The world of intralogistics is undergoing a profound transformation, turning warehouses into intelligent, high-tech hubs where efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand. At KION, our goal is to be at the forefront of this evolution, actively shaping a reliable, resilient, and sustainable global material flow.
2025-12-10
Sustainability is an integral part of the KION Group's DNA. It is embedded in our products and solutions, as well as in our strategy. We are committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and significantly reducing our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
As we empower our customers with energy-efficient, intelligent solutions, we continue to promote environmental stewardship in our own operations. In 2025, KION made significant sustainability advancements, including the consistent electrification of our production processes and service fleet, the increase of the percentage of renewable energy, the integration of circular design concepts into real-life solutions, and the engagement of suppliers in collaborative efforts for sustainable sourcing.
Innovation is at the core of KION's Playing to Win strategy, supporting our sustainability goals with targeted products and solutions. A significant milestone this year was the Dematic Multishuttle 2 earning the Cradle-to-Cradle Bronze certification, marking it as the first material-handling equipment to achieve this recognition. The Cradle-to-Cradle design approach aims to eliminate waste by designing products and systems to be perpetually recycled with minimal waste, mimicking biological life cycles.
Our electrification efforts continue to yield positive results, particularly in fleet electrification. In China, our service fleet electrification initiative successfully increased its Electric Vehicle (EV) share to 16%, contributing positively to our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction goals.
Dematic's Multishuttle 2 received a Cradle-to-Cradle Bronze certification in 2025 - the first supply chain solution of its kind to achieve this recognition.
Beyond our direct operations, we are making steady progress toward our Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Near-Term Target for supplier engagement. By the end of 2025, we have achieved commitments from suppliers accounting for 1.96% of our Scope 3.1 emissions. While the target is for 5% of suppliers (by emissions covering purchased goods and services) to have science-based targets by 2029, we are well on track. When KION committed to the SBTi, we also committed to encouraging our suppliers to join the initiative and set their own targets. This approach fosters self-motivation among our suppliers, encouraging them to promote sustainability along their own supply chains.
Next to the Near-Term Target, our Procurement Department also keeps the long-term reduction goal in mind, thus is conducting trainings and workshops with suppliers to enable them to start their own CO2 calculations, understand the need for decarbonization and the potential benefits. This program will run for multiple years and help KION gain transparency over Scope 3.1 emissions as well as decarbonize a broad part of our supply chain.
Our commitment to sustainability has been recognized in 2025: The KION Group achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for the first time this year, placing us among the top sustainability performers worldwide. The KION Group is among the top one percent of the more than 150,000 companies rated by EcoVadis. The Group is following in the footsteps of its well-established brands, Linde Material Handling EMEA and STILL EMEA, which were awarded Platinum once again in 2025. This positive Group-wide development highlights the company’s steadfast commitment to our sustainability strategy. With 86 out of a possible 100 points, we significantly exceeded the previous year's performance (76 points and the Gold medal).
In 2025 KION Group received EcoVadis' Platinum ranking, placing it among the top 1% of more than 150,000 rated companies across all industries.
We invite you to watch our most recent KION Sustainability video to learn about our progress in sustainability and our vision of how sustainability, innovation, and automation will shape the future of intralogistics. As part of the UN's Vision 2045 campaign, the film illustrates how KION and the field of intralogistics are shaping global supply chains by making them scalable, connected, and resilient.
The film emphasizes the major role that state-of-the-art supply chains and warehouse operations play in reducing emissions, enabling a circular economy, and managing energy and resources more responsibly, all while remaining people-focused and enhancing human capabilities and working conditions.
