For several years, our subsidiary Güldenpfennig has been calculating the CO₂ emissions of its own business operations. This Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF) for the Quakenbrück site provides transparency on the climate impacts arising from different business activities. In 2024, the CCF totalled 1,410.5 tonnes of CO₂e, which is below the previous year’s figure of 1,492.7 tonnes of CO₂e (2023). (CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e) combine the climate impact of all greenhouse gases into one comparable number.) The result also includes a 10% safety margin, helping to cover potential data gaps and uncertainties in the calculation.
What lies behind these figures? The CCF includes different emission categories. Direct emissions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 totalled 410.2 tonnes of CO2e in 2024. Scope 1 covers emissions from the company vehicle fleet and from refrigerants. Scope 2 includes emissions from purchased electricity and purchased heat. The larger share – 872.9 tonnes of CO₂e – came from Scope 3, i.e. emissions that occur upstream and downstream in the value chain. Güldenpfennig currently includes, among other things, business travel and employees’ commuting. It also accounts for fuel- and energy-related emissions (upstream chains of electricity, fleet and heat) as well as operational waste. In addition, selected purchased goods and services are included (office paper, water, external data centre). Most emissions relate to mobility, mainly from flights, commuting and the vehicle fleet.
Because climate impact does not stop at the company’s own boundaries, Güldenpfennig has also calculated Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs) for selected garments for the first time. A PCF shows how many greenhouse gas emissions occur over a product’s life cycle – from raw material extraction through production and transport to end of life. The use phase (e.g. washing) is not included. It lies outside the company’s direct influence. In addition, assumptions in this area would involve a high level of uncertainty.
A men’s T-shirt serves as an example (average item weight: 150 g, 100% cotton). It reflects insights that were also observed for other items. The PCF of the T-shirt is 3.39 kg CO₂e per piece. The analysis highlights where the biggest levers are: material sourcing and processing – especially fabric production – have the greatest impact on the product footprint. The results also show that weight and complexity (the number and type of components) play an important role: the heavier a garment and the more complex its construction, the higher the emissions tend to be.
The initial PCF analyses are not yet included in the CCF. However, they are intended for integration once the methodology can be reliably scaled to the full product range. Step by step, this creates a robust data basis. This enables us not only to measure emissions, but also to address them where the biggest impact can be achieved – and to further develop our products in a targeted way.
More details on the CCF and the PCFs can be found in the Güldenpfennig Sustainability Report.
