Dematic, VDMA Partner on Climate

In the quest for global climate change mitigation, the need for consistent and transparent methods to calculate Product Carbon Footprints is paramount.

Dematic is proud to be part of VDMA’s international working group to establish rules for the creation of Life Cycle Assessment methodology to deliver the carbon footprint of intralogistics products, systems, and solutions. These Product Carbon Footprints will be for a complete intralogistics system — a solution rather than a single product or component — to ensure comparability across products within the same category.

New standard will enable customers to evaluate industry solutions

The evaluation will be inclusive of production, software elements such as material flow controls and warehouse management systems, transportation, and installation required to build and commission the distribution center, the use phase, and end-of-life phase in the Product Carbon Footprint calculation. Currently, this is not possible as there is not a governing standard available, which causes challenges for our customers seeking clarity when comparing multiple proposal offerings.

Over the coming 12-months, the team will focus on the following objectives, with key milestones including research and stakeholder engagement, framework development, validation, and a commenting phase.

• Product Description: Define Product Category Rules to determine the Product Carbon Footprint, supporting environmental impact evaluations of complete intralogistics systems.
• Functional Unit: Establish a quantified description of performance requirements for intralogistics systems, ensuring comparability in assessments.
• VDMA Specification Sheet: Create a specification sheet and methodology for Product Category Rules specific to climate change impact categories.
• International Consistency: Align the methodology with frameworks such as ISO 14025, ISO 14067, and the GHG Protocol Product Standard.
• Cradle-to-Grave Approach: Integrate considerations for production, transportation, use, and end-of-life phases into the Product Carbon Footprint calculation.
• Guidelines for Stakeholders: Ensure transparency, reliability, and comparability of results.

Standards help customers reach their sustainability goals

“With standard testing and evaluation methodology, a customer can have greater transparency into an offering’s carbon footprint,” explains Schaefer Arnould, Dematic VP, Systems R&D.

“Our customers will see value as this new standard creates a method of calculation that will be accepted by the industry and auditors, ensuring a path for them to reach their carbon reduction and efficiency goals. For KION and Dematic, the same holds true as our methods of measurement will align with the standard, which enables focus to target methods that continue to drive efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint.”

Dematic is proud to be part of VDMA’s international working group to establish rules for the creation of Life Cycle Assessment methodology to deliver the carbon footprint of intralogistics products, systems, and solutions.

Ensuring broad industry acceptance and adoption

The VDMA-Standard will eventually transfer to an international ISO-Standard, further enhancing its global applicability and impact. With 3,600 members, the VDMA is the largest network organization and an important voice for the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry in Germany and Europe. The association represents the common economic, technical, and scientific interests of this unique and diverse industry.

• This project represents a significant step forward in standardizing the assessment of climate change impacts for intralogistics systems, paving the way for more sustainable practices in the industry.