Bertelsmann uses a wide variety of materials in the production and logistics of physical products. Besides paper and cardboard, these include, e.g., printing inks, coatings and adhesives, granulate for the production of CDs and DVDs, and plastic-based films and packaging. In addition, materials are procured as part of purchased goods and services.

Paper continues to be of particular relevance to Bertelsmann, representing the most important resource for the company’s traditional print media business. Even in an increasingly digitized media landscape, printed books, magazines, brochures, and flyers continue to have their place. Therefore, sustainable forestry, resource conservation, climate protection, and waste avoidance play a major role for Bertelsmann across the entire paper value chain. To protect forests that are valuable for climate and biodiversity, Bertelsmann has issued a Paper Policy  for paper procurement to complement its Environmental Policy  . It stipulates, e.g., that no wood from primary or protected forests can be used in paper production. Bertelsmann companies also need to ensure that the paper used has the highest possible proportion of recycled materials in addition to certified wood fibers.

Bertelsmann strives to raise the share of recycled paper and paper from certified, sustainable forestry to 100 percent. Recycled paper as well as paper of certified origin, complying with FSC®, PEFC™, SFI® requirements or comparable standards, are regarded as sustainably sourced paper.

Bertelsmann’s media businesses have stepped up their efforts to produce content and products in a resource-conserving manner, e.g., with certified sustainable books and magazines, “green” TV productions, and plastic-free packaging. In their function as providers of print services, Bertelsmann companies in the service business offer their customers an extensive range of sustainably certified and climate-neutral print products.

For information on the general management approach for environment matters: see GRI 300  .

Material consumption

in tons

1) Including quantities procured via service providers and provided by third parties

In the 2021 financial year, Bertelsmann’s total material use decreased slightly by 2 percent. The amount of paper used for print products, packaging paper, and office paper diminished by 3 percent, primarily due to the decline in the print business of the Bertelsmann Printing Group and Gruner + Jahr. In contrast, the use of other materials increased by 23 percent year on year, in particular due to Arvato’s growing logistics business.

Paper consumption by division

in tons

The year-on-year development of paper quantities used varied from division to division. Bertelsmann Printing Group and Gruner + Jahr recorded declines in paper quantities of about 126,000 tons, primarily due to reduced sales of print products. In contrast, paper consumption at Penguin Random House increased by about 40,000 tons due to higher book sales. In Arvato’s logistics business, growth in online shipping in particular led to an increase in packaging paper of about 18,000 tons.

Energy, as a major factor influencing the “Bertelsmann Climate Neutral 2030” climate strategy, is a focus topic for the Group. Although increasing digitalization lowers the company’s dependency on finite natural resources, it simultaneously leads to a higher energy consumption caused by data use. Besides improving its energy efficiency, Bertelsmann relies on increasing the use of renewable energies across all corporate divisions and among its external IT service providers. The Group-wide specifications on energy management are codified in the Bertelsmann Energy & Climate Policy  .

As the most important lever for reducing its own emissions, Bertelsmann pursues the target of procuring 100 percent of the electricity purchased from renewable sources. Alongside electricity purchasing, local on-site generation of own electricity and heat using renewable energies still makes up only a small share, but is to be expanded and contribute to the transformation of local energy markets. Bertelsmann does not use lignite or anthracite in own energy generation and expects its energy suppliers to gradually phase out fossil fuels. Increasing transparency about energy consumption thanks to the “green.screen” IT platform supports energy data management at site level and enables cross-site exchange. At this point, energy data collected during the year at more than 100 national and international sites is compiled and visualized in “green.screen.”

Information on the management approach for environmental matters: see GRI 300  .

Use of fuels and propellants

in megawatt hours (MWh)

In the 2021 financial year, a total of 954,000 MWh of natural gas were used for the company’s own energy generation, reflecting a year-on-year decrease of 10 percent. Natural gas is used in combined heat and power plants to produce electricity and heat to generate process heat in printing plants and in heating systems for the company’s own heat generation. Only a small proportion of heat is generated using heating oil. The volume used remained nearly the same compared to the previous year. In the 2021 financial year, 33,500 MWh of diesel were consumed, equivalent to a 1-percent decrease compared to the previous year. 95 percent of the diesel was used for company cars, with the remainder used for emergency generators and forklifts. Gasoline consumption by company cars increased by 11 percent. The remaining energy quantities subsumed under “other” comprise fuels for fleet vehicles, company jets, and renewable fuels. Here, a 23-percent increase occurred, primarily due to an increased use of company jets. In accordance with the Bertelsmann Energy & Climate Policy, no coal is used in the in-house generation of energy.

