From left to right: Björn Mehlinger, Heinrich Sülzle, Holger Klein, Clara Decker-Haßdenteufel, Suljo Candic, Till Wäschle

CO2-neutralised reinforcing steel for Lebenshilfe Zollernalb foundation

30.03.2023

Social task

At its business location in Fischerstraße 20 in Balingen, Lebenshilfe Zollernalb is creating additional storage space, expanding its carpentry workshop and creating space for circuit board assembly and electronics production on the upper floor. People with and without disabilities are to work together in this building at eye level and shape their future independently.

Sustainably implemented

A good ecological balance is not only important in the energy concept, but also in the selection of sustainable building materials. CO2-neutralised reinforcing steel from SÜLZLE Stahlpartner is therefore used for the structural work. SÜLZLE has committed itself to sustainable business and has set itself the task of reducing and compensating for climate-relevant emissions. In this respect, it was clear for Lebenshilfe to realise the construction project with the first rebar distributor in Germany to publish a sustainability report.

SÜLZLE is accordingly aware of its responsibility to keep the carbon footprint of its upstream suppliers as low as possible. SÜLZLE mostly procures reinforcing steel from electric steel production, which already means a reduction of the CO2 footprint by approx. 70 % compared to conventional production in the blast furnace. In addition, SÜLZLE purchases its reinforcing steel from specially selected suppliers. This means that the CO2 footprint can be reduced by a further approx. 30 % compared to the standard electric steel production. In the case of CO2-neutralised reinforcing steel, the emissions that cannot currently be reduced are offset by compensation. The climate protection contribution made by Lebenshilfe per tonne of reinforcing steel is used to promote projects with a positive effect on the global CO2 balance. This is confirmed by a certificate that Heinrich Sülzle handed over to the Chairman of the Board of the Lebenshilfe Zollernalb Foundation, Mr Holger Klein, on 29 March 2023.

Regional cooperation

Local family businesses from the Zollernalb district such as SÜLZLE and Decker are valuable and obvious partners for this. Clara Decker-Haßdenteufel from the shell construction company Decker, Heinrich Sülzle from the group of companies of the same name and Holger Klein from Lebenshilfe Zollernalb agree that preserving the ecological foundations of life and aligning ourselves with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are fundamental to achieving the UN’s Agenda 2030. Sustainability is ultimately the prerequisite for our social stability and also for our economic performance in the coming decades.

The energy concept for this extension includes a geothermal heat pump and, in addition to a photovoltaic system on the roof, a large car park canopy with another photovoltaic system. In this respect, climate-relevant emissions are reduced and compensated for during the shell construction, but also later during operation, and fossil fuels are avoided as far as possible. It is good that social issues are being sustainably designed and regionally implemented here.

Welcome to the future workshop!