Our commitment to a more sustainable future
Today, tomorrow, and in the future
Taking responsibility
Sustainability report - science based
The XAL Group is committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and has set emission reduction targets in line with climate science that have been validated by SBTi. Our goal is to achieve Net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our entire value chain by 2050 at the latest. By 2032, we aim at reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 75% compared to 2019/20 and Scope 3 emissions by 40% compared to 2023/24. In the long term, we are aiming for a 90% reduction in all scopes by 2050. In doing so, we are guided by the latest scientific findings on limiting global warming to 1.5 °C and underlining our long-term commitment to climate protection.
Standards and independent evaluations
We believe that our actions and the lifecycle of our products should be transparent and traceable, making alignment with recognised standards an essential part of how we operate. Accordingly, our production facilities in Austria and Slovenia are certified in accordance with the environmental management standard ISO 14001:2015, in addition to ISO 9001:2015. We also rely on independent rating agencies to assess our corporate social responsibility performance. Through EcoVadis, we regularly evaluate our sustainability performance using objective criteria, with a particular focus on environmental impact, labour and human rights, ethics, and responsible sourcing. Most recently, XAL GmbH in Graz was awarded the EcoVadis Platinum Medal This distinction is reserved for the top 1% of companies assessed worldwide.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)
Product life cycle analyses, or Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) as they are also known, are an important tool for better understanding our products' environmental impact from production through its service life to the end of use. This enables us to identify potential for further improvements and build on this in product development. Our environmental product declarations follow ISO 14025/ EN 15804, allowing us to share the results of our analyses with our customers in a transparent, objective, and externally verified manner.
About 50% reduction in electricity consumption through the transition from legacy technologies to LED lighting.
An energy-efficient future
Sustainable lighting solutions not only consider high energy efficiency, but also excellent light quality and a long service life. Find out which factors are important for significantly reducing energy consumption during the utilisation phase. We can help you reduce your energy costs with specific installations using modern sensor and control concepts or projects involving the customised conversion of existing lighting systems to LED.
Our commitment to net-zero emissions
We are already working intensively on the development of a sound reduction strategy along the entire value chain. Our focus is on the short-term and significant reduction of direct emissions (Scope 1 and 2) and the systematic reduction of indirect emissions (Scope 3). According to the categorisation of the internationally recognised GHG Protocol, Scope 1 includes emissions for fuel, heating, and cooling. Scope 2 includes electricity and district heating and cooling. We also consider emissions that occur upstream and downstream in the supply chain (Scope 3). The most important categories for XAL in this area are the utilisation phase (the electricity that our products require during use) and purchased goods (materials for our products). We are also working to continuously reduce our emissions for Scope 3.
"Our product innovations aim to offer the best lighting solution for every area of application with optimised energy efficiency and durability."
Christian Kügerl, Head of Product Development
Product development
XAL stands for innovation – and the environment is always taken in consideration. This has a long tradition: In the 2000s, we recognised earlier than many others that LEDs as a durable and energy-efficient technology would be the lighting industry’s future. Then as now, we are continuously improving our products – be it in terms of longevity, efficiency, carbon footprint, but also regarding the interchangeability and reusability of components and materials. Our innovations in sensor-controlled lighting also help our customers save even more energy.
Materials & circular economy
In product development, we pursue various approaches to improve the ecological footprint of our materials. Firstly, we reduce the use of materials as much as possible through innovative designs; secondly, we use recyclable materials and investigate the use of new, innovative materials for our products. We focus on replacing emission-intensive materials such as aluminium or those that are less suitable for the circular economy, or on adapting the supply chain. By developing LED conversion kits, we offer a service that minimises resources and waste. Only the luminaire inset is changed to LED while the installed luminaire housing remains mounted on the ceiling or wall as before. This reduces the amount of installation work and emissions stemming from production and transport.
Sustainable projects
"We are continuously optimising our production and logistics processes – in doing so, we recognise how beneficial efficient business practices are for the sustainability of our work."
Martin Dlaska, Managing Director XAL Holding GmbH
Production & Logistics
We are continuously optimising our production and logistics processes to reduce our environmental impact. When operating our energy-intense powder-coating plant, we rely on renewable energy in the form of wood chips. Our product and transport packaging made of corrugated cardboard is produced in-house and customised to the products’ size and shape.It goes without saying that our production facilities are equipped with modern LED lighting. At our production sites in Austria and Slovenia, we have installed photovoltaic (PV) systems with a total capacity of 1700 kWp. Any additional electricity required is sourced from 100% renewable energy sources.
Resource-saving powder-coating
We operate our powder-coating plant in Slovenia using biomass as a renewable energy source. Another optimisation step was taken by switching to low-temperature powders new to the market, which can be processed at a lower oven temperature. By using heat exchangers and utilising waste heat to dry the coated parts after pre-treatment, our plant requires less primary energy. This has further reduced its energy consumption.
Do you have any questions? We will be happy to advise you.
Resource-friendly packaging
We mainly use paper and cardboard to package our products safely while preserving resources. Our on-demand packaging systems produce customised boxes from corrugated cardboard. This saves both resources and shipping costs. If filling and padding material is still required for a package, then shredded cardboard offcuts from our packaging machines are used instead of plastic bubble wrap. And if protection against moisture is essential, we use wrapping film made from at least 30% recycled raw material.
Mobility in transition
Rethinking exhibition design
Reducing emissions and promoting reuse were at the heart of our trade fair concept for Light + Building 2024. Reducing the stand area and reusing stand elements such as locally sourced plasterboard or the carpet, which is being used for the current expansion of the headquarters in Graz, were part of our sustainable concept. Cardboard seating and the use of transport boxes for product presentations helped reduce transport requirements by 88%, lowering the number of lorries needed from 25 to just 3 compared to the previous trade fair. As a result, approximately 22 tonnes of CO2-eq were saved.
"We know how important it is to evaluate measures objectively and transparently, which is why we align our sustainability strategy with internationally recognised standards. However, our aim is to go beyond this and set our own standards in order to bring about real change."
Martin Dlaska, Managing Director XAL Holding GmbH
UN Global Compact
Since 2020, we have been a member of the UN Global Compact initiative, whose principles guide our interactions with each other and our environment, our supply chain management, and our resource strategies. We are committed to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and actively contribute to achieving these goals. We have already contributed to eight of the 17 SDGs through our activities, including our measures on climate protection, training, and health and safety in the workplace.
Compliance – We go one step further
We want to set standards – through our expertise and performance, and also through the way we conduct ourselves. Transparency, integrity, and fairness are key values to which XAL is committed in the conduct of its business activities. We regard compliance with legal frameworks and guidelines as a matter of course. Values such as reliability, responsibility, mutual trust, respect, and social and environmental sustainability form the cornerstones of XAL's corporate culture and guide our endeavours to continuously evaluate and improve our actions.
Any questions?
If you would like to find out more about our sustainability measures and are interested in our energy-efficient products, please contact us.
