06/06/2023 – Reduction of CO2 footprint through use of “Green Steel Climate+”
Green Steel Partnership between Knipex and the Swiss Steel Group
Knipex, manufacturer of high-quality pliers for professional users, has a strong focus on sustainable production and environmentally friendly use of resources, just like the Swiss Steel Group.
(from left to right): Thorsten Arm, Head of Financial Accounting and responsible for steel purchasing at Knipex, Michael Zinn, Sales Director Engineering Steel at the Swiss Steel Group, Barbara Meimeth, Sustainability Officer at Knipex. © Knipex
“Sustainability has always played an important role in our 140-year-old family business. As a company, we live from the conditions and resources that we share responsibility for preserving. We are part of the environment and society, to whose improvement we want to make an active contribution,” says Knipex Managing Partner Ralf Putsch. Knipex has set itself the goal of halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 2020.
More than half of the greenhouse gas emissions of the pliers professional are generated in the so-called Scope 3, which also includes the emissions of externally sourced raw materials. The lion's share is attributable to the steel used to manufacture the quality pliers. In addition to investments in state-of-the-art plant technology and the implementation of optimization potential in production and logistics, Knipex relies on the use of climate-optimized raw materials to achieve its climate targets. Here, the long-standing partner, the Swiss Steel Group, was able to help. With its “Green Steel Climate+” product, it has a Green Steel product with outstanding values in terms of CO2 footprint. The emissions of a ton of Green Steel Climate + crude steel are around 98% below the industry mix. The Swiss Steel Group, as one of the European market leaders for Green Steel, produces it, as well as its other products, in the electric arc furnace process and uses only renewable energy for this product. In this case, the energy comes from hydroelectric power plants. The starting material is always recycled scrap. In other words, a value chain that is thoroughly characterized by the idea of reducing the CO2 footprint.
Since December 2022, Knipex has been the first tool manufacturer to purchase “Green Steel Climate+” from the Swiss Steel Group, a successful partnership that can look back on a history of well over 30 years, because that is how long the two companies have been working together. "We are very pleased about this partnership with such a long-standing and successful customer as Knipex. Supporting our customers' climate goals with our products is more than just a concern for us. We see the decarbonization of the steel industry not only as a legal mandate but also as our social obligation," said Frank Koch, CEO of the Swiss Steel Group.
