The responsible use of resources has been right at the top of C. Otto Gehrckens’ agenda for a long time now, making the independent seal manufacturer one of the pioneers in the sector. COG has been operating on a climate-neutral basis since the beginning of the year, being one of the first businesses in the sector to do so. The company achieved an important milestone when it comes to sustainability, and this has now been officially confirmed by the award of a ‘Climate-Neutral Business’ signet from the organisation PRIMAKLIMA. After introducing an environmental management system as early as 1996, the Pinneberg-based company (next to Hamburg) continues to make a clear statement regarding environmental protection. COG deploys two mechanisms to ensure climate-neutral business operations: minimization and offsetting. On the basis of carbon footprint (all CO2 emissions incurred during the course of operations), the seal manufacturer has developed a range of measures to ensure consistent reduction of CO2 emissions in all areas.
Going the next step
From 2021, the company will only use renewable energy to meet the electricity needs, in order to reduce emissions harmful to the climate by more than 30%. The company will offset the remaining unavoidable emissions by supporting certified climate protection projects, in accordance with the principle of the worldwide CO2 balance. Our partner is the non-profit organisation PRIMAKLIMA, which has been promoting climate protection and CO2 integration since 1991, by undertaking reforestation and protecting woodlands. And now, the climate neutrality that the business has achieved is documented by the recognised PRIMAKLIMA signet. For managing director Jan Metzger, this serves as both confirmation and motivation to continue on the company’s chosen path: “We are delighted that our activities towards climate protection have now been verified by the PRIMAKLIMA signet. As a traditional family business, sustainability is our everyday practice. It is our responsibility to ensure that our business operations’ ecological footprint is kept as small as possible, in order to maintain an environment worth living in for our children.”
