Aerial view of the mountainous landscape in Jotunheimen National Park with forests and a crystal-clear river
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Sustainability goals: What has KSB achieved so far?

 

In 2019, KSB set out a number of sustainability goals to achieve by 2025, ranging from lower carbon emissions and increased training hours for employees to improved occupational health and safety. Now it is time to assess what progress the company has made and to draw up new initiatives: What has KSB achieved, where is there still room for improvement – and what are the new goals for 2030?

Sustainability goals: What has KSB achieved so far?

Infographic KSB’s direct emissions as bar chart:Direct emissions decreased to 62% of the 2018 base year figure from 2019to2024.

Goal achieved: KSB reduced its direct and energy-related indirect greenhouse gas emissions compared with the base year of 2018.

One of the most important environmental goals set in 2019(opens in a new tab): To reduce global carbon emissions from KSB’s plants by 30 percent compared with 2018. Not only did KSB meet this target, it achieved it earlier than planned. By 2024, the company had already reduced its emissions by 38 percent. KSB has therefore set itself new climate targets and made them even more wide-reaching. Compared with the new base year of 2024, the goal is to reduce emissions resulting directly from the company’s own operations or from the use of purchased energy by 25.2 percent by 2030. This calculation now also takes into account other sources of emissions, such as the company’s vehicle fleet. KSB is already on track to meet this goal: In 2025, emissions were already around 24 percent lower than in 2024.
Another new addition is a target for indirect emissions in KSB’s value chain, either occurring with suppliers or during the operation of pumps and valves sold to customers – so-called Scope 3 emissions. The goal is to achieve a 15 percent reduction by 2030 compared with 2024. At present, the figure is developing in the wrong direction: In 2025, recorded Scope 3 emissions were around four percent higher than the 2024 base value, which is primarily due to increased pump sales.
KSB has set out further goals: Through efficient design and by advising customers, the target is for KSB water pumps sold to save at least 26 gigawatt-hours of energy annually by 2030. A recent example of an energy-efficient pump is the MultiTec Plus, which was launched in 2025 boasting an unrivalled efficiency of over 83 percent*. KSB has been able to show that 1.28 gigawatt-hours of energy were saved in this way in 2025. Another goal is for power station pumps sold by KSB to reduce emissions by 40 percent during their service phase.
* For acceptance grade 1U to ISO 9906
Biomass heating system at the KSB heating station in Frankenthal with a visible flame in the combustion chamber

Climate-friendly energy supply

A prime example of how KSB is reducing its greenhouse gas emissions is the supply of heat at the company’s Frankenthal location. Since 2023, KSB has been using old wooden crates and damaged pallets as fuel. The generated heat is distributed via a local heating network to the production halls, offices, the hot water supply and paint shop drying systems. Thanks to this sustainable approach, KSB generates around 3.7 million kilowatt-hours of heat from waste wood each year, according to the company’s calculations avoiding some 900 tonnes of carbon emissions.
KSB is also increasing the proportion of renewable energy in its energy supply at other locations. In Halle, a photovoltaic system is already helping to supply electricity. Further systems are being built in Pegnitz. Solar energy systems are planned for the roofs of the new buildings in Frankenthal as part of the expansion of Eta pump production. In addition, KSB is switching its German locations entirely to green electricity. Worldwide, the proportion of renewable electricity is being increased at all locations.

Employees: Promoting development and improving working conditions

Still room for improvement: Average number of training hours per employee per year

Infographic showing the number of training hours per employee at KSB: Increase from 14 hours (2019) to 26 hours (2025).

To ensure the well-being of its employees, KSB attaches great importance to training and professional development, which opens up career development opportunities and helps to promote equal opportunities. In 2019, KSB employees completed an average of 13.6 hours of training per year. The target was at least 30 hours by 2025. With an average of 26 hours in 2024 and 2025, the target was narrowly missed. The goal is now to ensure more than 32 hours of training per employee per year by 2030.
KSB measures employee loyalty and satisfaction using an engagement score based on employee surveys. The engagement score rose from 57 percent in 2019 to 65 percent in 2022 and 77 percent in 2024. The target of 80 percent which was set for 2025 has therefore not yet been achieved. As the survey is conducted every two years, no data is available for 2025; the next survey is scheduled for autumn 2026.
KSB is also committed to increasing the proportion of women in management positions. In 2025, the figure was 14 percent across all management positions. By 2030, the aim is for women to account for at least 15 percent at the first management level below Group Management, 18 percent at the second management level below Group Management and 15 percent of management as a whole. This target is to be supported by an international women’s network and targeted recruitment and training initiatives.
By 2025, KSB's goal was to reduce the number of working days lost due to occupational accidents to fewer than 0.3 days per employee per year. This target was achieved with a figure of 0.23 days. In future, KSB will use the Lost Time Injury Rate (LTIR), which calculates occupational accidents in terms of lost time per million working hours. In 2025, the rate was 9.91; the new target is a maximum of 7.
Several KSB employees during a training and development session with training materials in a seminar room.