In addition to energy generation from fossil fuels and propellants, Bertelsmann also generates a small amount of energy from renewable sources. Electricity generation from solar power increased from 8,000 MWh in 2020 to 10,800 MWh in 2021. About one-third of this was consumed by the company itself and the remaining amount was fed into the power grid. The increase was achieved primarily through higher solar power generation at Arvato Supply Chain Solutions in the Netherlands.

Procurement of electricity and heat

in megawatt hours (MWh)

In addition to the fuels and propellants used, Bertelsmann records the procurement of electricity and heat. Besides grid purchases, this also includes energy volumes at rented properties that are provided by landlords. Purchased energy decreased by 2 percent in the 2021 financial year, while Bertelsmann was able to significantly increase its consumption of renewable energies with certificates of origin. The share of green electricity in total purchased electricity doubled to 44 percent (previous year: 22 percent). In the 2021 financial year, the number of sites using green electricity increased from 81 to 181 sites compared to the previous year. These mainly included sites in Germany, including RTL Deutschland’s headquarters in Cologne and almost all of Arvato’s German sites.

Energy consumption by division

in megawatt hours (MWh)

1) The total energy consumption of the corporate divisions will be presented, for the first time in the 2021 financial year and also retrospectively for 2020, as the sum of the use of fuels and propellants, the consumption of self-generated energy, and the energy volumes purchased.

Total energy consumption includes the fuels and propellants used, self-generated energy, and energy volumes purchased. In the 2021 financial year, Bertelsmann Printing Group accounted for by far the largest share of total consumption at 64 percent, followed by Arvato at about 20 percent, and RTL Group at 7 percent. The remaining 9 percent was distributed among the other corporate divisions. Total energy consumption decreased by 7 percent compared to the previous year. Due to production declines at Bertelsmann Printing Group, consumption fell by about 110,000 MWh despite two new printing sites in the United States. The decreases at RTL Group and Arvato are attributable to portfolio adjustments, such as the sale of SpotX and cost-saving measures. In contrast, there was an increase at Penguin Random House due to two new logistics halls as well as the increased return to offices following the lifting of coronavirus measures in the United States.

Mobility

in millions of kilometers

The mobility of employees continued to decrease in the 2021 financial year, particularly due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. The number of kilometers traveled by employees commuting to work and on business trips fell by 15 percent compared to the previous year. At 92 percent, employee commutes to their place of work accounted for the largest share of distance traveled. Increased working from home throughout the year reduced this share by 12 percent. Likewise, the number of kilometers traveled on business trips fell by 36 percent. The reason for this, besides the restrictions on travel due to the coronavirus pandemic, was the increased use of digital communication tools.

The energy intensity, the ratio of the sum of the recorded total energy consumption values in megawatt hours to the total revenues reported in the consolidated financial statements (in millions of euros), was at 86¹⁾ in the 2021 financial year. Compared to the previous year (99)¹⁾, this represents a further decline by 13 percent.

1) The total energy consumption of the corporate divisions will be presented, for the first time in the 2021 financial year and also retrospectively for 2020, as the sum of the use of fuels and propellants, the consumption of self-generated energy, and the energy volumes purchased.

Data on water consumption and effluents are also recorded Group-wide as part of the annual environmental data survey, using the “green.screen” IT platform. Based on this data, trends can be discerned and potential for improvement identified. Regarding the regulation of water management, these topics are predominantly handled by the local businesses.

Information on the management approach for environmental matters: see GRI 300  .

See GRI 303 Management approach  .

See GRI 303 Management approach  .

Water withdrawal by source

in thousands of cubic meters

In the 2021 financial year, total water withdrawal decreased by 3 percent compared to the previous year. At the same time, water withdrawals from public utilities increased by 2 percent. This can be attributed, among other things, to two new Bertelsmann Printing Group sites in the United States and the international expansion of Arvato Supply Chain Solutions’ logistics business. In contrast, the use of groundwater from wells decreased by 4 percent. The reduction is due to lower use of cooling water for the RTL Deutschland site in Cologne and the closure of a Bertelsmann Printing Group plant in Nuremberg.

Water withdrawal by division

in thousands of cubic meters

Water is used to varying degrees in the individual corporate divisions. In the 2021 financial year, RTL Group accounted for more than half of the water withdrawals at just under 56 percent, predominantly required for energy-saving cooling of buildings from well systems. Bertelsmann Printing Group accounted for another 25 percent and Arvato for 15 percent. The other corporate divisions accounted for 4 percent of total water withdrawal.

