Melitta Group

Melitta Group wins special prize for innovative transformation of the competition "The supply chain Lives"

14.11.2023

• Award for protecting and promoting biodiversity in the supply chain
• Numerous measures taken by the Melitta Group to preserve biodiversity for many years
• Innovative approach to analyzing sites and deriving action plans

The Melitta Group received the special prize for innovative transformation in the "The Supply Chain Lives" competition, recognizing their efforts to protect and promote biodiversity within their supply chains. This accolade is part of a national contest organized by the "Biodiversity in Good Company" initiative, in collaboration with DIHK Service GmbH, and sponsored by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, along with the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation.

Drivers of sustainable economic transformation

"Biodiversity is essential for a livable future," states Katharina Roehrig, Managing Director of Corporate Communications and Sustainability at Melitta Group. "Biodiversity, like climate change, is an overarching issue that impacts nearly every aspect of our company. This is why we implemented numerous initiatives to safeguard and enhance biodiversity within our group and supply chains long ago."

The "Supply Chain Lives" award recognizes companies throughout Germany for their contributions to biodiversity conservation and enhancement along the supply chain. The award highlights sustainable transformation leaders' replicable ideas to encourage other entities. This year's contest also emphasized the pursued transformation approach, innovation level, and pioneering spirit. The award ceremony, attended by Steffi Lemke, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, was held on November 14 in Berlin.

Comprehensive AI-powered analytics

The competition's jury was particularly impressed with the Melitta Group's comprehensive analysis, supported by artificial intelligence, which scrutinizes both its own and supply chain locations. To date, over 5,000 supplier locations—about half of all supply chain locations— have been assessed for biodiversity risks. Each site underwent an evaluation based on the double materiality principle, considering both its specific impacts on nature and its dependencies. For 15 high-risk locations, customized action plans have been devised. An additional 4,000 supply chain locations are slated for analysis soon.

"Working with our partner kuyua's tool, we managed to conduct a thorough analysis of numerous locations in a relatively short period," states Stefan Dierks, Director of Sustainability Strategy at the Melitta Group. "This method, which is both scientifically robust and regulatory compliant, aids us in contributing to biodiversity conservation and enhancement within our value creation processes. Receiving the 'The Supply Chain Lives' award for this initiative is a great honor and spurs us to redouble our efforts towards a regenerative economy."

The Melitta Group

Melitta is an internationally active group of companies and is one of the well-known independent family businesses not only in Germany. The main tasks are the development, manufacture and distribution of branded products for coffee enjoyment, for the storage and preparation of food as well as for cleanliness in the household. More information at www.melitta-group.com.