Sustainability as an integral part of what we do 

Our sustainability strategy

Sustainability considerations are an integral part of our corporate policy. As part of our sustainability management, we set targets and define measures in the environmental, economic and social spheres.

• In our view, long-term business success requires taking economic, environmental and social aspects into account. We incorporate these issues into our corporate development and decision-making processes
• Our activities are guided by selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Our sustainability management covers environmental, economic and social areas. On this basis, we define targets and measures for various areas of the business. As an internationally active company, we take into account both the requirements of our markets and the long-term development of our company 

Our Identity

• We produce high-quality food for the catering sector, the food retail sector and the food processing industry. We use a variety of resources to manufacture these products.
• People are at the heart of everything we do. Our staff make a vital contribution to the production of safe, high-quality food.
• High-quality raw materials, carefully selected to suit each product, form a further foundation for the manufacture of our products.
• When sourcing raw materials and packaging materials, we take environmental, social and economic factors into account.
• In our production processes, we are constantly working to improve the yield from raw materials and reduce losses throughout the production chain.
• To manufacture our products, we require, amongst other things, water, electricity, gas and fuels. The use of these resources is associated with energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. We therefore track relevant key performance indicators and implement measures to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
• In January 2023, as part of the Wernsing Food Family, we joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and committed to setting science-based climate targets.

Certified as sustainable in accordance with the ZNU standard 

Since 2017, we have been certified to the ZNU Standard for Sustainable Business Practices, an externally certified standard set by Witten/Herdecke University. As part of our sustainability management, we work systematically and in a measurable way to further develop our performance in the environmental, economic and social spheres. Our progress is reviewed annually by independent auditors.

As a member of the partner network of the Centre for Sustainable Business Management at Witten/Herdecke University, we exchange views with other companies on current developments, challenges and practical approaches in sustainability management.

For further information, please visit www.znu-standard.com

Climate Change Strategy

As early as 2002, we began implementing measures to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, our energy management system has been certified to DIN EN ISO 50001:2018 since 2013. The procurement of energy-efficient production facilities and measures to optimise the use of resources throughout the value chain have been an integral part of our corporate development for many years.

• Since 2018, we have been calculating our emissions annually in accordance with the GHG Protocol.
• By calculating our corporate emissions, we have been able to identify emission drivers and implement targeted reduction measures, such as sourcing electricity from renewable energy sources in accordance with the underlying certificates of origin, installing photovoltaic systems on almost all roof areas, and commissioning combined heat and power (CHP) plants.

In December 2023, the Wernsing Food Family, as a group of companies, joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and committed to setting science-based climate targets.

In 2026, Wernsing Food Family GmbH & Co. KG had its science-based climate targets officially validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Wernsing Feinkost GmbH, as part of the Wernsing Food Family, is included in these science-based targets.

Our climate targets at Group level 

The Wernsing Food Family is committed, amongst other things, to the following targets (base year in each case: 2023):

• A 42% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions by 2030 (base year 2023)
• A reduction of approximately 30% in Scope 3 GHG emissions by 2030 (base year 2023)
• Long-term target: to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 

Important to bear in mind:
The SBTi validation confirms the scientific appropriateness of the targets – not emissions reductions that have already been achieved. Implementation is taking place in stages across the group and is being monitored transparently.

What does this mean for Wernsing?
We take the group-wide climate targets into account in our business activities and contribute to their implementation. Climate protection is thus strategically embedded in the further development of the Wernsing Food Family.