Sustainability initiatives

Our initiatives from today for tomorrow

For the CANCOM Group, a broad-based understanding of sustainability is the foundation of our commitment. Ecological, social and corporate issues are closely linked, and our sustainability initiatives are correspondingly diverse. The cornerstone for this is our sustainability strategy, in which the CANCOM Group sets out fundamental goals.

With these initiatives, we ensure greater sustainability

Climate change is becoming an ever greater challenge, and the CANCOM Group would like to make a positive contribution to limiting climate change accordingly. We support the goals of the Paris climate agreement to limit global warming to well below 2°, if possible even to 1.5°. To this end, we have set ourselves climate targets within the Group: our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions are to be reduced by 75 percent by 2025 compared to the base year 2019. From 2027, the CANCOM Group will achieve CO2 neutrality. All emissions that we cannot avoid through operational improvements will be offset with high-quality and certified compensation and storage projects.

The CANCOM Group currently produces emissions that cannot yet be completely avoided. To help offset our emissions, we are implementing a reforestation project in central Germany with our project partner DEUTIM. In Rotenburg an der Fulda, an area damaged by drought and pest infestation is being converted into a resilient mixed forest with our support. Our forest of oak, beech, Douglas fir, sycamore maple, cherry and mountain elm stores 2,000 tons of CO2 every year – exactly in the geographical middle between our locations in Cologne, Hanover, Leipzig and Frankfurt.

The afforestation area in spring 2021

Our colleagues from more than 70 nations at more than 50 locations in four country markets are already a living reflection of a diverse and interconnected working environment. We have made it our goal to further promote this diversity and have therefore joined the Charta der Vielfalt. The Charta der Vielfalt is an initiative to promote diversity in companies. We are committed to the initiative’s goal of advancing the recognition, appreciation and inclusion of diversity in the world of work in Germany and support it through a variety of measures.

We have also set out our commitment to a workplace where appreciation and recognition are lived out in our binding Diversity and Inclusion Policy and our Anti-harassment Policy

Our photovoltaic systems make a major contribution to environmental protection in the CANCOM Group. We use photovoltaic systems at all suitable locations of the CANCOM Group. At the Jettingen-Scheppach site, an annual average of 70 percent of the electrity generated by the PV system and its 3,822 modules, is used directly at the site. The remaining electricity is fed into the public grid. In the past year, this saved around 289 tons of CO2.

In logistics and also in the offices of the CANCOM Group, we are always looking for ways to make our processes more efficient and to conserve resources. That is why in logistics, especially when shipping hardware, we rely on products from sustainable production or with a high recycled content. The cardboard boxes required for shipping are manufactured in an environmentally friendly manner and their origin is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC) and TÜV Nord. The AIRplus® Void Recycle filling material from STOROpack, with which the cardboard boxes are filled, has a recycled content of at least 50 percent. In all our offices only recycled paper is used for printing documents.

All the electricity that the CANCOM Group purchases in Germany is generated from hydropower. The green electricity product is certified by TÜV NORD CERT GmbH on the basis of the VdTÜV basic guideline “Green electricity products” and is subject to an annual audit. CANCOM purchased last year around 10.1 mKWh through the Group electricity contract. Companies that join the CANCOM Group through acquisition are connected to the electricity contract as part of the integration process. In this way we achieve almost complete coverage of the CANCOM Group in Germany.

IT remarketing, i.e., the treatment, refurbishment, and reuse of used IT after it has been taken out of service, is becoming increasingly important in IT lifecycle management.
With IT remarketing, CANCOM contributes both to customers’ data and information security and to the more sustainable use of raw materials. We provide supportive advice to customers on how to deal with used hardware, drawing on a network of partners for remanufacturing, sales, and disposal.
CANCOM aims to support the transition to a circular economy with comprehensive remarketing. You can reach the Remarketing Team at ed.mo1733127719cnac@1733127719gnite1733127719krame1733127719r1733127719. For more information on the Remarketing business unit, please click here.

A large portion of the CANCOM Group’s emissions are caused by our journeys to customers. We have therefore decided to gradually replace all pool vehicles with fully electric vehicles. The first vehicles will be introduced in spring 2022.

To make our business travel as climate-friendly as possible, we primarily book rail travel and have a no-fly policy on selected routes in Germany. To reduce travel, we have firmly established online meetings and web conferences as formats.

New working models have supplemented traditional office work. CANCOM also offers all employees remote and mobile working – depending on their individual situation and position within the CANCOM Group. Flexible working arrangements and an improved work-life balance help us to deliver the best results for our customers. By commuting less, we relieve the burden on local transport and avoid additional emissions.

The CANCOM Group’s environmental guideline sets out the fundamentals of environmental policy. It also clarifies the management’s stance on environmental issues, climate topics and sustainability. It defines relevant basic rules and responsibilities and is binding for all employees of the CANCOM Group.

CANCOM strives to reduce its impact on the environment over time. Therefore, specific key figures are recorded in certified management systems to control important environmental impacts. The CANCOM Group has Group-wide management system certifications in the environmental and energy areas, as well as partial certifications that apply only to individual divisions.
The energy management system of the entire CANCOM Group is certified in accordance with the ISO 50001 standard. It plans and records the consumption of key energy sources, helping to reduce the Group’s energy consumption and the associated emissions.

In addition, CANCOM Public GmbH and CANCOM ICT GmbH have established an environmental management system for their business unit that is certified to ISO 14001. This includes, among other things, the collection of recyclable materials for disposal.

For more information and additional certifications, please visit: https://www.cancom.com/certificates/