Veridos Leads the Way with Sustainable Product Portfolio

So far this year, I have interviewed two of Veridos’ senior management team for ID & Secure Document News™ – CEO, Marc-Julian Siewert and CFO, Dr Christian Thywissen. Both executives stressed the identity solutions company’s goal to be completely CO2 – neutral by 2040. So, on a recent visit to Munich, I took up the issue of sustainability with COO, Tobias Nüssle.

COO, Tobias Nüssle.

 

Entering the main offices of Veridos, you go through the normal access procedures of entering a high security facility and then swipe your visitor’s card at what looks like airport eGates. This seemed the ideal opportunity to open the discussion with Tobias about ePassports, and their impact on the environment.

Q: Thank you for reaching out to the readership of IDN on this very topical and important issue for the ID and secure document industry. Let’s step right into the details. Can you explain how ePassports contribute to climate change and what steps are being taken by Veridos to address this issue?

A: At Veridos, we are aware of the impact of our activities on the environment.

With regard to ePassports, for example, the procurement of raw materials, production and disposal, like all manufactured goods, contribute to CO2 emissions – it is meanwhile standard to split the total CO2 emissions therefore in categories or scopes: Scope 1 emissions from our own combustion processes, Scope 2 emissions from purchased energy and Scope 3, covering all upstream and downstream activities related to our products.

Therefore, from the use of renewable energy sources to the implementation of a zero-waste to landfill policy, we believe it is essential. It is a journey, but one that we are committed to for the good of our planet.

Q: What specific sustainability targets has Veridos set and how do they plan to achieve them?

A: At Veridos, we’re not just setting targets, we’re aiming for transformation. We constantly find new ways of creating, delivering, and capturing value by acknowledging that sustainability is the most suitable way of doing business in the future. We’re committed to significantly reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, continuing to make use of renewable energy, and striving for zero waste to landfill in the mid-term.

We’re also on a mission to transform our complete product portfolio, aiming for a revenue share of 75% from green products by 2040. It’s very ambitious, but we believe it’s achievable and we can only contribute to limiting global warming with ambitious goals and decisive measures.

Q: When I spoke to Dr Thywissen in March, he mentioned the work that Veridos Matsoukis is doing to reduce its impact on the environment. How significant is the role of Veridos Matsoukis in the production of global identity documents and what makes it a role model in terms of environmental friendliness?

A: Our production facility, Veridos Matsoukis, is not just a key producer of global identity documents, it’s a beacon of environmental friendliness. It’s leading the way by already sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources and implementing a robust waste management system. It’s a model we’re proud of and aim to replicate across all our operations.

Q: Can you tell us more about the waste management system and recycling concept?

A: The waste management system at Veridos Matsoukis is a testament to our commitment to sustainability. It’s designed for maximum efficiency and minimum environmental impact.

We recycle as much as possible, and any waste that can’t be recycled is responsibly disposed of. It’s a system that aligns with our commitment to sustainability and one we’re looking to implement across the board.

But it is not only about the amount of waste but also the type of materials that we use for production. Circular Economy is one of the key principles we have in mind when optimising value chains here.

Q: As a member of the UN Global Compact, how does Veridos integrate sustainability into its corporate strategy and operations?

A: Veridos has been a member of the UN Global Compact since 2021; that makes sustainability not just a buzzword for us, it’s an integral part of our strategy.

We’re continuously looking for ways to optimise our production, infrastructure, and supply chain to lessen our ecological impact. We’re also focusing on sustainable technologies and transitioning to green products and solutions.

It’s a holistic approach to doing business in a sustainable way.

Q: I understand that you have been conducting an analysis of the carbon footprint of an ePassport. Can you elaborate on its findings?

A: We have learned a lot from the analysis we performed on the CO2 emission of ePassports in our production. Taking into account the whole lifecycle of an ePassport, less than 10% of the CO2 emission is caused by the production. The other 90% falls into life cycle components of raw material procurement, transportation and disposal.

Changing materials is difficult in a very standardised environment but, in combination with choosing the right mode of transport, is crucial for bringing the emissions down. We believe that under the right circumstances it will be possible to reduce the CO2 footprint of an ePassport by half, maybe even more.

But gathering the correct data is still a challenge, especially when it comes to third party data. That’s why Veridos aims for an alliance, joining forces with other stakeholders in the ePassport ecosystem to team up for sustainability.

Taking into account the data that we have at our disposal, we gained a valuable insight: an ePassport’s carbon footprint is evident. This finding is shaping our efforts to create a greener ePassport, one that embodies our commitment to sustainability while fulfilling its essential function.

Q: What are the key features of the green ePassport that Veridos plans to develop and how will it contribute to reducing the company’s environmental impact?

A: By 2024, we aim to start mass production of green ePassports that epitomise our commitment to sustainability. These passports will incorporate efficient state of the art manufacturing processes, alternative green materials, and offer in addition modes of transportation with low CO2 impact.

As mentioned before, we recognise that our ability to create such a product is highly dependent on the sustainable offerings of our suppliers and this is why we are actively including our suppliers into our ESG strategy to ensure that they align with our environmental goals. This collaborative approach is a significant step towards reducing our ecological impact and a testament to our belief that sustainability and functionality can go hand in hand.

We also hope that based on each company’s efforts finally the whole industry will be transformed towards more economical friendly behavior.

Q: Can you discuss Veridos’ long-term target of transforming its portfolio to majority green products and solutions by 2040, and how it plans to achieve this?

A: Our goal for 2040 is ambitious but achievable: transform our portfolio to generate 75% of our revenue from green products. We’re confident that with our commitment to sustainability and collaboration with other stakeholders in the ePassport ecosystem, we can turn this goal into reality.

It’s not just about us, but about creating a sustainable future for all. Our hope is that with our efforts we contribute to this new industrial revolution towards a more sustainable future since this is the ultimate global demand!

After concluding the interview with Tobias, I was invited to the Visitor Centre to watch a 360° in-the-round glimpse of Veridos’ vision of the future of legal identity, improved traveller experience and future-proofing government issued ID documents.

Through each of these themes there was a central message of whatever the future holds, sustainability was a fundamental value to be upheld. No more so than the room I was in, which I found out was repurposed from its previous incarnation as part of a secure printing facility.