Generation-friendly and environmentally friendly

As a mining company, we see ourselves as having a special responsibility towards nature and the people who live in the immediate vicinity of our plants. We try to minimise the impact of noise and dust, for example.

We not only compensate for our impact on nature within the framework of legal regulations, but also take measures that go well beyond this.

Close cooperation and good collaboration with the neighbouring towns and municipalities is a matter of course for us. Wherever possible, we try to strengthen the partnership-based dialogue and mutual acceptance between society and industry.

Our areas of sustainability

We represent five strong values, act on an equal footing with our customers and take responsibility for our employees and the environment.

Environmental Protection Occupational Safety Decarbonization Employees Social Engagement
  • Environmental Protection
  • Occupational Safety
  • Decarbonization
  • Employees
  • Social Engagement

  • How we use resources

    Lime is a finite resource. That’s why we treat it with care. Our aim is to increase the yield from the extracted material while minimising our impact on nature. We also pay attention to the consumption of groundwater and drinking water and utilise service water in a cycle.

  • Immission control

    Noise and dust are generated during the operation of a lime works. We take numerous measures to minimise the impact on people and the environment. These include night-time quiet, noise protection for installations and blasting and regular noise measurements.

  • Renaturation

    At sites with open-cast mines, it is not only our duty but also our important concern to carry out renaturalisation and compensation measures. In doing so, we take measures that go far beyond legal requirements. For example, we are heavily involved in reforestation.

  • Biodivercity

    Open-cast mines are habitats that harbour a variety of creatures that would otherwise be hard to find suitable habitats. When dismantling, we take special care to disturb the animals as little as possible.

  • Aquatic ecological monitoring

    Comprehensive monitoring of fish fauna and a macrozoobenthos analysis are used to analyse potential environmental impacts over longer periods of time. In addition, sedimentation basins have been installed to minimise sediment inputs and thus protect the habitat for animals and plants in the long term.

  • Bat monitoring

    Of the 19 bat species currently recorded in Lower Saxony, 17 are found in the study area around the Iberg. The monitoring programme, which has now been running for almost 20 years, is unique in Germany. The winter quarters set up by Fels as a replacement for the Iberg extraction area are a complete success.

  • Occupational safety

    Safety is the top priority! Our 5-pillar model contains a large number of measures and tasks. It covers all internal and external work areas at Fels. Training courses are therefore aimed at 5 target groups: Management, employees, haulage companies, contractors & technology.

  • Vision Zero

    Maintaining the health of all colleagues is Fels’ most important goal. In doing so, we are pursuing “Vision Zero”, i.e. the goal of preventing accidents at work. We focus on building a strong culture of prevention in order to prevent work-related accidents, damage and illness.

  • Safety culture

    Safety is one of the essential values at Fels. For us, a safety culture means fully guaranteeing and permanently maintaining safety in everyone’s daily activities. We actively promote and demand this culture.

  • Communications

    Communication improves occupational safety in the long term! Safety briefings, monthly training sessions and our MyFels employee app regularly remind employees of the dangers of everyday working life, provide tips on how to avoid them and inform them about news and figures.

  • Safety campaigns

    Every year, we organise different safety campaigns for our own and external employees on a key topic. Topics such as “First aid” and “Correct and safe handling of lime” are dealt with regularly. Lorry drivers are also sensitised to special topics such as “blind spots”.

  • Reduce CO2 concentration

    Climate change and global warming are also linked to the increasing concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. We are all called upon to do our bit to reduce the concentration of CO2.

  • Process vs. combustion emissions

    2/3 of CO2 emissions are “hard-to-abate”, 1/3 come from the combustion process. This 30% can be reduced by technical measures depending on the specification and customer requirements. The measures are a central component of our roadmap.

  • Ambitious decarbonisation plan

    By 2030, we will have worked out and adopted firm steps that will reduce our carbon footprint in a concrete and verifiable way. We have set ourselves the goal of reducing our CO2 emissions by 25% by 2030 compared to 2021 and being climate-neutral by 2045.

  • Reduction of fuel-induced emissions

    We use new energy-efficient technologies and optimise the use of fuel in existing systems. In order to improve the ecological footprint of our processes and products, we are focussing on alternative fuels and increased fuel flexibility.

