Policies and Position Statements
Sustainable Development and Climate Change Position Statement
Linde helps customers worldwide improve their environmental performance and reduce their carbon footprint. At the same time, we are committed to minimizing our own environmental resource intensity, including for energy, water and waste. We manage performance through a sustainable development management system with KPIs and targets that are applicable to global operations and our value chain.
Human Rights Policy
Linde is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company and is a major technological innovator in the industrial gases industry with approximately 65,000 employees globally. Linde serves a diverse group of industries across more than 80 countries worldwide, including healthcare, chemicals and energy, manufacturing, metals and mining, food and beverage, and electronics. Linde delivers innovative and sustainable solutions to customers and creates long-term value for its stakeholders. The company achieves its mission of making our world more productive by providing products, technologies and services that help customers improve their economic and environmental performance in a connected world.
Linde’s Position Statement on the Importance of Ecosystems
Linde’s Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policy calls for the company to exhibit behaviors and values that reflect the highest value it places on avoiding harm to people, the environment and the communities in which Linde operate. This commitment includes a commitment to the natural environment.
Water Position Statement
Water scarcity and lack of access to clean water are global challenges affecting individuals, community, and industry, and the availability of water is projected to be further impaired by the effects of climate change. Linde utilizes water in its operations, primarily for cooling processes and in hydrogen production. Linde makes efforts to conserve water and impacts on water are minimized: More than 75 percent of global freshwater withdrawal is returned to its original source, at same or better quality. Responsible management of water is an essential element of Linde’s sustainability strategy.
Linde's Position Statement Regarding Chemicals of Concern
Linde’s commitment to health, safety, and environmental responsibility means that we always act and operate in a way that prevents harm to people, the environment, and the communities in which we operate. Our Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policy calls for the company to exhibit behaviors and values that reflect the high value we place on this commitment . It applies to all Linde employees and contractors and all Linde business activities. We expect all our employees and contractors to conduct themselves at all times in alignment with our values, commitments, and principles in this statement.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Recalculation Policy
Linde has used 2018 as the base year for our greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculations related to SD2028 targets and 2021 as the base year for our greenhouse gas (GHG) emission calculations related to the 2035 target and 2050 climate neutrality ambition. GHG emissions for scope 1 and 2 are per the audited values, as published in its 2021 SD Report, and this inventory is annually presented in each SD Report. In order to accurately track progress towards our GHG intensity targets, we will adjust our base year emissions inventory to account for significant changes, described below, if the changes drive an increase/decrease in emissions of greater than 5%, in accordance with the GHG Protocol guidance Tracking Emissions Over Time. We may also choose to recalculate our baseline for changes less than 5%, especially when structural changes occur.
Responsible Animal Testing Policy
Linde is committed to animal welfare. Animal testing is rarely needed for the manufacture of Linde products or services and our goal is to eliminate animal testing. It may be used only where required by government regulation or as a last resort, when all other options, including searches for computer models, scientific studies, published literature, etc. have been exhausted. Any required animal testing will be reviewed and approved by the Chief Technology Officer. When we determine that scientific animal testing is needed, Linde mandates the humane treatment of animals. We do not conduct any animal testing in our own laboratories. We select laboratories that comply with high standards and applicable government regulations governing laboratory animal care and treatment, such as the U.S. Animal Welfare Act, and that follow procedures set out by standards bodies such as the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care - International, or the National Institutes of Health (Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals), or recognized equivalent standards.
Linde GmbH General Statement
Linde GmbH is subject to the requirements of the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG) and publishes this General Statement for itself and its subsidiaries, on which a determining influence is exercised, and which are herein referenced Linde. Linde GmbH is a company belonging to Linde plc. As such, the Corporate Policies of Linde plc also apply to Linde GmbH and the aforementioned subsidiaries.
Read the full statement (English)
Read the full statement (German)