DEKRA is making its debut at COP28, the United Nations' annual climate change conference. COP28 will address a wide range of sustainability-related themes, with a significant focus on its ambitious pledge to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvements across sectors by 2030. As a worldwide leading testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) company, DEKRA strongly supports these targets and is eager to share its expertise and solutions in energy transition, ESG and circular economy in various expert discussion forums during the conference.
“Bold actions at national and industry levels will be required to accelerate climate action. We endorse COP28’s pledge to speed up the energy transition, and our contribution is realized through a respective range of services, such as energy efficiency assessments, sustainable building services, testing and certification services for renewables and battery technologies, and more,” said Stan Zurkiewicz, CEO and Chairman DEKRA e.V. and DEKRA SE Management Board.
Serving over 500,000 customers across numerous industries globally, DEKRA offers more than 500 services in the fields of energy transition, circular economy, and ESG. Its experts provide testing, inspection, verification, certification, expert advice and training services on technology and strategic levels, spanning products, assets, production processes and supply chains.
DEKRA’s experts also facilitate their customers’ transparent documentation of ESG-related data, which will be crucial in the years to come: With the implementation of CSRD, Europe’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which is currently being transposed into national laws, over 50,000 companies will be mandated to provide sustainability-related reports by 2026. “That’s nearly four times as many compared to the present. Even smaller companies, exempt from the requirement to create their own reports, will need to share data with their clients. These data need to be robust, transparent, and verifiable, especially as external verification will become mandatory under CSRD. We’re here for all companies, from small enterprises to international players,” DEKRA’s CEO pointed out.
Stan Zurkiewicz added that the company is currently in intense discussions with national governments across Europe on the matter, as some countries are considering allowing only the financial audit firms to verify sustainability reports. “We are concerned that particularly the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the backbone of Europe's economy, may fall through the cracks. To accurately report all CSRD-related data in a robust manner without overly burdening their finances and human resources, they require experienced technical audit partners who deeply understand the respective industry’s products, technologies, production processes and supply chains.”
DEKRA supports the opening of the market to such partners. Having access to accredited 3rd party technical audit companies can greatly streamline the implementation of the CSRD within Europe’s industries. This, in turn, helps in achieving the common objective of making the sustainability efforts of various industries more comparable, reliable, and transparent in their documentation and validation.
DEKRA, as a company, has a strong focus on combating climate change and is committed to science-based targets (SBTi) aligned with the 1.5-degree goal. The company's decarbonization program centers around key areas such as renewable energy sourcing and generation, energy efficiency improvements, and optimizing business travel, including the adoption of electric vehicles in the company's car fleets.
www.dekra.com/en/sustainability-services/
To get in touch with DEKRA at COP28:
www.dekra.com/en/dekra-at-cop28-climate-conference/
DEKRA is the world’s largest independent non-listed expert organization in the testing, inspection, and certification sector. As a global provider of comprehensive services and solutions, we help our customers improve their safety, security, and sustainability outcomes. In 2022, DEKRA generated sales totaling nearly EUR 3.8 billion. The company currently employs almost 49,000 people who offer qualified and independent expert services in approximately 60 countries on five continents. With a platinum rating from EcoVadis, DEKRA is now in the top one percent of sustainable businesses ranked.
10 November 2023
