Ercros progresses in job security

  • The 2019 general accident frequency rate is historically low.
  • The CO2 emissions index is reduced by 10% compared to 2018.
  • Ercros has invested 87 million euros in the last 5 years to combat climate change.
  • 99.8% of the products shipped were considered optimal by customers.

 

The involvement of the people who work at Ercros and the efforts made to reduce accidents have made it possible for a historic result in occupational safety to have been obtained in 2019: the general accident frequency index –which measures accidents between own and external (with and without sick leave) for every million hours worked– it was 2.5, the lowest in the last 10 years and 36% lower than the index of the previous year. For its part, the accident rate among its own personnel was the lowest in the company's history.

The actions undertaken to reduce the climate impact that its activity generates have allowed a sustained reduction in CO2 emissions: between 2018 and 2019 these emissions were reduced by 10%. In the last five years, Ercros has allocated 87 million euros for this purpose. The investments carried out include the change of technology from mercury to membranes in electrolysis plants; the substitution of fossil fuels by hydrogen generated in the activity itself; improvements in manufacturing processes and facilities to reduce energy consumption; and logistical and operational improvements that translate into the reduction of its emissions in transport.

Ercros has joined the climate action commitments to curb global warming established by the Government of the Generalitat de Catalunya, with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions, until neutrality is reached in 2050, promoting the energy transition of its activity and progressively adopt the principles of the circular economy. The effort made in the fight against climate change was recognized by the UN, which included Ercros as an example in its dossier of good practices to achieve the sustainable development goals set in its action plan for 2030. Likewise, in the framework of the Climate Summit (COP 25), held in December 2019 in Madrid, the Global Compact program selected Ercros among the 101 best business initiatives carried out to combat climate change.

In addition, Ercros' quality index stood at 0.22, which means that 99.8% of the products that left the company's factories were considered optimal by customers. This data improves 18% compared to 2018.

Ercros' performance in all aspects of sustainability has earned it the Premium classification granted by the international EcoVadis rating, obtaining a score of 77 out of 100. Ercros is in this rating among the 1% of companies with the best compliance in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) criteria.