Change needs creativity.
A sustainable future needs new ideas as well as people who are eager to shape that future in a creative way. We as Faber-Castell are a driving force for sustainable development in our industry: with our products, we motivate people to unleash their creative potential.
As a family-owned business in the ninth generation, we take our responsibility seriously. Sustainability is not a new trend for us, but an integral part of our value culture and a proven success factor in our company’s history.
As a family-owned business in the ninth generation, we take our responsibility seriously. Sustainability is not a new trend for us, but an integral part of our value culture and a proven success factor in our company’s history.
We understand sustainability in ecological, social and economic terms.
We are pioneers in the industry with our own certified forest management for securing a long-term source of raw material. But we are also committed to biodiversity, renewable energies, the conservation of resources, equal opportunities and diversity.
As a globally renowned brand company, we see ourselves as a key player in the economy: our actions have a significant impact on both the environment and society.
Environmental responsibility
We have always placed a high value on environmental sustainability (the “E” in ESG). Learn more about our numerous environmental projects and initiatives here.
Social responsibility
Sustainability is not just about the environment and climate; it also encompasses social aspects (the “S” in ESG). This section provides an overview of our social commitment.
Business responsibility
Alongside environmental and social commitment, responsible corporate governance (the “G” in ESG) is a key part of our comprehensive approach to sustainability. Here, we present the core themes of our business responsibility.
Sustainability Insights
For a compact and illustrative overview of our environmental, social and business responsibility, take a look at our Sustainability Insights.
Sustainability Insights 2022/23
Sustainability targets
Reference year: fiscal year 2019/20
Carbon footprint
We are dedicated to continuously reducing our global corporate carbon footprint by increasing energy efficiency, switching to renewable energy sources and achieving energy self-sufficiency.
Our target
Reduce the corporate carbon footprint by 55% by the end of fiscal year 2029/30 (based on the scopes of fiscal year 2019/20, per one million pieces of produced products)
Energy
We aim to further reduce our company’s energy needs by switching to more energy-efficient facilities at our worldwide production sites.
Our target
Reduce energy consumption by 55% through improved efficiency by the end of fiscal year 2029/30
We intend to achieve energy self-sufficiency through independent sourcing of renewable energy, such as installing solar panels, heat pumps or water turbines.
Our target
Achieve energy self-sufficiency by the end of fiscal year 2034/35
Plastic
We aim to avoid single-use plastic product packaging, replacing it with cardboard or other eco-friendlier materials where possible.
Our target
Reduce the proportion of virgin plastic in primary single-use product packaging to below 5% by the end of fiscal year 2029/30
We are committed to replacing new plastics used in our products with alternatives like recycled or bio-based plastics without compromising quality.
Our target
Increase the proportion of alternative (especially recycled and bio-based) plastics in our products to 55% by the end of fiscal year 2029/30
Gender equality
We aim to achieve an equal distribution of women and men in leadership and management positions.
Our target
Increase the proportion of women in leadership and management positions to 50% by the end of fiscal year 2029/30
Sustainability news
Learn about our current initiatives and activities in the area of sustainability.
Our Planet. Our actions.
Let’s redesign the world!
Change needs creativity.
Use our colouring template and make the earth a diverse and colourful place with our pencils and pens.
Our home. The Faber-Castell forest.
The Faber-Castell forest.
Express your creativity with our drawing templates and create a colourful home for the animals in the Faber-Castell forest.
Learn more about the Faber-Castell forest:
Stefan Leitz, CEO of Faber-Castell AG
“We firmly believe that innovation and progress require creativity. This is especially true for sustainability.”
Dear readers
Seldom do individual companies receive recognition for their sustainability commitment like this: we had the privilege of presenting our sustainable forest management to the United Nations in New York on the occasion of the “International Day of Forests 2023”.
We take pride in what we have achieved: in our industry, we were pioneers in environmentally conscious resource management. Since the 1980s, we have been managing pine forests in Brazil for sustainable wood supply. For nearly 70 years, we are using hydropower for electricity generation at our headquarters in Stein. At other locations, we focus on renewable energy generation, such as through our own solar installations.
We will continue on this path, maintaining our industry leadership in sustainable and fair business practices.
And we have set ambitious goals for the coming years: to further optimise our environmental footprint, for instance, by increasing the use of recycled or eco-friendly raw materials and improving energy efficiency. We also advocate for a diverse corporate culture and leadership.
Sustainability is a key component of our global business strategy “One Faber-Castell – Creating a colourful future”. It is ingrained in our identity and actively embraced by the owning family, the board, leadership team and every employee. We firmly believe that innovation and progress require creativity, especially in sustainability. We aim to nurture the ability to find creative solutions – that’s our vision.
With our global awareness campaign “Change needs creativity.”, we invite our customers to join us. Together, we want to use innovative ideas to change the way we think about our planet. We look forward to reshaping our future together with you.
Warm regards
Stefan Leitz
CEO of Faber-Castell AG
