Month: September 2022

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GLOBAL GOAL, LOCAL ACTION

BRAZIL, COLOMBIA, PARAGUAY AND COSTA RICA:
LEARN ABOUT STIHL’S MAIN SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES.
Support to community-based and preservation projects in the Amazon
PROUD OF BEING STIHL IN THE AMAZON

The Brazilian subsidiary supports a project in partnership with Instituto Floresta Tropical (IFT) – an entity acknowledged as a reference in sustainable forest management concepts and projects in the Amazon for more than 20 years. Through IFT, the Arióca Pruanã Project has been receiving support for two years; it was implemented together with the respective Extractive Reserve of the Amazon Fund Programme of the same name, south of the Marajó Island (PA). This foundation developed, approved and implemented projects for the harvest and commercialization of wood and acai, by the local community, through a cooperative which was also developed and implemented to be administered and operated by the community itself. In addition to the donation of equipment and a speedboat to help work in the region, the company also fosters community-based and sustainable forest management.

With the arrival of STIHL Brazil, approximately 20 reservation workers have already received technical capacitation to use and maintain the tools in a safe and efficient way, and now some new opportunities are being analyzed to keep on providing support and developing the community

Subsidiary invests in smart infrastructure
SUN AND WATER IN COLOMBIA

In Colombia, the use of solar energy photovoltaic panels is already a reality. Concluded in 2021, the project makes it possible to take one step further towards energetic autonomy and self-sufficiency, in addition to reducing costs by lowering the energy consumption and also taking advantage of the roof area and geographic location of the building. In 10 years’ time, the company intends to reduce its carbon footprint by 654 tons of CO2, which is equivalent to avoid burning 349 tons of coal, planting approximately 11 hectares of forest, avoid driving 2.5 million km by car or using 74 thousand gallons of fuel.

In 2022, the unit also started the Rainwater Treatment Station. The facility in Colombia is located in Rionegro Antioquia, a city close to Medellin. This specific area has a large volume of rainfall throughout the year, so they came up with the idea to collect water from the roof to use in the factory. The entire process is supervised by technicians who control the pH and chloride levels in the water.

Fapasisa participates in the event that annually plants thousands of trees
ASUNCIÓN: THE GREENEST CITY IN IBERO AMERICA

Asuncíon, in Paraguay, was declared the greenest city in Ibero America in 2014. And STIHL is proud to be part of it. Our importer Fapasisa is a partner of the Plantaton event, which has been taking place for six years now. It relies on more than a thousand volunteers and aims at planting trees in the city to increase green areas and generate awareness to take care of the environment among citizens. Since its first edition, more than 60 thousand trees have already been planted.

Certificate received by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy
COSTA RICA oN THE CARBON ZERO MISSION

In addition to being a STIHL Group objective at a global level, decarbonisation is also Costa Rica’s goal. One of the corporate values at FarmAgro is environmental awareness, reason why there is a series of actions in the company, such as the use of solar panels; fleet vehicles fuel control; direct emission of residual water through rational use of water and ecologically correct products; a sustainable procurement program that prioritizes Carbon Neutral local companies and the recycling of paper and plastic material.

These initiatives resulted in the Carbon Neutral certification, which FarmAgro has since 2016, and in 2021 it achieved the Carbon Neutral+ award*.

*Recognition from the  Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica for contributing to the country’s carbon neutrality program.

WHAT ARE YOUR ACTIVITIES?
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR THE SOCIETY?

We will be happy to hear from you. Write to suportelatam@stihl.com.br

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
CONTACT US!

Raul Kriedte – Brazil
+55 51 99283-0273
raul.kriedte@stihl.com.br

Cindy González – Costa Rica
(506) 2547-9797
cindy.gonzalez@farmagro.co.cr

Andrea Chaverra – Colombia
+57-4 614 80 81 Ext. 116
Andrea.chaverra@stihl.co

Ever Achucarro – Paraguay
+595 021 283 320
publicidad@fapasisa.com.py

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Myths and truths about sustainability

THIS WORD IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE IMPORTANT WORLDWIDE. AT STIHL, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE CORPORATE CULTURE AND REMAINS A CONSTANT GOAL. BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN AND WHAT ISSUES ARE INVOLVED? GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF IT FINDING OUT WHETHER THE STATEMENTS BELOW ARE TRUE OF FALSE.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY WE ARE REFERRING TO THE ENVIRONMENT

MYTH – Sustainability goes beyond concerns about nature. The concept is based on three pillars: social, environmental and economic. That is, to be sustainable, a company must be financially viable, socially fair and environmentally responsible.

THE GLOBAL REPORT PRESENTS THE COMPANY’S SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES

TRUE – The STIHL Group decided to make a specific report on sustainability for the first time this year. Published on May 31st by the Head Office, the document relied on important participation from different departments, showing some of the initiatives developed in the countries.

STIHL IS BUYING CARBON CREDITS

TRUE – The movement is aligned with the Group’s global strategy, which announced in 2020 that it is targeting climate neutrality, in order to reduce and compensate the emissions of CO2.

DIVERSITY IS NOT AT ALL RELATED TO sustainability

MYTH – Since sustainability also includes the social pillar, diversity is – at its core – related to the topic. A sustainable business, in the long-run, inevitably needs to rely on an equality and inclusion policy.

SUSTAINABILITY ACTIONS CAN BE ACHIEVED COLLECTIVELY

TRUE – Together, actions in search of a better and more sustainable society become stronger. In addition to its internal work, STIHL has partnerships with several different institutions and acts intensely in the community. #TogetherWeAreStronger

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Sustainability as a strategy

STIHL DECIDES TO INTENSIFY ITS CURRENT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT AND GIVES IT A MORE STRATEGIC FOCUS.

