Environment

Decarbonization is a particularly important point on our agenda. Our products for electric drives are already making a contribution to this. In addition, we have also launched various projects to significantly reduce our carbon footprint across all our Strategic Business Fields. The “DBS goes green” project is a key element of this. Here, the Strategic Business Field Diehl Brass Solutions is taking various measures relating to energy efficiency, energy procurement and inhouse power generation, thereby helping prepare our foundry in Röthenbach for future legal requirements and making our business fit for the future.

To derive the reduction targets, we determine our corporate carbon footprint in accordance with the requirements of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Specific examples from our Business Field Diehl Advanced Mobility, located in Zehdenick, illustrate in concrete terms how we are translating our commitment into action. These examples include green energy procurement, inhouse power generation thanks to solar panels on the production hall roofs, as well as charging points for electric cars. All of these measures are either currently being implemented or have already been completed.

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  Certified energy management system

  How can you keep track of all the consumption that our ongoing production requires? Energy management is the answer. First and foremost, this means effective energy monitoring, since ongoing consumption must be tracked precisely. And wherever there are particular fluctuations, we need to look for the cause. Meter data is processed to accurately allocate it to the individual energy consumers. Energy management creates the conditions for the responsible and cost-efficient use of energy, enabling us to continuously improve the ecological footprint of our metal production operations. It also identifies opportunities for consistently optimizing our processes in line with sustainability commitments.
  
  Using energy responsibly is not something we are only now starting to do. Rather, we can look back on years of experience with our energy management system and our decarbonization efforts. By far the most energy is consumed at our site in Röthenbach. Here, we have had a certified energy management system compliant with the ISO50001 standard for more than 10 years now – and our other sites also have energy management certifications according to ISO50001 or EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme). 
  
  Download  Certificates

Certified environmental management system

We take care to protect our natural environment. Here, too, we have certified management systems in place at our production sites. The Röthenbach site, for instance, has been certified according to ISO 14001 since 2004, and our Berlin site has had EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) certification since as far back as 1996. In Brazil, we have been certified according to ISO14001 since 2001. 

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The environmental management system ensures that our processes are continuously checked and improved according to environmental criteria, for example with regard to resource efficiency, emissions or responsible handling of waste and wastewater generated during production processes. Thanks to this system, we can oversee the wastewater treatment and exhaust air filtration facilities at our production sites. Ideas management, OpEx teams and other expert groups have been established to identify savings and improvement measures.

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  Environmental protection is firmly anchored in our corporate policy, and we set ourselves fixed environmental targets, which are reviewed annually as part of the auditing process.

  For interested stakeholders, we publish annually updated reports on environmental and energy management at the Röthenbach and Berlin/Teltow sites:

  • Environmental Declaration: Diehl Brass Solutions / Röthenbach location
  • Environmental Declaration: Diehl Metall Schmiedetechnik / Röthenbach location
  • Environmental Statement: Diehl Metal Applications
  • Information for the public: Diehl Metal Applications

REACH is the EU’s chemicals regulation governing the introduction, manufacture and use of all chemicals. It serves to protect human health and the environment. The regulation is in force in all EU countries and is based on the principle of greater responsibility on the part of industry for the safe handling of its substances. 

• Substances subject to authorization

  To protect human health, substances that may be considered of very high concern are subject to an authorization procedure. 

  As part of this process, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) regularly publishes proposals for identifying chemicals as substances of very high concern in the form of a “Candidate List”. In a further step, a decision is made as to whether a particular substance on the Candidate List is to be subjected to an authorization procedure and then, if necessary, whether restrictions on the use of this substance are to be expected.

  https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table 

  The Candidate List is examined by Diehl Metall following each revision by the ECHA. 

  As of June 27, 2018, lead metal was included in the SVHC Candidate List (SVHC stands for “Substances of Very High Concern”).

  Lead is contained as an alloying element in some products of the Diehl Metall portfolio. Diehl Metall notifies its customers about such topics in compliance with the information requirements under Art. 33 of REACH.

  Extensive discussions are needed to make the decision as to whether in the further course of the REACH process there will be additional restrictions on applications of lead-containing copper and brass alloys, such as authorizations for specific uses. These discussions are still ongoing. There are good reasons to argue against the need for authorization, as the risks of handling lead-containing materials are now manageable.

  In the event that lead nevertheless becomes subject to authorization, there will be a transitional period of several years. Authorizations for certain uses would have to be applied for no later than 18 months prior to the end of the transitional period. It is to be assumed that the relevant authorizations will be granted by the Chemicals Agency, especially as substitution of machining alloys containing lead is not a feasible option with the current state of the art.

  Currently, no other “substances of very high concern” according to the “Candidate List” nor according to Annex XIV of the REACH regulation are contained in Diehl Metall products at levels higher than 0.1%. 

• Safety data sheets

  Rods, tubes, profiles and wire as well as the turned, stamped and forged parts made from them are products for which there is no legal obligation to prepare safety data sheets. However, the relevant information sheets can be provided upon request. 

• Classification: Substances, preparations and articles

  Cast billets and slabs are classified as “substances” or, in the case of alloys, as “preparations”.

  The semi-finished goods made from the billets and slabs, namely rods, tubes, profiles and wire, as well as the turned, stamped and forged parts that are then processed from these are referred to as “articles”.

  This classification is made according to the “Guidance on requirements for substances in articles” of the ECHA.

• Waste and REACH

  Metal scrap and chips are classified as waste according to the Waste Framework Directive 2006/12/EC. They are subject to waste legislation and do not fall within the scope of the REACH regulation.