Environmental Protection and Sustainability
“Sustainability promises a wealthier and fairer society that offers us, our children and our grandchildren a better quality of life.”
ThyssenKrupp’s environmental guidelines embrace pollution control as a key corporate goal. This is why its business decisions are also reviewed for their impact on the environment. ThyssenKrupp’s environmental expertise lies in the development of “green” products and processes that conserve resources – expertise the company shares worldwide.
In addition, sustainable development is an ongoing, never-ending process that directs the company’s social and business performance, its use of resources and its day-to-day operations.
Sustainability, as the company sees it, means creating and maintaining an optimal and durable balance between economy, ecology and social responsibility. Being true to this principle is a daily commitment and challenge for all employees of ThyssenKrupp.
We believe that knowledge is the key to sustainability. Therefore we invest heavily in our own research and development work, in pollution control, in training and education of our staff and in our cooperation with universities in Germany and abroad. We strive to save energy, conserve resources and maximize recycling.
Sustainability and resource conservation were the central elements of ThyssenKrupp’s environmental protection efforts this past fiscal year. In fiscal 2005/2006 the company invested approximately $535 million on in its efforts to protect the environment.
All ThyssenKrupp segments work on environmentally conscious projects. Past initiatives demonstrate our commitment.
For example, ThyssenKrupp’s Steel Segment was honored with Volkswagen’s Environmental Award in recognition of innovative solutions to help reduce emissions from cars. Those solutions included weight optimized parts which reduce fuel consumption.
Environmental experts and plant engineers in the Stainless Segment introduced a new electrochemical process to recycle the used acids and metal-bearing sludges arising from the pickling of stainless steel. This electro dialysis system recovers acid and reduces the nitrate in the waste water by 35 percent. The Stainless Segment is developing a closed recycling process which will not employ any acids or waste water.