TODAY FOR TOMORROW

TÜV Rheinland has been a signatory to the UN Global Compact since 2006. The signatories to this initiative of the United Nations (UN) commit to upholding ten principles for a more sustainable economy. This includes respect for human rights as well as standards for fair labor practices, protection of the environment and good corporate governance.

TÜV Rheinland is accelerating its energy transition in the Greater China region by implementing various measures, including photovoltaic projects. In so doing, it also actively supports the region’s environmental and climate protection efforts. In the reporting year, photovoltaic systems were installed on the roofs of buildings in Qingdao, Guangdong, Shenzhen and Shanghai. In their first partial year of operation, these systems generated approx. 1,043 MWh of electricity (annualized based on measured production and seasonal benchmarks of comparable locations). This represents an annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of approx. 572 t CO₂eq.

As part of the “Sustainable Testing Center” project, TÜV Rheinland achieved a major milestone in the reporting year: the construction of a new testing center in Germany that is equipped with an innovative and energy-efficient hall heating system. This system is based on infrared technology. The particularly innovative feature of the system at this location is that it can be operated with both electricity and gas. It allows the new testing center to switch flexibly from one energy source to the other, according to availability. Moreover, in early 2026 the heating system will be coupled to a photovoltaic system on the roof of the testing center to maximize the share of electricity consumption from renewable energy.

In mid-2025, the IT department of TÜV Rheinland in Argentina installed a 3D printer. The goal was to make repair and maintenance processes for technical equipment more efficient and to conserve resources. Accompanying waste management training courses gave employees the idea to look for new ways to prevent waste. Applying their technical expertise, they used 3D printing to develop prototypes, spare parts and functional components with which they could repair IT equipment, reduce downtime and extend the service life of the equipment.

Devices that would have been disposed of in the past can now be reconditioned and used again as a result. The project promotes reuse, reduces waste generation, and has significantly decreased the volume of waste electronic and electrical equipment that the site disposes of annually. In addition, the 3D printer was used internally to produce items such as notebook stands and cable reels that facilitate our employees’ work routine.

In March 2025, TÜV Rheinland UK Ltd. closed a testing laboratory in Derbyshire. The shutdown and waste disposal process was carefully planned and efficiently implemented. Particular attention was paid here to the recycling of testing equipment and furnishings. Most of this material was relocated to another TÜV Rheinland laboratory nearby for reuse, or else repurposed or sold to interested parties such as customers. As a result, the expected volume of waste was significantly reduced.

In September 2025, the global employee survey “Together 2.0” was conducted in 47 countries and 20 languages. Out of some 24,000 employees who were invited to participate, a total of 19,153 responded – more than ever before. This represents a participation rate of 79.8% and a substantial increase over the previous survey in 2022 (73.4%). The engagement score of 83% also far exceeded the specified target of 72.5%.

As a complement to the engagement score, the results of the “Employee Net Promoter Score” (eNPS) indicate the degree to which employees would recommend TÜV Rheinland as an employer. In 2025, TÜV Rheinland achieved a new record high eNPS value (32 points), which was a significant improvement over 2022. The survey results also indicated that quality and safety are particularly important to our employees.