system. Making responsible use of resources and continuously reducing damage to the environment at the local level are a top focus in particular. Its indicator-based approach to environmental management focuses on the areas of energy and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as water and waste.

Under the company’s integrated management policy—which covers sustainability, quality, health and safety in the workplace, the environment, and energy—all managers are required wherever possible to: introduce environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient processes and production procedures; reduce waste; use natural resources such as water, land, and raw materials sparingly and responsibly; prevent and reduce contamination of the air, waterways, and soil; and make active efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

All STILL sites have committed to uphold KION’s Group-wide HSE standard and are also developing specific strategies in line with local requirements. To support these efforts, a designated HSE officer has been appointed for each national subsidiary.

A key sustainability target set out in KION’s corporate strategy is to achieve ISO 14001 (environmental management) certification for all sites. All production locations and almost all sales organizations are now certified in line with the latest environmental standards ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and/or DIN EN 16247. Regular audits provide transparency around the actions taken and lay the groundwork for continually improving sustainability performance. All relevant energy and environmental management data is also recorded as part of the established HSE management system, thereby supporting effective sustainability management across STILL.

STILL has set itself the target of increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption per truck. To this end, the company is focusing on renewables and electric vehicles, as well options to optimize the lighting technology in use across its sites. Work has already begun to switch the company’s lighting systems over LED technology and install motion sensors at workstations.

STILL has completely refurbished the energy systems at its administrative building in Hamburg and taken advantage of the increased efficiency of the city’s district heating network to significantly improve its energy footprint and cut its greenhouse gas emissions. Responsible use of energy and reduction of energy consumption are also part of the mandatory annual HSE training.

Shorter transport distances are also helping to reduce the company’s energy consumption. For instance, customers in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Austria are today supplied directly from the warehouse at the new Regional Service Center in Brno in the Czech Republic. The new center has enabled STILL to optimize its transport routes and delivery times and, in doing so, has brought the company closer to its customers as well as further reducing its response times and increasing the availability of its products.

Efforts aimed at conserving energy and using it efficiently go back a long way at STILL. The Hamburg production site obtained its certification according to ISO 50001 (energy management) back in 2013. All of STILL’s energy-intensive production locations are now certified as well and undergo regular audits as part of the current certification cycle.

STILL ensures that all machinery in use at its premises meets the criteria set out in the German ordinance on industrial health and safety (BetrSichV) and the ordinance on installations for handling water-polluting substances (AwSV). It also carries out regular inspections and monitoring of this machinery.

The company’s sites around the world have measures in place to reduce water consumption, such as water-saving units in sanitary facilities and instructions that company vehicles only be washed when strictly necessary. In addition, the powder-coating systems used in STILL’s plants are state-of-the-art and generate less wastewater. Automated processes and technologies help to reduce environmental pollution by recirculating and reprocessing the water for pretreatment.

STILL’s operations have very little impact on water quality, to the extent that—other than the use of oil water separators—the wastewater needs no additional treatment prior to disposal. Nonetheless, STILL commissions external analyses at some of its location in order to monitor its wastewater.

The key performance indicators for water withdrawal and wastewater are shown in the table.

As part of international efforts to limit global warning and address the many challenges associated with climate change, STILL and its partners must also take proactive and forward-thinking action to protect the world’s climate. The company works closely with its customers, suppliers, and business partners in many different areas—including energy consumption, efficient use of resources, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation initiatives—to ensure that it is making a difference within its own operations and beyond.

The KION Group’s climate and energy management policy is based on the Paris Agreement adopted at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015. After setting initial climate targets in 2018 and carrying out a comprehensive strategy review starting in 2021, the KION Group made a public commitment in 2023 to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 2050 at the latest. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has officially recognized the KION Group’s short-term climate targets and net-zero target for 2024 (see table “Group-Wide Targets” on pages 6 and 7).

The Group has put in place a comprehensive climate management system to ensure effective and efficient management of greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, including the promotion of renewable energies. This system covers the company’s own operations as well as other parts of the value chain from production to use and reuse at the end of the current product life cycle. Data on greenhouse gas emissions is collected and presented within the system in accordance with the internationally recognized Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

The KION Group is working on a comprehensive transition plan for climate protection, which is expected to be completed in 2025. This plan will build on existing feasibility studies and form the basis for future climate protection measures.

[1] Indirect (upstream) fuel and energy-based greenhouse gas emissions

Measures to Cut CO₂ Emissions

Modernization work at the Hamburg plant in 2023 saw the replacement of two CO₂ laser cutting machines with fiber laser systems that are significantly more eco-friendly and efficient. This project reduced power consumption at the plant by approximately 156,000 kWh in total, while also saving 67 metric tons of CO₂ due to the fact that the laser in the new systems is no longer gas generated.

