SUSTAINABILITY AT ROSENBAUER
Ever since its foundation in 1866, Rosenbauer has been a company geared towards innovation in the firefighting industry. The family business has always considered stable growth and responsible, sustainable practices to be a high priority.
Our Sustainability Management
Social and environmental responsibilities have always played an important role in the more than 158-year company history of Rosenbauer. The Executive Board fundamentally rejects short-term thinking about quarterly results in favor of management decisions with a long-term perspective, taking environmental, social, and governance considerations into account, which ensure lasting positive growth for the Group.
Sustainability at Rosenbauer is the responsibility of the Executive Board. A sustainability management system was established in 2016 to embed these principles into the organization in a centralized way. The system is assigned to the Group Communication, Investor Relations & CSR division, which reports to the Executive Board. This is where measures taken to date are consolidated and systematically incorporated into goal-setting processes, and new initiatives are launched. Equally important is reflecting current trends and new topics of interest and gaging these for relevance to the sustainability program and the company’s business success.
Sustainable Governance
Rosenbauer considers itself a partner. Our cooperation with customers is above all professional and conscientious and follows internationally accepted guidelines and principles. The sustainable management of our business is built on good corporate governance.
Both the Executive Board and Supervisory Board base corporate governance and supervision on Austrian and internationally recognized principles, and are committed to upholding the Austrian Code of Corporate Governance (ÖCGK). The companies satisfies the relevant provisions (see page 17-21 of the 2023 Annual Report).
In accordance with the law, the Articles of Association and the Rules of Procedure approved by the Supervisory Board, the Executive Board of Rosenbauer International AG manages the company on its own responsibility. It performs its management duties as required for the good of the company, taking into account the interests of all internal and external stakeholders, in particular those of the owners and employees. At regular meetings it discusses current business performance and makes the necessary decisions and resolutions. A constant and open exchange of information between the members of the Executive Board, management and all employees is one of Rosenbauer’s key management principles. The Executive Board reports to the Supervisory Board regularly and exhaustively on all relevant issues relating to business development, including risk exposure and risk management in the Group. Furthermore, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board maintains regular contact with the CEO, with whom he discusses strategy and ongoing business development.
As well as monitoring the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board also sees it as its duty to support the Executive Board in its management of the company, particularly in decisions of fundamental significance. All members of the Supervisory Board attended more than half of the meetings of the Supervisory Board in the reporting period.
Further information on the composition and working methods of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board and on Rosenbauer’s diversity policy can be found on page 19 et seq. of the 2023 Annual Report.
Risk and Opportunity Management
Comprehensive risk and opportunity management is a vital pillar of responsible corporate governance. Rosenbauer takes care to include all business units and corporate divisions in this system. Responsibility for risk policy is borne by the Executive Board. The ongoing identification, assessment and management of risks are an integral part of the management, planning, and controlling process.
During compilation of the annual Sustainability Report, social and environmental risks and opportunities are identified and their impact assessed. None of the sustainability risks were deemed to be of significance.
Further information on risks, opportunities and the impact of Rosenbauer’s business activities can be found in the risk report section in the 2023 Annual Report.
Management of Climate Risks
In 2020, an analysis of climate-related risks and opportunities for Rosenbauer was conducted. The recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate- related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)1. Rosenbauer is a supporter of the TCFD.
The first step was to identify climate-related risks and opportunities that could potentially be financially relevant to Rosenbauer. These were determined by analyzing publicly available information from peer companies, climate science reports and other relevant sources. In addition, interviews were conducted with relevant departments in the company such as Risk Management, Purchasing and Innovation. Opportunities and risks from the transition to a decarbonized economy were identified, as were physical opportunities and risks.
Value chain
In order to live up to its responsibilities in the field of firefighting and disaster control, Rosenbauer incorporates sustainability issues into every aspect of its strategy. The focus is on the areas which the company can be instrumental in shaping. The life cycle of a firefighting vehicle begins with the production of the primary raw materials – steel and aluminum – and extends from in-house production to use by firefighters and the recycling of obsolete materials.
Material sustainability topics
In an analysis of the value chain, Rosenbauer has identified numerous topics in which social and/or environmental impacts stem from the company. The materiality matrix provides a summary of the results of the stakeholder assessment. The material sustainability topics are those with the greatest importance for stakeholders and the largest impact on people, the environment, and the economy. This Report provides qualitative and quantitative disclosures according to the GRI Standards on all of these topics.
Dialog with our stakeholders
Rosenbauer is in continual contact with stakeholders. The company considers open communication and mutual dialog among partners to be the
prerequisite for developing products and services that have their finger on the pulse and for remaining an innovation leader
Among Rosenbauer’s most important stakeholder groups around the world are customers, fire services and firefighter associations, employees, suppliers and sales partners. Other important partners are the owner family, banks, shareholders and investors. Rosenbauer values collaboration with regional partners and so also counts local communities and residents as relevant stakeholders.
The company’s communication channels with stakeholders are as varied as our stakeholders themselves. Employees are actively informed about ongoing activities in the sustainability process by way of presentations, workshops, training and an in-house magazine. Regular board talks are held to exchange information with the Group’s executive board. This enables employees to ask questions directly.
