Climate protection: The pillar of WEROCK’s corporate philosophy.
We have made it our goal to set a good example in the industry. On the one hand, we want to reform the market of tablets and notebooks with our products. Instead of fragile and short-lived electronics, which come to an end after only a few years of use, we produce durable and robust tablets, notebooks and mobile computers. These are designed to function for more than a few years and withstand external influences. In some cases, even the batteries can be replaced, which means that you don’t have to throw away an entire device just because the battery no longer performs at full capacity after a while. With this idea of the longevity of our products, we want to reduce the consumption of raw materials and preserve our nature.
However, this is not where our actions in the name of the environment stop. All steps of the company, from production to shipping, are dedicated to climate protection. Everywhere we try to save resources from the very beginning, be it in production, shipping of our products or in the question of which energy source we use for our employees. In addition, all greenhouse gas emissions that are unfortunately still unavoidable are compensated by climate protection programs. We can therefore proudly call ourselves a climate-neutral company and hope that many other companies will follow this path.
However, climate neutrality is not the end of the story. Our company is bubbling over with ideas on how to make our industry even greener. So this year, you can look forward to a few new eco-friendly projects that we’ll be sharing in our Green IT reports. This first report, however, is dedicated to everything we’ve achieved so far and how we’re already dedicating our company entirely to climate protection.
Green from the start
(construction, production, renewable energies)
To make our products very durable, we equip them with high quality and great functionality. Of course, all products are free from planned obsolescence, so they can stay in use as long as possible.
Until now, the production of computers and tablets without greenhouse gas emissions and certain raw materials, such as lithium or cobalt, is unfortunately not possible. Nevertheless, through our Code of Ethics, we commit not only ourselves but also our suppliers to place a special focus on sustainability and environmental protection. In this way, we want to carry the idea of environmental protection beyond WEROCK.
The work of our employees also inevitably requires energy. How could today’s industry function without electricity? However, the electricity we use in Germany is generated only with renewable energies. We get it from Bürgerwerke, a cooperative association of small energy producers, which generate the electricity mainly with wind turbines and solar panels. This electricity is certified by TÃœV Nord and Grüner Strom Label as green electricity. Our servers are also supplied with green, TÃœV-certified electricity. This is Energiedienst AG, which generates green electricity from environmentally friendly hydropower.
On the ways…
(packaging and shipping, business trips)
Paper is also an important raw material. Therefore, it is our goal that product packaging in some time also serve as shipping cartons and are made of unbleached paper. At the moment, we only use cardboard boxes and filling material for shipping, which we or family and friends have received ourselves during a delivery. Normally, cardboard boxes survive several transports and do not have to be disposed of directly.
We always choose the packaging size as small and light as possible to reduce the weight and the required loading space during transport. Larger orders are even packed as “bulk goods”. In this case, packaging material is only used for transport protection and not for each individual product. Depending on the type of product, this can result in space and weight savings of up to 60%.
We also choose the route our products take with care. If time permits, we have imports from Asian countries delivered by train. The journey from the high-tech metropolis of Shenzhen takes around four weeks to the unloading point in Duisburg. Due to the global container shortage and the resulting massive increase in the volume of shipments by train, the delivery time by rail has now risen to well over eight weeks. But the current shortage of electronic parts is also exacerbating the problem of delivery capability. Unfortunately, we currently have no choice but to primarily process our production orders by air freight. However, the resulting greenhouse gas emissions are immediately and generously compensated.
Within Germany, we work with the DHL and UPS groups. DHL has also set itself a climate protection target with its GoGreen program and is thus also treading the path to a greener future. But here, too, the following applies: no matter how our products reach you, all greenhouse gas emissions generated are compensated.
Business trips are reduced to a minimum and mostly take place by train, bus or car sharing. Furthermore, all permanent WEROCK employees either own no car at all or a fully electric one. All employees thus share our corporate philosophy. We don’t just want to talk big, we really want to take a step towards a greener future and for that we all contribute something. We therefore work together via video conferencing and instant messaging. In this way, we move our company forward without generating unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions.
Compensation
As already mentioned, the production and transport of notebooks and tablets cannot be done without avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. In regular sections, we calculate our total emissions using our own carbon footprint calculation, which is based on data from the German Federal Environment Agency. Here, all emissions from production, transport and all employees are added together.
Subsequently, all emissions are compensated with WWF Gold Standard certified climate projects. The Gold Standard Foundation has set itself high standards for climate protection and sustainable development, which are based on the United Nations’ Global Sustainable Development Goals. As a result, its climate projects not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also support people and animals in developing and emerging countries. Using the UN’s 17 different Sustainable Development Goals, The Gold Standard Foundation shows which climate projects focus on which goals. Our ambition is to support projects with at least eight or more of these goals.
This is how we helped some local communities last year in 2021. First, we encouraged the construction of a 20-megawatt biomass power plant that generates electricity from local communities’ rice husks. This simultaneously reduced local waste and enabled the use of a renewable fuel. In another project, we are supporting the construction of a 22.5-megawatt wind power plant in the state of Rajasthan in India.
In addition, we are supporting the construction of a borehole well with submersible pump and water storage tank at Sr. Secondary School Ambirama. This will give more than 850 students and the local population access to clean water. In addition, a 500-meter water pipeline will be installed to provide safe, clean water to 100 girls in a dormitory.
It’s nice to know that by participating in projects like this, you’re not only protecting the environment, but also helping other people improve their infrastructure and way of life. For us, it’s all about not just randomly planting trees that no one cares about afterwards. We want to support real projects with sustainable effects.
Permanent further development
Even though we already act in an environmentally conscious manner, there are still many areas to be optimized. But that is precisely what we are working on. Through ongoing market research and exchanges with our production partners, we are looking for more environmentally friendly materials, methods and processes. At the same time, we keep you up to date. In our quarterly reports, we show the progress of our emissions, which climate projects we are supporting, as well as progress and setbacks. Feel free to take a look at the latest quarterly report at:
Quarterly Climate Report Q4/2021
At WEROCK, we have made environmental protection our goal. We are well aware of how much we all need to protect our planet and how we have a responsibility to ensure that future generations can also lead a good life. At the same time, today’s society has progressed so far that it can no longer do without a certain standard. Think of electricity or the Internet. Nevertheless, in order to save resources, we should all be more conscious of our devices and appreciate them. Electrical appliances should last longer than a few years and not have to be replaced frequently. Therefore WEROCK produces durable and robust tablets, notebooks and mobile computers. These hold up for some time and do not need to be replaced every few years. As a company in particular also has a different impact on climate protection, all our products are climate neutral. To be fair, of course, we still have to compensate a lot at the moment. Nevertheless, we try to make savings in the name of the environment at every turn, whether in production or transport.
The greenhouse gas emissions that are unavoidable in the end are compensated for by WWF Gold Standard climate projects. In this way, we not only help to reduce emissions, but also help local communities and animals in developing and emerging countries. Although we are a young company, we want to do our part to protect nature and lead the way to a greener future as a role model in our industry.