Three-year comparison

Transparent figures

The GRI Guidelines require numerous aspects to be met in sustainability reporting. Apart from clear information on targets, measures and processes, the company has to collect and publish detailed figures.

This includes, for example, data on energy consumption, wastewater volume and staff composition. These are each allocated to defined topics and disclosures, producing a code based on a combination of numbers and letters. For example, the code for the topic “Energy” is GRI 302. In accordance with GRI standards, this GRI disclosure comprises various disclosures and compulsory requirements on reporting on the topic of energy such as “energy consumption within the organisation”, “energy consumption outside of the organisation” and “energy intensity”. The individual codes for these disclosures are: GRI 302-1 (energy consumption within), GRI 302-2 (energy consumption outside) and GRI 302-3 (energy intensity).

Moreover, the Uelzena Group – in compliance with GRI – has defined its own disclosures and allocated them to existing topics to make the additional key figures transparent for the organisation and to enable a better assessment by third parties. For instance, the topic “Economic performance” has been expanded to include the Uelzena disclosures UG 201-MG (milk price paid) and UG 201-EK (equity ratio) and a chronological comparison.

The Uelzena Group has already published the standard economic key figures and details on raw materials in its Annual Report. Here is an overview.

OVERVIEW OF KEY INDICATORS OF THE GROUP

Disclosure

 

 

2020

2021

2022


 

Receipt of milk raw material

MKG

773

788

827

UG-MG

Milk price payments

CENT/KG

31.57

35.44

53.82

102-7

Turnover

MEUR

670

766

1077

 

Annual net profit

MEUR

7.86

6.74

7.62

102-7

Employees (until Dec 31)

TOTAL

781

790

832

102-7

Liabilities

MEUR

130

171

219

UG-EK

Equity ratio

PERCENT (%)

38.6

34.4

30.9

102-7

Balance sheet total

MEUR

246

297

359


201-1

Direct economic value generated

MEUR

677

768

1082

 

Distributed economic value

MEUR

661

754

1114

 

Retained economic value

MEUR

16

14

-32


Comments

Annual average milk price for unprocessed milk paid to the member companies of Uelzena eG (UG-MG): 2022 the milk suppliers were paid a milk price for raw milk (4.0% fat, 3.4% protein) of 53.82 euro cents per kilogram (ex ramp dairy, without VAT). This is significantly more than in the previous year (35.44 cents/kg). In the reporting year, the milk payout of Uelzena eG is 0.38 euro cents above the North German average.

Revenues (sub-indicator GRI 102-7): The consolidated group turnover for 2022 increased significantly compared with the previous year: from around 766 million euros to around 1.077 billion euros. The background to this positive sales development is above all the price increases on the sales markets

Equity ratio (UG-EK): At 30.9 percent, the equity ratio in 2022 remained below the previous year's level. This development is also attributed to revenue reserves from the successful business year. Sufficient equity is one objective for the Uelzena Group because a sound financial foundation is important for the implementation of its strategic plans for the future. And the higher the equity ratio, the higher the assessment of financial stability, which strengthens the credit rating of the company.

Value generated and distributed (GRI 201-1): The generated value has increased from 2021 to 2022. The retained value also increased from 754 to 1.114 billion euros. 

RAW MATERIAL AND MATERIAL INPUT (IN TONNES)

Disclosure

 

2020

2021

2022


301-1

Agricultural and product related materials1

 

 

 

 

Dairy raw materials and semi-finished goods2

749,911

783,085

826,706

 

      of which raw milk

664,818

695,379

743,676

 

      of which cream

66,960

69,636

64,047

 

      of which skimmed milk and buttermilk concentrate

18,084

17,967

18,366

 

      of which skimmed milk/buttermilk/milk permeates

49

101

617

 

Non-dairy raw materials and semi-finished goods2

26,584

32,624

37,147

 

Packaging material (total)

4,593

3,834

4,252

301-2

      Packaging material from recycled materials

37.9 %

47 %

42 %


Comments
Footnotes

Materials used (GRI 301-1): The quantity of milk raw materials including semi-finished products increased again from 783,085 tons in 2021 to 826,706 tons in 2022. The volume of non-dairy raw materials including semi-finished goods also increased from 32,624 tons to 37,147 tons.

Recycled input materials used (GRI 301-2): In 2022 - compared to the previous year - less recycled packaging material was used. The percentage share fell from 47 percent to 42 percent. The total amount of packaging material increased to 4,252 tons.

