To ensure that the company continues to improve its environmental performance, ZEISS first drew up global environmental principles back in 1998. To implement them, the company utilizes an Environmental Management System in accordance with the international ISO 14001:2015 standard. The environmental performance requirements are laid out in an internal directive on environmental protection that all ZEISS units worldwide must adhere to and implement. Potential and actual effects of different environmental aspects – including waste, soil and groundwater protection, and air quality maintenance – are evaluated using an analysis grid. Depending on the result, measures to minimize the environmental impact may be defined.
The Chief Financial Officer of Carl Zeiss AG holds overall responsibility for the implementation of the ZEISS Group’s environmental management system. A Corporate Environment Officer has also been appointed, who works with the people responsible for the sites to help business units identify and implement suitable measures. At the end of the reporting period on 30 September 2019, 31 business units at 15 of the ZEISS Group’s production facilities had been certified by external auditors in accordance with ISO 14001:2015 (fiscal year 2017/18: 32 business units and 16 production facilities).
An employee suggestion program has been established at eight ZEISS sites in countries like China, the US and Germany. The employees’ submissions are assessed based on their feasibility, impact and efficiency. For ZEISS, relevant ideas include suggestions for conserving energy, improving energy efficiency, reducing materials usage, finding substitutes for hazardous chemicals and stepping up efficiency in its production processes. Ideas from employees which meet ZEISS’ stipulated criteria receive a small financial award. They are frequently honored and often receive recognition on a local level. One example from the Consumer Products strategic business unit in the reporting period is how the production process switched from using operating equipment for machining to 3D printing. This meant roughly 12,000 kWh in electrical power and 6.6 tons of CO2 were saved in the first year.
For many years, the Environmental Protection working group for the ZEISS Group has been successfully ensuring information and best practice sharing between the sites in Germany. The working group meets at least once per year. 27 meetings have been held since it was established. Officers for the integrated management system, environmental officers, environmental coordinators, representatives from the waste management, wastewater technology and utilities management divisions, hazardous materials officers and specialists for environment, health and safety (EHS) all take part in them. Moreover, in fiscal year 2018/19 a cross- divisional team of specialists in sustainable product and process development was established. It first met in November 2018. The goal is to come up with approaches for better integrating sustainability aspects such as energy and resource efficiency into development processes.