Systematic environmental management

Linde Material Handling makes sustainability a top priority not only in products and services but also in production. On the one hand, the Company has a strong conviction that the biggest lever for more sustainability lies in the products themselves. On the other hand, Linde wants to ensure that these products have been produced and maintained in a process that meets environmentally and socially acceptable standards. 60 % of all our global locations are currently applying reduction targets for energy consumption, CO₂ emissions and volume of waste.

Certified management systems

A sustainable production process is based on many different building blocks. The premium approach of Linde is focused on all the individual measures, whether this relates to a closed cooling-water circuit, emulsion separation facilities, heat recovery or air heat exchangers.

Essential enablers are is reliable management systems which deliver stable processes and unambiguous indicators in order to implement this aspiration in operational business. All the strands in this process come together at Linde in HSE management. Internationally acknowledged management systems are applied here: ISO 14001 for environmental management, ISO 50001 for energy management and OHSAS 18001 for occupational health and safety. Compliance with these voluntary management systems is reviewed by means of internal Linde audits along with statutory regulations which govern the actions of the Company, although they vary from one country to another. External auditors have also already provided certification at many locations. The global group-wide certification of all locations is now going to be implemented. The plan is to complete this programme by 2017.

During the year under review, seven production facilities in various countries had already been certified in conformity with ISO 14001 or they are currently undergoing the process of certification. With respect to ISO 50001, this applies at five locations. 12 national companies providing sales and service have already been certified at a minimum of one location in conformity with ISO 14001, or certification is being carried out at the present time. Linde regards these certifications as an important investment in the future of the Company. They provide customers with orientation when they are looking for a reliable partner, for example in the context of ethically robust supply chains, and they help to optimise internal workflows.