1 100% of the quantities of the product-related procurement material groups have been considered as long as they were recorded in kg. No information is provided for adjuvant and process materials because the amount sourced have been considered to be negligible.
2 New allocation of semi-finished goods from 2016

PRODUCT SALES (IN TONNES)

Disclosure

 

2020

2021

2022


 

Butter, butterfat, premix

48,596

50,060

48,894

 

Cheese

31,697

31,801

30,830

 

Milk powder

85,926

85,241

77,384

 

Delicatessen, sweetened condensed milk

24,387

26,541

24,332

 

Specialty products1

36,288

42,514

46,899

102-7

Total sales of main product groups

226,895

236,157

228,339


Comments
Footnotes

Quantity of products provided/sales (sub-indicator to GRI 102-7): Total sales in the main product groups decreased slightly from 2021 (236,157 tons) to 2022 (228,339 tons).

1 Summary of instant beverages, health products, specialty dry products and contract drying

ENVIRONMENT & PRODUCTION – ENERGY

Disclosure

 

 

2020

2021

2022


302-1

Energy consumption within the organisation

 

 

 

 

 

Gas purchased

KWH

254,696,040

243,554,787

253,292,689

 

Electricity purchased

KWH

8,990,123

11,410,691

10,633,150

 

Electricity sold

KWH

2,501,371

1,565,058

5,440,594

 

Energy input1

KWH

261,184,792

253,400,420

258,485,245


302-3

Energy intensity based on energy input

KWH/KG

1.356

1.246

1.209

 

      of this gas

KWH/KG

1.323

1.197

1.184

 

      of this electricity

KWH/KG

0.034

0.048

0.024

 

Production quantities for all Uelzena sites2

TONNES

192,554

203,399

213,886


305-1
305-2

Total direct and indirect greenhouse emissions

TONNES

29,526

31,089

29,000


305-4

Intensity of greenhouse gas emissions3

KG/KG

0.153

0.153

0.136


305-5

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

 

 

 

 

 

Referred to base year 2012

TONNES

-21,715

-20,152

-22,241

 

 

RELATIVE

-42.4 %

-39.3 %

-43.4 %

 

Referred to the production quantity in kg (intensity)

KG/KG

-0.140

-0.141

-0.158

 

 

RELATIVE

-47.7 %

-47.9 %

-53.8 %


Comments
Footnotes

Energy consumption within the organisation (GRI 302-1): Absolute energy consumption increased slightly from 253,400,420 kWh in 2020 to 258,485,245 kWh in 2021. In turn, the energy consumption per production ton and the energy intensity (GRI 302-3) decreased slightly. Instead of 1.246 kWh/kg in 2021, it was 1.209 kWh/kg in 2022.

Total direct and indirect greenhouse emissions (GRI 305-1 and 305-2): Absolute greenhouse gas emissions decreased slightly compared to the previous year - from 31,089 tons to 29,000 tons. The greenhouse gas intensity (GRI 305-4) has improved and is 0.136 kg/kg. The absolute value of the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in relation to the base year 2012 (GRI 305-5) has also improved compared to the previous year.

1 Purchased energy minus sold energy; energy use without marginal consumption of heating oil
2 Production quantities not consolidated but stated additively. The energy intensity based on energy input is higher than the energy intensity calculated based on consumption (energy input incl. own electricity x efficiency = energy consumption).
3 CO2 emission referred to the production quantity in kg

ENVIRONMENT & PRODUCTION – WATER AND EFFLUENTS

Disclosure

 

 

2020

2021

2022


303-3

Total water removal by source

 

 

 

 

 

Water consumption, total

M3

1,196,875

1,189,964

1,151,713

 

      of this wells

M3

994,225

978,324

922,770

 

      of this municipal

M3

202,650

211,640

228,943

 

Water consumption per tonne of product produced

M3 / TONNE

6.22

5.85

5.38


303-4

Waste water volume1

M3

916,462

840,766

797,361

 

Waste water volume per tonne of product produced

M3 / TONNE

4.76

4.13

3.73

 

Waste water load in kg COD per tonne of product produced

KG / TONNE

8.65

8.15

10.00


303-5

Total water consumption

M3

280,413

349,198

354,352

 

Total water consumption per tonne of product produced

M3 / TONNE

1.46

1.72

1.66


Comments
Footnotes

Total water consumption (GRI 303-5) increased from 349,198 m3 to 354,352 m3. In contrast, total consumption per ton of product has decreased slightly, from 1.72 m3/t in 2021 to 1.66 m3/t in 2022. The reasons for this are the increased processing of raw milk as well as a higher volume of product changes, which required more cleaning operations in contract drying. In addition, ongoing construction activities also contributed to this result.

