"We are staying on course"
Mar 27, 2026
2025 was a turbulent year, both for the global economy and for global sustainability efforts. Despite this, Munters remains firmly committed to its long-term sustainability targets. We spoke with Andréa Haag, Vice President Sustainability, about this year’s Sustainability Report, the challenges behind the figures, and the road ahead.
In May 2025, Andréa Haag and her team raised a crucial question with the Munters Board of Directors: does the company remain committed to its sustainability targets, not least the ambition to halve emissions by 2030? The answer was clear.
“It was important to confirm that we are staying on course. That clarity allows us to continue integrating sustainability into the business with priority, even in an uncertain environment.,” says Haag.
Three strategic sustainability targets
Munters sustainability work is built around three strategic ESG focus areas: climate, social sustainability, and governance. In 2025, the company’s climate targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The targets are to reduce direct emissions from its own operations (Scope 1 and 2) by 42 percent by 2030, and to reduce emissions from customer use of products (Scope 3, category 11) by 51.6 percent per unit sold.
“Emissions from the use of our products account for more than 90 percent of our total emissions,” says Haag.
Why did emissions increase in 2025?
Despite extensive measures, Munters Scope 1 and 2 emissions increased in 2025. One key explanation is the sharp increase in production within the Data Center Technologies business area, as well as the inauguration of new production facilities in Virginia and Massachusetts. Despite high requirements for energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in the factories, this led to increased energy consumption.
“We have not yet fully succeeded in decoupling revenue growth from emissions growth. The goal is for revenue to continue to increase while emissions decrease. We have started on that journey, as emissions increased by less (+3%) than revenue (+20%),” says Haag.
At the same time, she emphasizes that energy efficiency in both production and products has improved, and that the company continues to invest in transforming its own operations.
In 2025, 91 percent of Munters electricity consumption came from renewable sources, and several of the company’s 22 production facilities have transitioned to renewable energy. However, some sites still rely on an energy mix that includes fossil sources and can therefore be transitioned over time.
“For our own operations, it’s largely about energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy. We continue to explore more local, self-generated energy solutions, but this is capital-intensive and dependent on future cash flows,” she says.
Energy-efficient products, the key to Scope 3
When it comes to Scope 3, the focus is on developing and selling more energy-efficient solutions. During 2024 and 2025, Munters worked on, among other things:
- AI-based optimization
- Heat recovery using heat pumps
- Standby functions that reduce energy consumption
- Electrified solutions replacing natural gas and diesel
An important support tool in sales is a new Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) tool, which shows the total lifecycle cost of a product.
“The tool clearly demonstrates that the most energy-efficient solution is often the most profitable over time, even if the initial investment is higher. It helps our customers reach their Scope 1 and 2 targets and we our Scope 3 targets,” says Haag.
Two additional factors contributing to lower Scope 3 emissions are customers’ use of renewable energy and the continued transition to renewable energy in the countries where the products are used.
Gender equality: “We’re standing still but at a high level”
Munters aims to reach 30 percent female managers and employees by 2030. In 2025, women represented 21 percent of managers and 23 percent of employees.
“Achieving a high share of women is not a goal in itself; it’s about reflecting an ambition to reach the entire pool of brilliant talent,” says Haag.
She highlights India as a concrete example, where simple changes such as providing separate changing rooms for women led to a significant increase in female factory workers.
“It’s not always about access to skills, but about the conditions we create. That’s a perspective we can adopt across the entire Group.”
Code of Conduct and supplier responsibility
Another priority area is compliance with the Code of Conduct, both internally and throughout the supply chain. In 2025, 92 percent of Munters tier-one suppliers had signed the Supplier Code of Conduct, a decrease compared to the previous year, mainly due to acquisitions.
“The target remains 100 percent. Over the year, we have focused on better understanding ESG risks among our most important suppliers and identified areas where we need to work more closely together, for example on human rights and conflict minerals,” says Haag.
Data is the foundation of everything
Reliable data is essential for managing and following up on sustainability efforts. A clear focus going forward is to automate data collection in order to reduce manual work and the risk of errors.
“CSRD has been demanding, but also very useful. It has helped us build a more structured and systematic approach to sustainability together with colleagues across both business areas and group functions,” says Haag.
She concludes:
“Sustainability is not driven by one function alone. It’s a team effort and that’s exactly why I feel confident that we will stay the course and make a real difference for the business, people, and the environment.”