Training promotes equal opportunities

The KSB SupremeServ Academy makes an important contribution to KSB’s social sustainability goals. By providing the company’s technical training and professional development worldwide, it supports the goal of being among the top 25 percent of companies with regard to training and professional development by 2030. Under the motto “Learning with passion”, the academy combines professional training with practical learning methods. At ten locations, employees and customers receive training on topics ranging from traditional pump technology to digital products and diagnostic procedures. In workshops and test facilities, participants can work directly on pumps, simulate faults and put their knowledge into practice. The in-person training courses are supplemented by digital and hybrid formats as well as individually tailored learning modules and knowledge tests. The training offered by the academy helps KSB to support employees in their career development and promotes equal opportunities.

Supply chain: Identifying sustainability risks more effectively

Infographic of the percentage of suppliers assessed for sustainability risks:The figure increased from 50%(2020) to 100%(2024)

Goal achieved: Number of suppliers assessed for sustainability risks

The supply chain is important for a company’s sustainability because a substantial part of its impact on the environment and people can be traced back to its suppliers, for example as a result of pollution, energy consumption or human rights risks. One of the goals set in 2019 was therefore to assess 90 percent of the company’s key regional and global suppliers with regard to potential sustainability risks. In 2024, KSB carried out a general risk analysis for 100 percent of these suppliers.
For 2030, KSB has defined its targets in greater detail to ensure compliance with the legal and formal requirements for sustainability reporting. The new target is easier to measure: Every year, 400 existing suppliers are to be assessed for potential risks relating to environmental, social and corporate governance issues. In 2025, 196 suppliers were assessed, which means that just under half of the annual target was achieved.
KSB is also pursuing further goals in connection with its supply chain: Employees who have significant supplier contact are to receive regular training on aspects of sustainability to ensure that new suppliers meet KSB’s sustainability criteria and that orders are placed in accordance with the KSB Code of Conduct. By the end of 2025, a total of 191 out of 1,120 employees with significant supplier contact had received training for the period 2023 to 2025 – around 17 percent. The long-term goal is for all employees with significant supplier contact to receive sustainability training every three years.

2030 sustainability goals at a glance

Icon for KSB’s sustainability targets for the environment, the supply chain and employees, showing specific targets for 2030

Environment

KSB reduces its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25.2 percent (Scope 1 & 2) and 15 percent (material Scope 3 categories) compared with 2024.
Renewable energy accounts for more than 80 percent of KSB’s electricity consumption.
Water pumps sold by KSB save at least 26 gigawatt-hours of energy annually.
Power station pumps sold by KSB reduce greenhouse gas emissions during operation by 40 percent compared with 2024.
Icon for KSB’s sustainability targets for the environment, the supply chain and employees, showing specific targets for 2030

Supply chain

KSB assesses the potential sustainability risks of more than 400 current suppliers every year.
New KSB suppliers meet KSB’s sustainability standards.
All KSB purchase orders comply with the KSB Code of Conduct or a comparable code.
All KSB employees with significant supplier contact participate in sustainability training every three years.
Icon for KSB’s sustainability targets for the environment, the supply chain and employees, showing specific targets for 2030

Employees

Women make up at least 15 percent of managers at the first and at least 18 percent at the second management level below Group Management. The overall proportion of women in all management positions across the Group is at least 15 percent.
KSB is one of the leading companies with regard to training and professional development: Every employee completes an average of more than 32 hours of training per year.
The rate of occupational accidents resulting in lost time per million working hours is below seven (Lost Time Injury Rate).
The employee engagement index is more than 75 percent.

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