Sustainability

Circular thinking guides how we design, produce, and operate. By reintroducing materials into the value chain, extending product lifetimes, and reducing waste, we preserve value and natural resources, whilst staying economically viable. Circular Economy is not just a concept. It’s how we create sustainable growth while meeting our customers’ needs today and tomorrow.

We are committed to rethinking how resources flow through our business, striving to reintroduce materials into the value chain and preserve their original value for as long as possible. By doing so, we not only meet market demands but also contribute to a more circular and resilient economy. Together, we’re shaping a future where progress and responsibility go hand in hand.

PALFINGER is dedicated to integrating circularity throughout its product lifecycles, emphasizing design for reuse, repair, and remanufacturing. This commitment extends to both products and services in its markets and collaboration with suppliers of goods, energy, and services to embed circular principles.

By adopting these practices, PALFINGER aims to significantly reduce the use of virgin materials and resource inputs across its value chain while transitioning to 100% renewable energy. Central to this approach is a focus on retaining the value created within the value chain for extended periods, ensuring sustainability and long-term efficiency. This vision underscores PALFINGER's proactive stance in addressing environmental challenges while driving innovation and resource optimization. This Field of Action concentrates exclusively on initiatives and objectives directly aligned with E5 (Resource Use and Circular Economy) of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). This streamlined approach will enhance the clarity and effectiveness of policy implementation and action communication, ensuring the Circularity area delivers targeted and measurable outcomes in resource efficiency and circular innovation.

Therefore, four working packages were designed for the implementation of circularity within the company: Circular Innovation and Product Design, Sustainable Procurement​, Product Lifecycle Responsibility, and Foundation for circularity. These working packages prioritize:

• The incorporation of circular economy principles into product design;
• The procurement and implementation of circular materials;
• Customer support for responsible and sustainable management of products throughout their entire lifecycle;
• Fostering (local) recycling partnerships;
• Transparency and reliability.

 As a leader in the crane and lifting industry, we take responsibility for our impact on the planet. We support the Paris Agreement and actively work to lower emissions throughout our operations and supply chain. Through, amongst other things, CO2 reduction targets and taking responsibility and accountability, we contribute to a climate-positive future.

Preventive service innovations like the PALFINGER Oil Check further reduce our environmental footprint by avoiding unnecessary oil changes and saving up to 1,500 liters of oil each year.
As the global climate crisis continues to intensify, organizations around the world are compelled to rethink their strategies for long-term sustainability and resilience. PALFINGER has embraced this challenge, fully recognizing that climate change is not only an environmental concern but also a seismic force reshaping the economic and strategic landscape. In response, sustainability has become a cornerstone of the company’s corporate strategy. 

We aim to reduce both direct emissions from production and indirect emissions from products in use. In recent years, we have taken effective steps to reduce our own emissions, but we still see potential to further lower our carbon footprint. By strengthening the resilience of our infrastructure, technologies, and value chains, we proactively address the opportunities and risks of climate change. 

PALFINGER’s Climate Transition Plan reflects both an acknowledgment of the risks posed by climate change and a proactive approach to turning those risks into opportunities. We started the climate transition plan with the aim to explore the complex relationship between climate change, CO2 pricing and their effects on PALFINGER's business model and portfolio. Based on the outcomes of our carbon footprint assessment, climate transition scenarios, materiality analysis, stakeholder input, and additional relevant factors, we have defined our targets in alignment with Palfinger’s 2030 strategy.

Protecting those who work with our products is our top priority. At PALFINGER, product safety means more than meeting technical specifications—it also includes ensuring that our products have no harmful environmental impact and align with our sustainability goals. This focus ties directly to our strategic pillar, “Go Digital,” where sustainability and digitalization come together to create smart, networked machines that address current and future challenges. To that end, we are not only combining physical and digital solutions but also ensuring robust measures are in place to protect digital information—be it data from users, employees, or processes. Our security protocols safeguard this information from unauthorized access, manipulation, or theft, ensuring trust and reliability across our systems.

Product Integrity at PALFINGER covers five core topics: a unified global certification strategy to ensure compliance across all regions, a focus on product conformity to meet legal and regulatory standards, development of impact products that align with environmental and societal needs, continuous product and process improvements to drive innovation, and comprehensive employee, dealer, and end-user training to empower all stakeholders. Together, these efforts ensure our solutions remain safe, reliable, and sustainable—offering lasting value to our customers and partners worldwide. 

Currently, the PALFINGER Group holds an impressive portfolio of internationally recognized management system certificates:

• ISO 9001 – Quality Management: 37 Certifications

• ISO 14001 – Environmental Management: 13 Certifications

• ISO 45001 – Occupational Safety Management: 10 Certifications

• ISO 50001 – Energy Management: 10 Certifications

• ISO 3834-X – Fusion Welding Processes: 11 Certifications

Governance and compliance in sustainability management are essential to ensuring that PALFINGER meets all regulations related to environmental protection, society, and the economy while minimizing risks to the organization. As a key aspect of good governance, we emphasize transparency, decision-making, accountability, risk management, and an effective organizational setup throughout the group. We embed compliance into the heart of our corporate strategy by understanding and adhering to sustainability laws and regulatory requirements. Therefore, PALFINGER has established governance and compliance focus areas: early warning system,  compliance management system, export and control system,  human rights and working conditions, and high quality external reporting. Accountability and transparency are cornerstones of PALFINGER’s governance approach.

We align with key regulatory frameworks to cement our commitment to environmental and social responsibility, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU Taxonomy, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the Green Claims Directive, and the  Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

For further details on how PALFINGER is implementing these regulations and embedding sustainability into its operations, we invite stakeholders to explore our non-financial annual report, where we provide insights into our progress and reporting in alignment with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the CSRD.

At PALFINGER, we put People, Values, and Culture at the center of our efforts as we strive to be the employer of choice. Our lively and dynamic work culture is built on appreciative and healthy workplaces that foster innovation, belonging, and success. A key pillar of this commitment is our corporate responsibility to support employees through all stages of life, assisting them in balancing their professional and family obligations. This foundation creates a unique culture characterized by a family team spirit and the shared aspiration to be successful together in the long term.

We are convinced that diverse teams, supported by inclusive and equitable work practices, make us stronger. By proactively promoting women and people from diverse backgrounds, we build a more resilient and innovative organization - one that is better positioned to support our customers while fostering appreciation and belonging for all employees. At the heart of this commitment is our dedication to living these values with respect and empathy.

By focusing on these goals, we create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, feel valued, and contribute meaningfully to PALFINGER’s success. Empowering our employees to grow and innovate not only makes us stronger but also allows us to continue delivering outstanding results for our customers and stakeholders. At PALFINGER, we believe the key to a sustainable and successful future lies in our people, our values, and our shared culture. Thus, we have defined our targets in alignment with PALFINGER's 2030 strategy.