More than environment
and climate
Dimensions of sustainability
In Germany, we are always quick to think of climate protection and ecological sustainability when the subject comes up. Yet sustainability has several dimensions. In addition to the ecological approach, these are also social and economic sustainability.
Today, these three dimensions of sustainability are firmly anchored in the corporate strategies of the valve industry, whereby different characteristics are certainly not surprising in view of the heterogeneity of the industry. For example, the companies are concerned with increasing their competitiveness, enhancing their corporate image, employee satisfaction and also greater opportunities for recruiting young employees.
If the EU Commission has its way, companies will soon have to provide public information about their sustainable actions as part of a sustainability reporting obligation. This means that another reporting obligation will be added to the numerous existing ones, thus creating considerable additional financial and bureaucratic effort.
Until then, the industry would prefer to follow its motto “Do, not talk.” is a different story. Not so the VDMA Valves Association: It regularly reports on the sustainable orientation of the industry within the framework of its partnerships with trade media in the valve industry and beyond in its press network. With its articles on environmentally friendly production processes, the use of innovative technologies and forward-looking concepts, tested safety to the highest standards, the selection of the right materials or water- and energy-saving products, our trade association creates new perspectives on the valve industry.
Use cases always prove to be particularly effective in the media. Topics such as “Safety valves in space travel”, “Valves for safe corona vaccine production” or “LNG and cryogenic valves for the maritime energy turnaround” attract the public attention that valve manufacturers do not actually seek, but which can arouse wider interest in their sustainable orientation.
Making sustainability tangible
High-quality industrial valves are essential for global LNG transport...
... and thus make a contribution to the maritime energy transition.
Cradle to Cradle describes the basic idea of the circular economy. Substances follow a completely closed cycle.
Almost permanent material cycles in the processes
Surprisingly, most of the valves with direct ecological relevance also need the media’s index finger. Leakage protection systems in drinking water installations, for example, or intelligent drinking water management systems in soccer stadiums, which ensure the careful use of water as a resource, generally operate in the shadows but are equally part of the image of a sustainably oriented industry.
Without media support, process developments in companies of the valve industry remain completely hidden from the public. For economic reasons, it is already standard practice today to work permanently on greater energy efficiency in valve production. The same applies to the cradle-to-cradle approach, namely along the entire life cycle of the products – from design to product development and product use to recycling. This is where the valve industry sees decisive levers for securing its competitiveness. For example, almost permanent material cycles can already be ensured in parts of the production today. This is made possible by the fact that valve manufacturers check all materials for reuse and recycling as early as the product development stage.
The new term for this is “corporate citizenship”. What may sound a bit complicated at first is usually nothing really new. Small and medium-sized companies in particular often have a long tradition of assuming social responsibility in their immediate environment. It’s about supporting society in fulfilling a wide variety of tasks for the common good.
In this way, the valve manufacturers support personal and social development in numerous facets; whether in school, sports and games, research, business or culture: the promotion of young people is particularly close to their hearts.
Perhaps at this point, at the latest, one understands the self-image of the industry: “Doing, not talking”.
So it is fitting that the VDMA Valves Association is making the valve industry's sustainability claim publicly transparent and thus proving it: The industry is on the right track.
