A genuine milestone in FUCHS' company history: Since 2020, FUCHS has been completely carbon-neutral at all of its more than 60 locations worldwide – from the energy consumption in production all the way up to the consumables used in administration operations. Yet we do not just focus on the ecological footprint in our own factories, but look beyond ourselves to the entire process and value chain of our products. This is why we participate in research projects on the use of sustainable raw materials. Together with our suppliers, we develop standards and measures for quantifying and certifying sustainability along the entire value chain. Above all though, our products reduce friction and increase energy efficiency for our customers – this has both a financial and ecological impact.

Active player for sustainability

The FUCHS carbon-neutrality strategy is embedded in our sustainability strategy, which began in 2010 when we signed the "Code of Responsible Conduct for Business". In 2018 we joined the "Alliance for Development and Climate" led by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. At the same time, we initiated the foundation of a sustainability workgroup under the umbrella of the Union of the European Lubricants Industry (UEIL). Together, we develop harmonized sustainability standards, KPIs, and benchmarks to enable sustainability-based comparisons.

Buying sustainably

We know that conducting carbon-neutral operations within our own company alone is not enough. Our goal therefore is to sell carbon-neutral products long-term – and we get our suppliers on board to do this by purchasing raw materials. After all, these are responsible for 90 percent of the carbon footprint of a finished lubricant product. Within the scope of numerous research projects, we already support some of our suppliers in the search for corresponding options. And we've brought them all to the table: suppliers, competitors, and customers, in our European industry association UEIL. The objective here is to achieve measurable key performance indicators and criteria for sustainability.

Producing sustainably

Naturally, the first thing we look at in terms of sustainability at all of our sites worldwide is our own production, as this is where we can make direct changes. In this way, we have succeeded in lowering CO2 emissions per produced ton of lubricant by 30 percent since 2010. And through continuously optimizing procedures and processes, we will further reduce energy and water consumption and further increase the share of renewable energies, which currently stands at 27 percent. In this way, we will be able to gradually roll back carbon-compensation measures through the support of climate protection projects in the medium term.

Using sustainably

A joint study by FUCHS and the chemical firm BASF has clearly demonstrated that it is the usage phase that is key for eco-efficiency throughout the entire lifecycle of our products. Here, FUCHS lubricants help to restrict energy consumption and thereby improve the carbon footprint of our customers – by reducing friction, wear, and corrosion. In numerous research projects, we are working on further improving the energy and resource efficiency of drives with the help of our lubricants.

Research for the customer

Aqueous fluids that lead to significantly lower friction in various applications. Lubricants that withstand the particularly hard-working areas of the valve train in gas engines. The development of an e-engine oil for electric vehicles that not only lubricates the transmission, but also cools the e-machine and power electronics. FUCHS brings its expertise to a wide range of research initiatives with one goal in particular: to make the production of its customers more efficient and sustainable.