Sustainability
As a pioneer, we enable sustainability through technology and engineering. As a role model, we are committed to fair and attractive working conditions and a careful approach to the environment. As a partner, we commit ourselves and our environment to sustainability and make our performance transparent.
For IAV, sustainability has become even more important in all its dimensions: ecological, economic, and social. With our commitment to sustainable business practices, we’re not only meeting the expectations of our customers, our fellow citizens, and politicians. First and foremost, we’re also meeting our own standards of responsible corporate conduct. Our purpose “We’re moving the world for the better through technology and engineering” is the foundation of our joint efforts for a sustainable future, which connects us not only in Germany but across all locations worldwide.
IAV has developed its value system accordingly and firmly anchored the issue of sustainability within it: “We take responsibility.” for our developments, services, and products – worldwide. We are committed to sustainability in order to preserve a livable environment for future generations. Four key areas of action are derived from this, within which specific initiatives will be used to demonstrate how we are living up to our responsibility for our business, for our employees, for the environment, and for society.
Fields of action
Responsibility for our business
IAV maintains long-term business relationships that have been based on mutual trust for decades. All employees work in cross-divisional cooperation to sustainably strengthen the position of customers in the market. To ensure the quality of services and products, the sustainable actions of all business partners are also essential.
Just as it goes without saying that IAV provides top engineering for its customers, IAV also consistently complies with statutory and other regulatory requirements. IAV stands for responsible corporate management in the context of corporate governance and compliance. The Code of Conduct sets a binding framework within which all employees worldwide make decisions and act in accordance with uniform legal and ethical standards.
«Taking responsibility means being accountable for one’s actions. Each of us in turn supports the compliance culture for the long term.»
— Compliance Management
Supplier Code of Conduct
A Code of Conduct for business partners was issued in 2019. The aim is to enforce IAV’s understanding of values and sustainability in the supply chains. IAV has initiated various activities for this purpose and is working on their realization.
Compliance organization
With local contact persons at the subsidiaries as well as central and decentralized units, IAV covers the entire portfolio of compliance issues.
Responsibility for our employees
As an employer of more than 7,000 employees in Germany, IAV bears responsibility for a large workforce. Employees are provided with a stimulating environment in which they can realize their ideas in a spirit of partnership within a sustainable range of tasks. In particular, the long-term nature of employment relationships is of key importance in times of digital transformation. During the transformation process in the automotive industry, employees must be offered both prospects and security. TThe reliability of employment relationships at IAV is demonstrated, among other things, by a high average length of service of over 10 years in 2021. The goal is therefore to attract and retain the best talent by providing an attractive working environment. For this reason, IAV is driving cultural change, ensuring flexibility, and using modern tools in human resources work.
«There are real team players working at IAV. Interdisciplinary and cross-functional collaboration is paramount.»
— Employer Branding and HR Marketing
Employee satisfaction
The annual “employee survey” uses targeted questions to survey employee satisfaction. In 2021, the overall index was a pleasing 73.6 out of 100 index points and thus above the level from the previous year, despite a challenging business year.
Qualification
IAV accompanies employees’ individual career and professional paths and offers them a wide range of advanced and further training measures.
Nationalities
The workforce is characterized by diversity. The more individual the employees and their backgrounds, the more diverse the ideas that make IAV a leading Tech Solution Provider.
Responsibility for the environment
The European Commission’s goal of making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 is both an incentive and an opportunity for us. An incentive, in that we aim to continuously reduce the CO2 emissions of our business processes, and opportunity, in that we develop technologies and concepts for sustainable mobility. IAV is intensively involved in climate-friendly drive systems – both electric, hydrogen, and gas drives as well as hybrid vehicles – and likewise in reducing the consumption and emissions of gasoline and diesel engines. For IAV, sustainability does not end with the engineering of drive systems, but is considered over their entire life cycle.
