The reason why we measure our direct and indirect impact on the natural environment primarily through greenhouse gas emissions is due to the global relevance and clear measurability of these emissions. Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions can be accurately recorded and tracked by reporting them as CO2 equivalents (CO2e). This standardisation allows different greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane or nitrous oxide to be converted to a common unit of measurement based on their respective climate impact. This gives us a consistent and comparable basis for measuring our overall impact on the environment. Only on this basis can we shape more sustainable business practices, which in turn are the prerequisite for us to act as a credible provider of services in the area of sustainability. In fact, we have a significant indirect positive impact in the area of environmental responsibility through the certification of management systems, the verification of sustainability assessments and the empowerment of our customers through seminars and webinars (see «SQS in sustainable development» in Chapter 1.1). However, this chapter excludes these effects and is limited to the direct and other indirect ecological effects of our business activities.

In 2024, we entered into a collaboration with the renowned and competent consulting firm BHP- Brugger und Partner AG to measure and quantify our carbon footprint. In terms of total emissions, little changed compared to the previous year, and business travel remained by far the largest driver of emissions, accounting for over 90%. Consequently, mobility is our focus topic for the environmental section of the Corporate Report 2024.

However, caution is advised when comparing the years 2023 and 2024. The values calculated by the myclimate foundation up to 2023 could only be replicated to a limited extent for 2024 because the underlying emission factors were only partially available. The collaboration with BHP gives us access to reliable and transparent emission factors. The transparency of the emission factors strengthens the credibility of our greenhouse gas footprint, as it enables not only us but also external stakeholders to understand the calculations and verify the accuracy of the figures. This transparency emphasises our commitment to realistic and credible accounting of our greenhouse gas emissions.