In addition to reducing its own greenhouse emissions, STILL also supports selected climate protection projects to offset its emissions through climate protection certificates (or carbon credits). One supported project generates renewable energy from sawdust—a waste product from the production of raw material for the paper industry. The sawdust is used as biomass for generating steam, which in turn serves as an energy source for the production of more raw materials. This regenerative system therefore enables fossil energy sources to be replaced as a heat source. The biomass project is one of the only climate protection projects in Europe to have been awarded Swiss Climate’s “Gold Standard”

All German companies in the Group also offer their employees the opportunity to use a portion of their gross pay to lease a bicycle, which they can then use outside of their commute as well. The bike scheme is a benefit requested by many staff and, at the same time, is an opportunity for STILL to promote sustainable transport more widely. To encourage employees at the Hamburg site to get cycling and help cut carbon emissions, 198 STILL employees took part in the Stadtradeln 2024 cycling campaign. Participants covered a total of 52,326 kilometers in 21 days, which equates to a saving of over 8.5 metric tons of CO₂.

In 2024, the bicycle parking facilities at the Hamburg location were also significantly expanded, with a total of 250 covered bicycle parking spaces now available over two floors. There is also a smart charging station available for employees to charge their e-bike batteries—another step toward promoting an emission-free commute for employees.

STILL is also taking things a step further when it comes to its fleet of company vehicles: In spring 2022, STILL Switzerland signed up to the DKV Climate Card from the DKV Mobility Group, meaning that more than 90% of the company’s vehicle refueling in Switzerland is now climate neutral. STILL Nordic Markets (Denmark, Sweden, and Norway) have also been subject to a new regulation since 2022, which stipulates that all company vehicles must be hybrid or electric. Since 2023, the vehicle fleet in Hamburg has been fully electrified. Work has also begun in Benelux to electrify the vehicle fleet, and the transition to electric is also being reviewed and gradually expanded at many other locations.

To complement this process, the charging infrastructure has also been expanded, and all main locations in Germany have now been equipped with e-charging stations since 2024.

Most of STILL’s premises are located in industrial areas where there are no local residents. Ongoing checks and measurements have confirmed that no external soundproofing is required; however STILL does have internal noise reduction measures in place. Noise levels are assessed across all workplaces and the health and safety and environmental protection department maintains and regularly updates a register of noise measurements taken. Risk analyses are conducted to identify the most effective measures to protect employees against noise-induced hearing loss, including warning signs displayed across all production sites and ear defenders supplied free of charge. Acoustic enclosures are also erected around loud machinery and soundproofing walls installed.

Filter systems are installed at relevant sites to limit the emissions generated by our plants with the aim of protecting the environment as well as our own employees from exposure to hazardous substances. STILL’s iron foundry, Eisengießerei Dinklage GmbH, is an example of a plant that is fitted with highly effective filter systems to reduce the amount of fine dust emitted into the atmosphere to an unavoidable minimum.

[1] SOx values have been based on a new measurement method since 2024

Under the Group-wide HSE Standard, all local Group companies—including STILL—must have processes in place for recycling and re-using their waste. Refurbishing trucks, spare parts, and batteries for re-sale is a positive solution for many reasons, not least the fact that it saves valuable resources and reduces waste. Used trucks are therefore playing an increasingly important role in STILL’s sustainability strategy, since they significantly reduce the company’s CO₂ emissions and, in turn, its carbon footprint.

In the reporting year, STILL put nearly 786,000 used trucks back into circulation¹. If the trucks are no longer suitable for re-sale by STILL, another reputable KION Group company—BlackForxx—markets them to third-party dealers worldwide.

STILL also offers its customers the opportunity to rent trucks in order to cover peak production periods, help with events, or replace trucks that are out of service. In fact, many companies are increasingly turning to rental options as a way of using resources more responsibly—modern fleet management without a fleet!

Another important focus for STILL in terms of using resources responsibly is to find ways to replace critical materials and hazardous substances with less critical and hazardous alternatives. This applies to both raw materials and the operating materials used in production that are not part of the end product itself. In the previous year, for example, a protective coating system for printed circuit boards was replaced after the manufacturer reclassified it as a CMR substance. This careful handling of hazardous substances protects both employees and the environment.

Waste Disposal

Waste prevention is right at the top of the waste hierarchy. To this end, STILL has installed reusable systems in various areas to help reduce waste. For example, the majority of spare parts supplied to individual sites and technicians in several European countries are handled via the reusable system. In countries where this is not possible, cardboard packaging and other materials are reused to conserve important resources and prevent waste.