IAV’s aspiration is to use innovative and environmentally friendly methods throughout the company in the provision of services and to continuously improve energy and resource efficiency in the operation of buildings, facilities, and vehicles. At IAV, the careful and, if possible, waste-free use of resources and the avoidance of environmental pollution are in harmony with economic success. All employees bear responsibility for this.
«Sustainability does not have to mean doing without. New technologies can also make sustainability possible without constraints.»
— Trendscouting and Innovation
Total energy consumption
The largest share of energy consumption is accounted for by fuels for operating vehicles, followed by electric power and the heating energy required for air conditioning buildings and conditioning test rigs.
CO₂ emissions altogether
CO₂ emissions were significantly reduced in 2021 by switching electricity supply contracts. The shift is from conventional energy mixes to exclusively renewable energy.
Total waste volume
In 2021, all non-hazardous waste and approx. 50% of hazardous waste was recycled or incinerated in accordance with the German Circular Economy Act (Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz).
Responsibility for society
Societal developments such as environmental and climate protection, the conflict between urbanization and the demand for basic subsistence in rural areas, demographic change, and the state’s will to regulate will determine the future of mobility. To meet these challenges, IAV is developing an understanding of the entire value chain of mobility concepts and is building a partner network to cover this chain as a whole. IAV derives three mobility initiatives from its mobility strategy: autonomous driving, multi-modal mobility concepts, and grid-supported charging.
IAV is also involved in publicly funded research and development projects. These make a significant contribution to the technological progress of society, strengthen existing industries, and support the development of new industries of the future. IAV uses these projects to expand its expertise for a future-proof edge in know-how.
«With our innovative strength, we not only solve technical problems, but also social challenges.»
— Business Development Mobility
Public funding for future projects in 2021
Together with partners from science and industry, IAV is developing solutions in many projects that will shape the mobility of tomorrow and beyond.
Donations and sponsoring
By promoting social projects, IAV fulfills its role as part of society. The focus is on mobility education in school and University projects as well as support for people in need.
Sustainability Report
Different perspectives challenge us to see the big picture in a new light again and again. And it is precisely this change of perspective that is enormously important in the context of sustainability in order to push back the boundaries of the possible and to master current challenges.
Experience in the Sustainability Report 2021 how we at IAV are constantly adopting new perspectives in order to realise sustainable development.
Initiatives
Vision 2045
IAV participated in the Vision 2045 Summit in November 2021, which took place in parallel to the World Climate Summit (COP26), and shared insights with leading companies on sustainable solutions for the future. Read more about this in the IAV story "Responsibility as an Opportunity”
Vision 2045
Charta der Vielfalt
Diverse perspectives are crucial to IAV's innovative strength and competitiveness as a tech solution provider. By signing the “Charta der Vielfalt" in October 2021, we commit ourselves to an appreciative and unbiased working environment.
Charta der Vielfalt
Employers for equality
Employers for Equality is the programme for gender equality and diversity in companies. As a member, IAV has access to a practical programme and network for raising awareness among its employees, managers and all key stakeholders.
Employers for equalityAwards
EcoVadis
EcoVadis assesses the sustainability performance of suppliers in global supply chains. In 2022, IAV successfully completed the assessment again and confirmed its Silver status. This means that IAV continues to rank among the top 25% of assessed companies in the industry.
Link
Green Loan Certificate
The financing for the new office building in Gifhorn was provided in accordance with the requirements of the KfW Energy Efficiency Programme. Only buildings that meet the highest energy standards qualify for such financing. This commitment was recognised by IKB Deutsche Industriebank with a certificate for sustainable loans.
Link
Sustainability Award for Automotive Industry 2022
Our modular e-drive conversion kit “IAV Elcty” won us the sustainability prize won us the sustainability prize from the ATZ/MTZ Group and management consultants Arthur D. Little with a focus on circular economy. The aim of IAV’s smart e-drive package is to remanufacture end-of-life commercial vehicles such as diesel buses, save primary raw materials and reduce energy consumption.
Press Release
