At the end of 2024, Gerhard Schubert successfully passed certification in accordance with the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and the ISO 50001 Energy Management System. The company is fully compliant with international standards on environmental and energy issues.
The packaging machine manufacturer received certification for its environmental management systems in accordance with DIN ISO 14001:2015 and DIN ISO 50001:2018. The company introduced the two new management systems in sustainability in order to improve its energy and environmental performance in line with internationally recognised standards.
With the ISO 14001 EMS, Schubert is implementing processes such as minimising environmental impact, increasing resource efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and promoting environmentally friendly practices in its day-to-day business. The focus of the ISO 50001 EMS is on optimising energy consumption and increasing energy efficiency. With the latter, Schubert is also achieving the goals of the company’s Mission Blue Sustainability Initiative, which includes measuring the progress of the respective measures.
An early commitment to sustainability
The two certifications are the latest highlights of Schubert’s unwavering commitment to the environment. Early on, Schubert laid the foundation for environmentally and energy-friendly processes and infrastructure in Crailsheim. In 2006, an office complex with 4,500 m² of floor space was built on site, with heating and cooling provided by a geothermal heat pump. In 2015, the company added a final assembly hall with approx. 12,000 m² of floor space where a heat pump also uses geothermal energy to heat and cool the offices.
With Mission Blue, Schubert initiated a company-wide sustainability initiative in 2022 that is aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and encompasses four fields of action. In addition to sustainable corporate governance and climate-neutral production, these include environmentally friendly machines and sustainable packaging solutions, which Schubert develops with its industry partners.
Since 2023, Schubert has been operating its office building and final assembly hall in Crailsheim in a climate-neutral manner using the world’s largest ice storage system, while monitoring on-site energy consumption with over 30 digital measuring points. In the same year, the company installed two PV systems, each with 550 kWp, 30 charging points for electric mobility and an infrastructure for a further 50 charging points.
Meeting the standard
“In this context, the introduction of the environmental and energy management systems was a logical and systematic next step,” explains Max Wagner, Head of Facility Management at Schubert. Both systems are extremely important to Schubert. The ISO standard ensures that processes and results are comparable and serve as the baseline for further ratings or certifications – for example in line with EcoVadis or SMETA, or for CSRD reporting. The positive external impact of these certificates shouldn’t be underestimated when it comes to auditing by partners, customers or suppliers in the context of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz, LkSG).
Harnessing ecological potential
The two certifications also represent important milestones in Schubert’s Mission Blue Sustainability Initiative. They assure the company that the existing measures meet legal requirements. And on this basis, specific processes can be made even more environmentally and energy efficient. “The certification process has sharpened our focus on potential that we will be exploiting in the medium term,” explains Max Wagner.
“Certification of our environmental and energy management systems is an important first milestone, and others will follow. It is also our aim to demonstrate how every employee can contribute to our energy and environmental management efforts being embraced as an obligation in the future and confirmed during the annual audit.”
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