Over the past few years, serious issues such as climate change, extinction of plant and animal species, the proliferation of plastic waste, and immigration have been all over the headlines. Experts are also predicting an increase in zoonoses, infectious diseases like Covid-19 that jump from an animal to a human due to factors such as inproper and irresponsible handling of endangered species.

As a business with a deep connection to the natural world and whose business model depends on nature, these developments affect us deeply. That is why STIHL has decided to intensify our existing commitment to sustainability and give it an even more strategic focus.

2016

STIHL’s sustainability policy has been in place since 2016. It has been now transformed into a sustainability strategy strategy that is relevant to society as a whole.

2021

A Sustainability Officer was appointed, Mr. Friedemann Stock, and a sustainability steering group was set up to help achieve the goals.

The strategy was developed over a period of several months with the involvement of internal and external stakeholders. In October 2021, it was discussed by the Executive Board before being adopted by the Advisory Board in December 2021.

PORTFOLIO ALIGNED TO STRATEGY

The main area of STIHL’s expertise is the development, manufacturing, and sale of handheld power equipment for forestry, agriculture, landscape maintenance, construction, and private consumers. In addition to chainsaws, our line of products includes a wide range of other power equipment, such as brushcutters, hedge trimmers, blowers, mistblowers, cleaning systems, cut-off machines, earth augers, lawn mowers, and robotic mowers. Since 2009, STIHL has been increasingly focused on battery technology to complement its selection of gasoline and electric-powered equipment. In 2021, batteries and battery-operated tools accounted for roughly 19 percent of our overall sales.

Fuels and lubricants, accessories, and personal protective equipment round out our product range.

Among the most recent innovations are the STIHL MS 881, the world’s most powerful chainsaw and the only one in its class to meet the current EU emission standards, and the STIHL MSA 300, capable of reduced-noise, emission-free performance that also happens to be the most powerful battery-operated chainsaw on the market today

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Sustainability is a marathon

In an interview, Dr. Michael Prochaska, STIHL AG Executive Board member for Human Resources and Legal Affairs, and Martin Schwarz, STIHL AG Executive Board member for Manufacturing and Materials, discuss sustainability at STIHL and why persistence is essential to achieving real change.

STIHL RECENTLY APPOINTED A SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER TO COORDINATE EVERYTHING RELATED TO SUSTAINABILITY. WHAT INSPIRED THIS MOVE?

DR. PROCHASKA. Nature and the environment are two things STIHL is inexorably linked to. We have already done quite a lot at STIHL to advance sustainability, but the activities were not sufficiently coordinated within the STIHL Group and the Executive Board. So we wanted to tie up the loose ends and give everything a strategic direction. That also means deciding the areas we want to emphasize and specifying activities that we will no longer promote or encourage going forward.

SCHWARZ. We, our customers, our employees, and society keep raising the bar – and rightfully so. The current pandemic has also demonstrated to us how important sustainable and resilient supply chains are in every aspect.

WHAT DO YOU AIM TO ACHIEVE THROUGH THE NEW SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY?

DR. PROCHASKA. We have defined three strategic focal areas – ecosystems, circularity, and care – in which we have set ourselves ambitious targets for the time between now and 2030. Our goal in doing so is to become climate-neutral, more resource-efficient, and fairer. Through it all, we are focused on striking a balance between the three Ps: people, planet, and profit.

SCHWARZ. We will continue to incorporate, evaluate, and prioritize new topics in addition to the projects already in place. The sustainability strategy is a source of orientation and guidance in this regard. This way, we will go beyond merely enhancing our products and processes, and help the whole of STIHL advance while strengthening our ability to compete.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO YOU SEE WHEN IT COMES TO IMPLEMENTING THE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY?

SCHWARZ. Sustainability relates to all processes and products, as well as the organization as a whole. We want “real” sustainability. That means we will anchor sustainable criteria in all decision-making processes. We will incorporate sustainability aspects even more strongly into everything we do going forward, whether it’s buying new equipment, expanding buildings, awarding new contracts to suppliers, or developing new products. Doing so will cost money, of course, but it will pay off in the long term. Increasing energy efficiency, for example, initially means an expense. But apart from just reducing carbon emissions, it also helps us save on energy-¬related costs in the long run.

DR. PROCHASKA. We also want to kick off a cultural transformation within the Group and succeed in getting the people at STIHL excited about sustainability. To do so, we need role models. Those of us on the Executive Board need to embody a new spirit, as does everyone else in senior management. Sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint. We must not rest on our laurels. Instead, we need to keep learning as we go and keep setting ourselves new goals.

THE STRATEGY HAS BEEN DEFINED. WHAT’S NEXT?

SCHWARZ. We will continue the consistent and systematic implementation of our current projects on climate neutrality, sustainable supply chains, and protecting biodiversity. By 2023, we plan to have specific targets for the international STIHL production and sales companies in place.

DR. PROCHASKA. We are taking a step-by-step approach to implementation. Our sustainability strategy helps prevent us from getting bogged down in the process. The task for everyone is to be transparent and to communicate our sustainability targets, both inside and outside the STIHL Group. STIHL is a family-owned business that thinks in terms of generations rather than quarters. Sustainability is already in our DNA. That foresight and vision is what guides our actions.

“Sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint. We must not rest on our laurels.”.

Dr. Michael Prochaska, Executive Board member for Human Resources and Legal Affairs

“We want ‘real’ sustainability. That means we will anchor sustainable criteria in all decision-making processes.”.

Martin Schwarz, Executive Board member for Manufacturing and Materials