Bertelsmann supports the international community’s target of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. Bertelsmann aspires to become climate neutral by 2030. The greenhouse gas emissions generated at its own sites, employee business travel, and the manufacture of its own products are to be reduced significantly by 2030 and the remaining emissions offset. The total emissions from the above causes amounted to 1.1 million tons of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e) in the 2021 financial year. This represents a 15-percent reduction compared to the 2018 baseline (1.3 million tons of CO₂e). The Group-wide target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent compared to 2018 includes besides emissions from sites, employees, and own products, also all other emissions covered in the carbon footprint. This reduction target was validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The “Bertelsmann Climate Neutral 2030” climate strategy prioritizes measures to avoid and reduce emissions – ahead of offsetting remaining emissions. In 2021, individual targets were established for media and service divisions as well as for the education division on this basis and relevant measures were identified. The achievement of these division-specific targets is discussed as part of annual strategy meetings between Executive Board members and divisional heads, based on uniform Group-wide milestones and indicators. In addition, the company defined further strategic objectives and developed measures from those, as part of the Bertelsmann CR Program (2021–2023).

Unavoidable emissions are offset via a voluntary climate-protection project. Further projects are to be added in the years ahead and together form a project portfolio. Projects are carefully selected on the basis of defined criteria. For example, the projects must have a long-term orientation and ensure as best as possible that compensated CO₂ emissions are not returned to the atmosphere. In the 2021 financial year, certificates for more than 22,500 tons were offset by a reforestation project in Brazil that is exclusively supported by Bertelsmann.

Greenhouse gas emissions are accounted for in accordance with the Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, the Scope 2 Guidance, and in line with the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol). Greenhouse gas emissions are reported in CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e). In accordance with the GHG Protocol, emissions are reported in three different categories: Scope 1 refers to Bertelsmann’s direct emissions, which e.g., result from its own on-site power generation and the operation of printing plants. Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity and district heating or heat provided by landlords. In accordance with the Scope 2 Guidance of the GHG Protocol, Bertelsmann reports both market-based and site-based emissions in the overview of key indicators. In addition, all relevant indirect emissions (Scope 3) from the value chain are accounted for. In accordance with the Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard, this includes upstream emission sources such as the purchase and transport of materials and the mobility of employees as well as downstream steps such as the distribution of products.

Information on the management approach for environmental matters: see GRI 300  .

Scope 1 and 2 emissions

in tons of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e)

1) Prior-year figures adjusted

2) Scope 2 emissions were calculated using the market-based method as indicated in the Scope 2 Guidance of the GHG Protocol. According to the site-based method, Scope 2 emissions amounted to 191,200 tons of CO₂e (previous year: 200,600 tons).

The sum of direct (Scope 1) and energy-related indirect (Scope 2) greenhouse gas emissions in the 2021 financial year amounted to 340,200 tons of CO₂e, a decrease of 12 percent compared to the previous year (385,500 tons of CO₂e). Scope 1 emissions at Bertelsmann stem primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels such as natural gas. These emissions fell by 9 percent in the 2021 financial year, in particular due to declines in business at Bertelsmann Printing Group. Scope 2 emissions from the purchase of electricity and heat were reduced by 16 percent. The shift to green electricity alone, particularly at sites in Germany, saved about 40,000 tons of CO₂e.

Scope 1 and 2 emissions by division

in tons of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e)

1) Prior-year figures adjusted

Bertelsmann Printing Group and Arvato accounted for the largest share of Bertelsmann’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions in the 2021 financial year. This can be attributed to the consumption of electricity, natural gas, and heat by the printing plants at Bertelsmann Printing Group and the operation of Arvato Supply Chain Solutions’ logistics sites.

The year-on-year development of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions varied across the corporate divisions. Bertelsmann Printing Group, RTL Group, and Arvato saw a decrease in emissions. Meanwhile, emissions increased at Gruner + Jahr and Penguin Random House. The other corporate divisions remained roughly at the previous year’s level. At Bertelsmann Printing Group, 22,700 tons less CO₂e were emitted than in the previous year, due in part to declines in production. This was countered by increases in emissions, e.g., due to new logistics halls at Penguin Random House.

Scope 3 emissions

in tons of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e)

Within the Scope 3 categories, indirect greenhouse gas emissions from materials and services accounted for the largest share in the 2021 financial year at 71 percent (before consolidation). This included, among other things, emissions from paper procurement, printing materials used, external services, and the production of TV content.

Downstream transports from the distribution of products accounted for just under 12 percent of Scope 3 emissions, while upstream transports accounted for 9 percent. Other sources include upstream energy-related emissions (outside Scope 1 and Scope 2), such as commuting by employees, business travel, and emissions from waste logistics and the end-of-life cycle of Bertelsmann’s own products.