Employees can also help to reduce waste. The company canteen at STILL in Hamburg is participating in the RECUP and REBOWL initiative, Germany’s largest reusable packaging system for take-away food and drink. In Italy, water dispensers were installed to minimize the use of PET bottles.

Where it is not possible to completely avoid waste, STILL places the utmost importance on high-quality recycling, either through its own plant or partner organizations. For years, STILL has been reprocessing scrap at its own iron foundry to make new counterweights for its forklift trucks, thus making an important contribution to implementing the circular economy.

At LogiMAT, STILL showed that it is possible to take a new holistic approach to waste disposal: As part of its holistic sustainability strategy, STILL comprehensively reviewed and optimized its approach to the LogiMAT 2024 trade fair to conserve resources and reduce carbon emissions. Regional procurement, waste reduction, and social and ecological criteria were the main focus for partners and suppliers, with a particular focus on reusing the trade fair stand. STILL partnered for the first time with Leipzig-based start-up Trash Galore, which redirected non-recyclable materials from the trade fair stand to charitable organizations. As a result, around 650 kg of material, including over 510 kg of textiles, 100 kg of wood, and 40 kg of plastic, was donated to the Kunstverein Wagenhalle e. V., Bauzug 3YG, SchaffBar Böblingen e. V. and the Spielmobil des Stadtjugendrings Sindelfingen e. V. The partnership was thus able to reuse valuable resources and save over 5,000 kg of CO₂ equivalent, while supporting the important work of the charitable projects taking part. The insights gained will serve as a basis for future trade fairs.

For production waste, STILL in Hamburg works exclusively with qualified waste disposal companies that use the following recycling processes:

• Recycling and recovery of organic waste
• Reprocessing of sludge and residue from kitchen grease trap
• Recycling of food waste from the company canteen via ReFood
• Recycling and recovery of inorganic waste—i.e. reprocessing of slurry and emulsion from operating processes
• Waste exchange, so that the waste can be processed—for example, conditioned or dried—and inputted into another end recycling or recovery system

The mandatory HSE training completed by staff each year covers a range of environmental, climate, and energy management topics that are relevant for the business, including energy consumption, water usage, waste separation, and the risks posed by climate change.

In addition to the training, campaigns are also run to raise awareness of current issues. For example, in 2024 employees in Spain were given intensive training in water conservation in response to the ongoing drought in Catalonia and Andalusia.

The increased awareness of environmental issues among staff can be seen in the environmental initiatives organized across the business:

• Nearly all units of the business are now working within the framework of the ISO 14001 certification, with the remaining sites set to follow in 2025.
• Every year at Easter, the “Recycling Bunny” visits employees in Switzerland with ideas, tips, and suggestions relating to sustainability and health. The more that is recycled, the less that needs to be produced, and that reduces emissions and saves lots of valuable natural resources.
• STILL has been contributing to biodiversity in Hamburg by hosting a bee colony on its premises for the past five years. In Denmark, green spaces are also no longer being mowed to preserve insect habitats.

Idea Management

Idea management—i.e. the process of collecting suggestions from all staff in order to continually improve the business—has been a central fixture in STILL’s company culture for many years. Quality standards, productivity, and employee satisfaction are thus improved across the company based on the insights and experiences of the staff as a whole. The aim is to leverage untapped potential for improvement and incorporate these areas into the ongoing improvement process for the entire product and service portfolio, which comprises both production and work processes as well as working conditions, including health and safety and environmental protection. Ideas for improvement are assessed by an expert in the relevant field against a defined set of criteria and given a score, with prizes awarded for the best-scoring ideas.

As part of the idea management’s environmental sustainability campaigns, employees submit their ideas on how the KION Group can become more sustainable over a period of three weeks. Questions include, for example: How can we reduce our energy consumption? How can we save on raw materials and components, or re-use them more effectively as part of a closed-loop cycle? How can we optimize our supply chains and transport routes to make them more environmentally friendly? And, how can we reduce waste and improve recycling? A panel then selects the ten best suggestions in each case and awards prizes to the top three ideas with the biggest environmental impact. Several ideas that came directly from employees have already been implemented at STILL. This included cutting the volume of plastic waste associated with the delivery of cylinders to production sites by working together with the supplier to have the cylinders delivered in bundles, thereby reducing the amount of plastic packaging. The number of printed delivery notes for spare parts was also reduced from two copies to one, saving a large amount of paper and toner in the process. In 2023, another idea for reducing the use of plastic bags was implemented. Before this, production orders were placed in resealable plastic bags and passed on during processing. These bags are now no longer used, resulting in a reduction of up to 48,000 plastic bags to date.

An idea that looks at sustainability from a social perspective was also put into action outside the campaign and involves fruit harvested in the local region. The produce is processed by people who have disabilities or are disadvantaged to make fruit juice, which is then available for purchase in the canteen.