  • Use of energy-efficient technologies

    We reduce fuel consumption to a technically and economically feasible level without compromising our quality standards. CO2 capture, liquefaction, injection and industrial use are measures that are central components of our decarbonisation plan.

  • Use of energy from renewable resources

    Generating the electricity we need produces carbon emissions that account for around 3-4% of our footprint. We will reduce these emissions by 2026 by using 100% green electricity from renewable sources.

  • Working in partnership for a green future

    We work closely with partners and suppliers to generate and use regionally and sustainably self-generated electricity.

  • Framework conditions for the transformation of the industry

    In order to achieve our goals, politicians must create the appropriate framework conditions. This includes, in particular, the provision of funding to support the transformation process of German industry and the creation of a national pipeline infrastructure for CO2 transport.

  • Forward-looking guidelines without a lot of bureaucracy

    Legal requirements must be created to prevent foreign products from entering German markets that originate from processes that emit unabated CO2. Lengthy authorisation procedures and paralysing bureaucratic processes must be accelerated and reduced.

  • A strong training company

    We attach particular importance to the best possible training of our junior staff. In this way, we are giving our colleagues of tomorrow the best possible foundation for their future responsibilities. We integrate our trainees into our teams as fully-fledged members from day one.

  • Training & development

    Qualified and motivated employees are the key to our success. For this reason, our employees receive targeted support and further development through internal and external programmes.

  • Health management

    We attach great importance to the health of our employees. We support them with numerous health management programmes to maintain and promote their health.

  • Inclusion & Diversity

    We stand for openness, tolerance and solidarity with one another. Equal opportunities – regardless of gender, ethnicity and age – are our top priority. Fels sees diversity as a great opportunity to learn from everyone and become better.

  • Fels spirit

    Our employees regularly confirm that we have a familiar working atmosphere. This is also reflected in very long periods of employment. This Fels spirit is also regularly evident at events away from everyday working life.

  • Employee app – MyFels

    With the in-house developed employee app “MyFels”, we keep our colleagues up to date on the latest developments and decisions at Fels. MyFels – Knowing what’s going on.

  • Support for the fire brigade

    We greatly appreciate the efforts of the fire brigade. Fels supports the volunteer fire brigades in the neighbouring communities. For example, we help with the purchase of new equipment, provide time off for our employees who are active in the fire brigade and use our factory premises for emergency drills.

  • Donations for schools and kindergardens

    Supporting projects for children and young people is a matter close to Fels’ heart, because they are the future of our society. We therefore support facilities in communities neighbouring our plants – from daycare centres to secondary schools.

  • Healthy nutrition is essential

    One example is our sponsorship of raised beds for the daycare centre in Elbingerode. In this way, Fels wants to help children learn from an early age how important a healthy and balanced diet with home-grown vegetables is – with lots of fun while digging.

  • Promotion of early musical education

    Early musical education has a positive effect on children’s development. This is why Fels has been supporting the Goslar district music school for many years with the purchase of musical instruments. This means that children from low-income families can also learn to play musical instruments.

  • A wide range of musical projects

    Fels also provides the basis for basic musical education for example at primary schools in Seesen. Every year, up to 80 children benefit from projects such as “Instrument Carousel”, “Musical” and “Rhythmics”.

  • Donations to clubs

    We support numerous voluntary associations, development organisations and charities in the vicinity of our plants. These include the Goslar Community Foundation, DLRG, THW, the `Tafel´ and many more. Children and young people are particularly close to our hearts. Here we help continuously, but also when needed

  • Support for neighbouring municipalities

    Close collaboration and good co-operation with the surrounding towns and municipalities is of great importance to Fels. That is why we are happy to support their projects, which help to make the area more attractive to tourists or expand the infrastructure, for example.

  • Houses for refugees

    In a very successful campaign, Fels employees and other helpers have completely renovated two houses belonging to the company under the motto “Fels & Friends”. These now offer a home to people from Ukraine who have fled the war.

  • “Fels & Friends”: Home sweet (new) home

    The helpers put in countless hours after work and at weekends so that the first house was ready for occupancy after just four weeks and a family of nine was able to move in – an exemplary act of solidarity and humanity by our colleagues.

These topics might interest you

Latest news

Latest news and updates

Products

One stone, many facets

Applications

Wide range of possibilities

Career & Apprenticeship

Job vacancies at Fels