The Corporate Carbon Footprint assessment for 2024 shows that the largest share of emissions over the entire life cycle of the moulds arises during the use phase at customer facilities. These emissions are largely determined by the production environment, operating hours and the electricity mix used, and therefore lie outside the direct influence of Otto Hofstetter AG.
This makes it all the more important for the company to manage its own contribution along the value chain. Within the reporting-relevant emissions of Scopes 1 to 3a, around 95 percent originate from upstream activities. Approximately 50 percent of this CO₂ burden is attributable to raw and auxiliary materials. At the production site in Uznach, modern infrastructure and efficient processes leave limited scope for further reductions in direct emissions. Purchased materials therefore represent an effective lever for measurable improvements.
Together with its long-standing steel supplier ThyssenKrupp (Schweiz) Materials (THK), a new solution has been defined for the key mould steel qualities that account for the majority of the processed volume. For two selected steel grades, which together represent around 90 percent of the total steel consumption, CO₂ emissions from purchased steel can be reduced by approx. 46 percent. These reductions are achieved through more energy-efficient production processes, the use of electricity from renewable sources and a higher share of recycled steel. Mechanical properties, machinability and material quality remain fully unchanged. This measure alone reduces the company’s total upstream emissions (Scope 3a) by 20 percent.
