Sustainability at Kärcher
The concept of sustainability is deeply embedded in the family business of Kärcher. We accept responsibility for the environment, our products, the supply chain, the company, society and our staff. Because we believe that this is how we can make a difference – for the society in which we live.
We take responsibility
Sustainable, people-oriented company development is the central focus of our activities. We want to promote values – for our customers, our employees and the company. The reason behind this is our clear commitment to our social responsibility to be a good corporate citizen. And we take this responsibility extremely seriously in all areas of the company.
Cultural sponsorship
Since 1980, we have cleaned more than 200 monuments around the world as part of our restoration work. As well as the colonnades on St. Peter's Square in Rome, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the over 3300-year-old Colossi of Memnon in Luxor, Upper Egypt, and the sculptures of presidents' heads on Mount Rushmore, this list also includes Aachen cathedral and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin.
The removal of organic growth and black crusts helps to ensure that the monuments will continue to last for generations to come, as well as enabling restorers to identify and rectify damage more easily. The projects have a lead time of around two years and are always planned and executed in close collaboration with the owners, monument conservationists, restorers and art historians.
Facts and figures
Where there are targets, successes must be measurable. That also applies to sustainability, as it is not enough for a company only to make a promise. We must keep track of the targets set within the strategy and continually monitor our sustainability performance. Since 2014, we have been recording the implementation of our sustainability targets consistently, uniformly and completely digitally at all production and logistics sites worldwide.
Awards
German Sustainability Award 2025
In 2024, Kärcher received the German Sustainability Award in two categories: the jury honored the company as a “pioneer and role model in the German economy” and selected Kärcher's sustainable solutions as the winner in the “household appliances” and “mechanical engineering” categories. This is the second time we have received the award after 2021.
Sustainability Heroes
In 2023, Kärcher received the award in the "Sustainability Innovation for Products" category for its innovative packaging concept made from bio-based material (pea starch). In 2022, we were honoured in the "Social Commitment" category for the "Clean Water for the World" initiative.
German Sustainability Award (2022)
Kärcher is one of the winners of the German Sustainability Award 2022. The independent jury selected Kärcher as the winner in the category "Transformation Field - Resources".
"audit berufundfamilie" (workandfamily audit) certificate
Since December 2013, Kärcher has been certified as a family-friendly company. The certificate is a mark of companies who are particularly committed to further developing family-friendly measures at the workplace.
Corporate Culture Award (2018)
In 2018, we won the Corporate Culture Award in the "Best Story" category for our corporate culture. The award is presented to companies who impress with their outstanding cultural work and the corporate culture they successfully bring to life.
German CSR prize (2014)
Kärcher received the sought-after prize in the category of "Cultural engagement as an expression of the social responsibility of companies" for cleaning the listed Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin for the purposes of restoration.
Initiatives and cooperations
Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
The Science Based Targets initiative has officially confirmed that the targets set by Kärcher to reduce its Scope 1-3 emissions will help to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and are thus in line with the Paris Agreement. Kärcher is committed to reducing its direct carbon2 footprint (Scope 1 and 2) by 42 percent by 2030 compared to the base year 2020. Indirect emissions resulting from the purchase of goods and services and the use of sold products (Scope 3) are to be reduced by at least 51.6 percent per TEUR of value added compared to 2022.
Charta der Vielfalt (Diversity Charter)
The Diversity Charter is a corporate initiative to promote diversity in companies and institutions. Kärcher joined in 2022. Together with the initiative, other companies and the Stifterverband, Kärcher has cdeveloped a procedure for the strategic development of diversity and inclusion in organisations – the "Diversity Compass".
One Earth – One Ocean e.V.
We collaborate with the One Earth One Ocean (OEOO) environmental organisation to reduce the pollution caused by ocean plastic. As part of this cooperation, we support beach clean-up campaigns and the technical innovations from OEOO.
Climate Alliance Baden-Württemberg
Our participation in Baden-Württemberg's climate alliance means that we have committed to lower real CO₂ emissions and more efficient energy consumption. We will achieve this goal thanks to measures such as installing photovoltaic systems, integrating sustainable heating systems and introducing sustainable transport routes.
Alliance for Development and Climate
Kärcher is an official supporter of the Alliance for Development and Climate, which was started by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The aim is the simultaneous promotion of development and climate protection.
Signing of the Paris Pledge for Action
At the start of 2016, we signed the Paris Pledge for Action alongside several hundred other companies. By doing so, we were committing to global climate protection with the aim of limiting global warming to below 2 °C.
Clean Water for the World
Water conservation is becoming ever more significant in our global responsibility for the environment. Together with the Global Nature Fund, we launched the "Clean Water for the World" initiative in 2012.
Cooperation partner of NABU
The German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) is committed to specific objectives relating to conservation in Germany and abroad, such as the protection of rivers, seas, forests or individual species.
Cooperation partner of Europa Minigärtner
The "Europa Minigärtner" (Europe's Mini-Gardeners) initiative helps to increase the awareness of young people aged between nine and eleven of the nature that can be found in gardens and topics and activities associated with gardening.
Cooperation partner of "Clowns mit Herz" in Rems-Murr
Clowns mit Herz (Clowns with a Heart) visits people suffering from illness and people in need of care in children's homes, retirement homes and care homes in the Rems-Murr region, in order to promote their recovery and mental well-being. As one of the founding members, we have been supporting the voluntary association since 2014.
Cooperation partner of the Samariterstiftung
As a charitable foundation, the Samariterstiftung (Samaritan Foundation) runs 60 homes and facilities for the elderly, people with disabilities and for social psychiatry care.
