These pillars cover: a) Sustainability within its product portfolio; b) Climate & Resource planning, and c) Looking after people and their well-being.
For Blaise Mahieu, head of quality and sustainability, sustainable growth will be achieved via a global approach that has a much wider focus than just reducing energy consumption.
That is why in the new company strategy, Strategy 2025, sustainability comprises three pillars.
The first pillar, Product Portfolio, requires constant innovation to ensure products and services have sustainable lifecycles. The second pillar, Climate and Resources, translates into decoupling resource consumption from growth. The third pillar, People and Well-being, has a focus on creating diverse, engaging and safe workplaces.
Sustainability: In practice
GF Machining Solutions has broken down these three pillars into specific sustainability objectives.
As an example, the company has been able to reduce energy consumption (by over 30%) in the manufacture of its CUT P series of wire- EDM machines, compared to the manufacture of its previous generation of machines.
Committed to continuous improvement, the company is aiming to go further and farther and has targeted energy consumption savings of 45% by 2025.
By this landmark date the company plans to provide customers with significant and tangible environmental benefits across all of its new products.
Sustainability is achieved early on in the design stage – focused not just on machine construction but also on the machining process itself.
Processes with adverse ‘environmental’ effects will be replaced by more efficient, greener solutions and, wherever possible, GF Machining Solutions will develop recycling processes and foster a circular economy. An example of this is the Laser technology, which can replace the chemical etching process, eliminating the usage of hazardous substances.
Regarding the second pillar of the sustainability strategy, GF Machining Solutions is also active in the reduction of resources within its facilities.
On one hand, this includes undertaking diagnostics and forensic examination, across its different locations, to identify opportunities for energy saving. On the other hand, the company is investing in ‘greener’ solutions…securing and sourcing greener electricity OR creating its own energy.
For example, in one of its Swiss-based manufacturing locations, up to 15% of electricity requirements will be met by solar energy.
The ultimate objective will be to become Co2 neutral in the not-too-distant future.
Overall, GF Machining Solutions will contribute to Georg Fischer's Science Based Target Initiative (based on the Paris Agreement) with an absolute 30% reduction of its scope 1&2 emissions by the year 2026.
The goal of the third pillar is to create safe workplaces by further reducing accident rates, encourage diversity, and making company premises pleasant for employees and attractive for new recruits.
