Buyers of castings are preparing for the increasing importance of carbon footprints as a decision-making factor in procurement, according to a survey of Römheld & Moelle customers.
All companies surveyed stated that they will ask their suppliers for climate-neutral castings by 2050 at the latest, 21% plan to do so by 2025 and 46% by 2030.
The 30 participants in the study were drawn from all over Europe (with a focus in Germany) and mainly from medium-sized companies, with the exception of a few larger groups from the automotive industry. The survey was conducted late last year.
The zero carbon casting is coming
A clear majority of respondents (84%) defined “carbon neutrality” strictly as eliminating actual CO2 emissions. Only 16% would be satisfied with carbon compensation through certificates.
Only one participant in the study, from the automotive industry, already uses CO2 footprints as a purchasing decision criterion. Of the remaining respondents, almost half (45%) said that CO2 emissions will play a role in the selection of suppliers for castings from 2025 onwards.
Rudi Riedel, Managing Director at Römheld & Moelle, explains: “Since the end of last year, we have been stating the CO2 footprint of our castings in cost estimates. We’re clearly slightly ahead of the curve with this, but hope that it helps our customers get a feel for the footprint of their orders.”
“2025 is not far away and the buyers of our castings will soon be under pressure from their customers. The sooner we start with CO2 transparency, the faster we can bring emissions down along the entire value chain. This is good for the planet and ensures long-term competitiveness. Ours and those of our customers.”
