Environment
Miele supports the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming compared with pre-industrial levels. Miele has achieved its climate targets – validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in 2021 – ahead of schedule. As part of the climate targets validated in 2021, Miele has reduced its absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 54 per cent by 2025 compared with the base year of 2019. Emissions from the use of our products (Scope 3, Category 11) were reduced by 27 per cent by 2025 compared with the 2019 baseline year.
Between 2019 and 2025, energy efficiency measures at our sites resulted in energy savings of 27.5 gigawatt-hours.
By the end of 2025, greenhouse gas emissions associated with the company’s vehicle fleet had been reduced by 17.7 per cent compared with 2019.
In 2025, our sites generated 17.3 gigawatt-hours of electricity from photovoltaic and geothermal sources.
At our 19 production sites, we are already using our own electricity generated from renewable energy sources or are assessing whether this is feasible, for example in Bielefeld, Bünde and Oelde. In addition, geothermal energy is used as an energy source at Euskirchen, Gütersloh, Ksawerów and Oslo (sales subsidiary in Norway); further plants are in the planning stage.
According to our calculations, around 83 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions are generated during the use phase of our domestic and commercial appliances (Scope 3, Category 11). We are therefore constantly working to improve the energy efficiency of our products and to provide features that support energy-efficient operation. Further information can be found in the Sustainability Report under Products and Social – Customers.
We take the carbon footprint of raw materials and intermediate products into account right from the procurement stage. According to our calculations, goods and services purchased (Scope 3.1) account for 15 per cent of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We therefore incorporate sustainability considerations into our procurement processes and are working to reduce the environmental impact of our production and supply chain. Our requirements for suppliers are set out in the Supplier Code of Conduct. Among other things, this includes requirements relating to climate protection and the management of greenhouse gas emissions.
Steel accounts for the largest share of our Scope 3.1 emissions. Since 2021, we have been using steel for hobs and ovens which, according to the supplier, generates around 66 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions during production than conventionally produced steel. We have agreements in place with strategic partners to collaborate on the further development of appropriate material solutions.
Since 2023, as part of a pilot project, we have been processing aluminium produced using hydroelectric power. The material is used in selected furnaces.
When selecting suppliers, Miele takes into account, amongst other factors, geographical proximity to its production sites. Shorter transport routes can reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. At the same time, working with regional suppliers helps to strengthen the local economy. Furthermore, many of our suppliers are based in Europe. We assess their climate-related impacts using available data and defined sustainability criteria.
Every year, we draw up a greenhouse gas inventory to systematically record our GHG emissions and measure our progress towards our climate targets. This is important for understanding the impact of our business activities on the climate and for developing measures to reduce it. The GHG inventory is based on the international Greenhouse Gas Protocol standard. It comprises: Direct emissions from oil and gas consumption and the Miele vehicle fleet (Scope 1) Indirect emissions from electricity and district heating (Scope 2) Indirect Scope 3 emissions, comprising, amongst other things, purchased goods and services (Scope 3.1) and the use of products sold (Scope 3.11), their disposal, as well as transport and traffic. For the Scope 3.1 calculation, we are gradually recording more GHG emissions based on primary data. The diagram of the emissions inventory shows Scopes 3.2 (capital goods), 3.3 (fuel and energy-related emissions), 3.4 (upstream transport and distribution), 3.5 (waste), 3.6 (business travel), 3.7 (employee commuting), 3.8 (leased equipment) and 3.12 (management of sold products at the end of their life cycle) are summarised under ‘Scope 3: all others’.
Miele uses an internal CO₂ price as a shadow price when making investments and, to some extent, when making purchasing decisions. This serves to factor the potential costs of greenhouse gas emissions into economic decisions. When setting the internal CO₂ price, we take into account, amongst other things, developments in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), publications by scientific institutions and internal company findings.
We have calculated Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) for selected reference products. These provide transparency regarding greenhouse gas emissions throughout the product life cycle and help to identify opportunities for reduction.
Our energy management forms part of our integrated management system. All our European production sites are certified to ISO 50001. Our site in Dongguan (China) also complies with the requirements of this standard. International energy teams analyse energy flows and identify measures to improve energy efficiency. These include, for example, optimising the operation of compressed air and refrigeration systems, as well as measures for heat recovery.
