Ms. Dobritzsch, Lapp describes copper as the key to greater sustainability - what does that mean?

Maria Dobritzsch : The global warming potential (GWP 100) of copper is on average 4.1 kg CO₂e/t of copper cathode according to the International Copper Association ICA. On average, copper is responsible for 88 percent of the total CO₂ footprint of our cable products. In order to slow down global warming, CO₂ emissions must be drastically reduced worldwide. The industry has an enormous responsibility here. Reducing our CO₂ emissions is a major concern for us at Lapp. The raw material copper offers the greatest potential here.

What are the arguments against completely dispensing with copper as a raw material?

Copper is not only a relatively soft material that is easy to process and shape, it is also resistant and extremely durable. What's more, copper is 100 percent recyclable. Copper is an essential raw material for the energy transition and the associated expansion of wind and solar energy.

The demand for copper will continue to increase in the future. Doing without it is therefore unthinkable.

But what could sustainable copper look like?

As already mentioned, copper is 100 percent recyclable. The copper that Lapp purchases worldwide already contains recycled copper scrap. In Germany, the average recycling rate is 55 percent. In view of the increasing demand for copper, however, there is still a lot of potential here. In addition, quality marks for responsible copper production will play an increasingly important role in the future. For example, The Copper Mark, an initiative that recently emerged from the ICA, has set itself the goal of creating a framework and standards for responsible production in the copper industry.

What concrete steps is Lapp taking?

Maria Dobritzsch: "We are planning to participate in 'The Copper Mark' initiative to promote responsible production processes in the copper industry."

© Lapp

The topic of 'green copper' is also becoming increasingly important for Lapp. We are currently in the process of calculating the carbon footprint of various products. With this in mind, we have requested sustainability information on the raw materials supplied from our main suppliers. In addition to quality, price, availability, etc., the provision of this data will play a key role in the selection of suppliers in future. We are also planning to participate in The Copper Mark initiative to promote responsible production processes in the copper industry. Unfortunately, certification is not yet possible.

Then there is the 'Cuprum' project - what is behind it?

Up to now, our production sites have largely organized the purchasing of copper independently. In future, copper purchasing for the LA EMEA region is to be managed centrally. To this end, the 'Cuprum' project - Latin for copper - was launched in 2020 with participants from all European production sites and our Lead Buying Organization. The main aim of the project was to create transparency: Which production site buys what amount of copper from which supplier and why? This information helped us to gain an overview of the various suppliers and the raw materials purchased.