Scope 3 emissions (after consolidation) increased by 8 percent in the 2021 financial year. There were increases in emissions, primarily along the value chain for the company’s own products such as books and sound recordings. For this reason, emissions from purchased materials and transport rose by a total of 73,000 tons of CO₂e compared to the previous year. In contrast, mobility-related Scope 3 emissions decreased by 28,000 tons of CO₂e due to the coronavirus pandemic and the associated restrictions, increased working from home, and the use of digital communication tools. Also, fewer emissions were consolidated in the 2021 financial year. On the one hand, this was due to the sale of Prisma Media, as a significant proportion of its printing services were carried out at Bertelsmann companies. On the other hand, improved data transparency in paper deliveries led to a more precise allocation of emissions to individual corporate divisions. This resulted in lower volumes of emissions to be consolidated.

Scope 3 emissions by division

in tons of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e)

In the 2021 financial year, Bertelsmann Printing Group accounted for the largest share of Scope 3 emissions at 46 percent (before consolidation), followed by Penguin Random House at 31 percent, and Arvato at 12 percent. The other corporate divisions accounted for the remaining 11 percent.

Overview of total GHG emissions

in tons of CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e)

1) Prior-year figures adjusted

In the 2021 financial year, the total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1, 2 and 3) accounted for was 2.11 million tons of CO₂e, of which 84 percent stemmed from indirect emissions along the value chain (Scope 3).

Specific greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2) fell from 22.3¹⁾ tons of CO₂e per 1 million euros of Group revenue in the 2020 financial year to 18.2 tons of CO₂e per 1 million euros of Group revenue in the 2021 financial year.

1) Prior-year figures adjusted

The material quantities of waste at Bertelsmann are generated in the printing services and logistics business and consist largely of the raw material paper. This primarily includes paper waste from the printing process, or waste paper from books and magazines, as well as packaging paper in the logistics. Further waste from synthetic raw materials, such as metals and chemicals, is generated in the printing and production processes. In the logistics, waste is also generated from transport materials made of wood and plastic. In addition, small quantities of waste are generated at the office sites.

In addition to the waste generated at the company’s own sites, waste is also generated at the end of the lifecycle of its own products. This is mainly waste from the raw material paper, which to a high degree is recyclable and, depending on the local disposal infrastructure, is in fact largely recycled.

Data on waste generation is also recorded Group-wide as part of the annual environmental data survey, using the IT platform “green.screen.” Based on this data, trends can be discerned and potential for improvement identified. Bertelsmann’s businesses strive to maximize the recycling of materials. Waste is generally recycled and disposed by private or municipal disposal companies outside the sites. Disposal is handled very differently from region to region and is the operational responsibility of the local management of Bertelsmann companies. At some sites, such as Corporate and Arvato Systems, discarded IT equipment is collected and given to a social services provider for reprocessing

Information on the management approach for environmental matters: see GRI 300  .

See GRI 306 Management approach  .

See GRI 306 Management approach  .

Waste by type of disposal

in tons

1) Missing prior-year data in the “energy recovery” and “incineration” categories is due to expansion of the waste categories queried in the 2021 financial year.

In the 2021 financial year, the volume of waste remained more or less constant compared to the previous year. 94 percent of the waste was recycled for materials and 2 percent for energy. The remaining 4 percent was either incinerated without energy recovery or sent to landfill and other disposal methods. Of the total 258,700 tons of waste, 1,700 was classified as hazardous; as in the previous year, the share was less than 1 percent.

Waste by type of material

in tons

1) Missing prior-year data in the “wood” and “mixed waste” categories is due to expansion of the waste categories queried in the 2021 financial year.

In the 2021 financial year, about 76 percent of waste consisted of paper, e.g., from the printing processes of books and magazines. Metals and chemicals from the printing and production processes accounted for 5 percent of the waste, as did wood and plastic waste for the transport of products or materials. Mixed waste, such as residual waste, or unclassified other waste accounted for the remainder. There is generally no differentiated reporting on this at the office sites.

Total waste

in tons

The recorded waste volumes differed from division to division. At 74 percent, Bertelsmann Printing Group’s printing plants generated the largest share of total waste in the 2021 financial year. Waste volumes were down slightly by 1,690 tons compared to the previous year, in particular due to declining production volumes. The 2,600-ton increase in waste volumes from the Arvato division is attributable to the logistics business. The remaining divisions generated 10 percent of the recorded waste.

See GRI 306-3  .