Shareholders and investors are included in this process during conferences, roadshows and company presentations. Regular press releases and quarterly financial reporting supply additional data. The company holds in-depth discussions with customers and suppliers regarding the development of new products. Rosenbauer is also a member of several firefighter associations, industry clusters and corporate platforms and maintains an active dialog with educational institutions such as universities and colleges.
Our sustainability strategy
Sustainability at Rosenbauer is embedded within the corporate strategy. That means clear responsibilities and resources have been defined, and sustainability has been integrated into all core processes. The implementation of the sustainability strategy is expertly tracked and evaluated by CSR management based on the targets and measures determined annually.
Rosenbauer’s sustainability strategy is based on the existing Mission Statement and values in conjunction with the corporate strategy and the sustainability concept. Opportunities and risks arising from societal megatrends are important elements that were also considered. The analysis of the value chain and identification of material topics in terms of the impact on people, the environment, and the economy were the most important factors for defining the sustainability strategy.
Based on this foundation, 2017 was set as the starting point for Rosenbauer’s Sustainability Strategy. Working with all members of the Executive Board and operational managers, the relevant areas of activity were defined and corresponding guiding principles developed. Clear KPIs ensure the measurability of targets and measures and that processes are controlled. The inclusion of all operational managers and in-depth discussions of the topics enabled a broad consensus on the direction Rosenbauer’s strategic sustainability efforts should take in the coming years.
Rosenbauer sustainability strategy 2030
In the reporting year, we finalized our “Rosenbauer City 2030” corporate and sustainability strategy and presented it to a broad public at Interschutz in Hanover in June 2022.
Core aspects include sustainability, responsibility and performance, and for this reason sustainability was integrated as a separate element within this corporate strategy.
In accordance with the long-term Group Strategy 2030, Rosenbauer is focusing on responsibility for all employees (Corporate People Responsibility), responsibility for society and the planet (Corporate Social Responsibility), and the industry in order to shape the sector together (Corporate Industry Responsibility).
With a view to implementing the corporate strategy, the following key points were developed within the area of sustainability to bolster the company’s position as a sustainable and responsible systems supplier.
Key sustainability points for 2030
- Emission-free firefighting
- Reducing CO2 emissions in logistics by 50%
- Aligning investments with ESG criteria
- Consuming and generating green energy
- Developing a Group climate strategy
- Promoting diversity
- Significantly increasing the proportion of women and
- Supporting managers to advance Rosenbauer’s sustainable development
For more on our corporate strategy “Rosenbauer City 2030,” see
Rosenbauer’s climate strategy
In 2022, Rosenbauer formulated a climate strategy based on the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). It forms the framework for our future corporate actions and contains measures to achieve the targets set out in the Paris Climate Agreement by reducing emissions over the coming years. This target reflects the strategic conviction that the fire truck of the future will no longer be powered by a traditional drive system.
CO2-reduction targets validated by the SBTi
For the first time ever, emissions were calculated in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol using 2019 as the base year and a science-based carbon footprint was established. Using this basis as a benchmark, at the end of 2022 a climate strategy containing science-based reduction targets informed by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) was submitted to the SBTi for evaluation. In the reporting year, the initiative confirmed that the targets we set were consistent with the level that will be required to achieve the targets set out in the Paris Climate Agreement.
Rosenbauer’s climate targets
Rosenbauer is thus committed to the 2015 Paris target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius if possible, but in any case well below 2 degrees. Consequently, Rosenbauer wants to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 46.2% and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 3) by 27.5% against 2019 levels by 2030. In the case of indirect emissions, including those arising from firefighting work or materials purchasing that Rosenbauer cannot directly control, this is to be understood as just a target.
Measures aimed at reducing CO2 emissions
To halt the continued rise in global emissions and reduce emissions by the specified amount, Rosenbauer has at its disposal the following levers in particular that it can apply in the case of direct emissions:
- Increased use of renewable energies
- Increase the energy efficiency of processes and infrastructure
- Lower usage of natural gas
- Develop energy roadmaps aimed a reducing CO2 emissions based on business criteria
Measures to be taken along the value chain
Indirect emissions go beyond the company’s direct sphere of influence and affect the product portfolio and value chain. At present, Rosenbauer mainly produces vehicles that are powered by diesel engines. The required reduction targets cannot be met using this drive technology. So, as in the case of private transport, the only way is through a technological shift.
In the reporting year, Rosenbauer initiated various projects to identify other potential areas where it could reduce emissions throughout the value chain. In addition, the current product portfolio is already enabling the company to reduce emissions outside the value chain as well through the use of prevention technologies (e.g. wildfires) and efficient firefighting techniques.
Carbon footprint
Rosenbauer’s footprint along the entire value chain in 2019 was around 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents, with direct emissions (Scope 1), for example from the operation of boilers, paint shops and our own vehicle fleet, and indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2) altogether accounting for just 1% (15,951 t).
Around 15% of indirect emissions (Scope 3) are caused by material procurement and transportation, travel to the workplace, business trips, etc. At over 80%, by far the largest part of the footprint is attributable to emissions that are generated after the sale and during the use of our products.
Rosenbauer reduced its carbon footprint by 5% across all areas (Scope 1, 2 and 3) in 2023.
Carbon Footprint along the Value Chain
Development of Scope 1, 2 and 3 Targets
1 The Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) is a working group established by the International Financial Stability Board (FSB) to address risks and opportunities from climate change to the global economic and financial system. It was established to develop voluntary, standardized disclosures on climate-related financial risks.