Total wastewater volume (GRI 303-4): At 797,361 m3 , the volume of wastewater in 2022 was again lower than in the previous year (840,766 m3). The volume of wastewater per ton of product produced also improved: from 4.13 m3/t (2021) to 3.73 m3/t.

1 Waste water only for the Uelzen and Bismark sites; waste water quantities for the Ratzeburg site are negligibly small; Warmsen site has its own sewage treatment plant

ENVIRONMENT & PRODUCTION – WASTE

Disclosure

 

 

2020

2021

2022


306-2

Total weight of waste by type and method of disposal

 

 

 

 

 

Total weight of waste

TONNES

1,379.11

1,318.67

1,635.13

 

      of that waste that is independent from the production quantity1

TONNES

57.51

36.31

127.53

 

      of that waste that is dependent on the production quantity

TONNES

1,321.60

1,282.36

1,507.6

 

            of this recyclable

TONNES

1,120.52

1,083.08

1,320.44

 

            of this not recyclable

TONNES

201.08

199.28

187.16

 

            percentage of recyclable waste

RELATIVE

84.8 %

84.5 %

87.6 %

 

Total waste that is dependent on the production quantity

per product produced

KG/TONNE

6.86

6.3

7.05


Comments
Footnotes

Total weight of waste by type and method of disposal (GRI 306-2): The total weight of waste increased from 1,318.67 tons in 2021 to 1,635.13 tons in 2022. The share of recyclable waste based on production volume in 2022 was further increased to 87.6 percent.

1 Waste which is independent from the production quantity includes construction waste, garden waste and outdated files

EMPLOYEES – TOTAL, CONTRACT TYPE, TURNOVER

Disclosure

 

2020

2021

2022


102-7

Total

781

790

832

 

      Female

239

236

250

 

      Male

542

554

582


102-8-a

Permanent employment

700

712

743

 

      Female

208

212

224

 

      Male

492

500

519

 

Temporary employment

28

29

34

 

      Female

15

11

9

 

      Male

13

18

25

 

Apprenticeship/internship

53

49

55

 

      Female

37

13

17

 

      Male

16

36

38


102-8-c

Full time

726

737

743

 

      Female

188

190

196

 

      Male

538

547

576

 

Part time

55

53

60

 

      Female

50

46

53

 

      Male

5

7

7


401-1-a

Newly hired employees1 2 3

66

52

72

 

      Female

24

20

14

 

      Male

42

32

58

 

of them aged less 30

26

17

25

 

of them aged between 30 and 50

32

23

44

 

of them aged over 50

8

12

3


401-1-b

Employee Turnover1 2 3

59

62

68

 

      Female

22

23

19

 

      Male

37

39

49

 

of them aged less than 30

20

19

17

 

of them aged between 30 and 50

21

17

27

 

of them aged over 50

18

26

24


Comments
Footnotes

Total number of employees (GRI 102-7) and total number of new employee hires: The Uelzena Group's business is growing. Coupled with this development, the number of employees is also increasing. In 2022, the total workforce increased by 42 to a total of 832 employees.

The employee turnover rate (GRI 401-1-b) increased slightly from 7.85 percent in the previous year to 8.17 percent in 2022.

1 Employee-related performance indicators refer to all employees and sites of the Uelzena Group. Headcount is known.
2 Sites are located within Germany, therefore no breakdown by region.
3 Apprentices and interns not included.

EMPLOYEES – LOST DAYS AND TRAINING

Disclosure

 

2020

2021

2022


403-9

Number of fatalities as a result of work-related injury

0

0

0

 

Rate of recordable work-related injuries1

31.5

30.5

24.9


403-10

Lost days per employee due to accidents or occupational diseases

0.56

0.65

0.66


404-1

Average hours per year per employee for training and further education

3

2.5

8.5


UG-DA

Average age of the staff in years

41.1

38.8

40.8


UG-BZ

Average period of employment in years

11.1

12.7

11.5


Comments
Footnotes

The rate of work-related injuries (GRI 403-9) decreased to 24.9 in 2022. In the previous year, this was 30.5. As in previous years, there were no fatalities due to work-related injuries in 2022.

The average annual hours per employee spent on training (GRI 404-1) was 8.5 hours in 2022, significantly higher than in previous years. This was primarily due to the fact that during the Corona pandemic, a large percentage of digital education and training was not recorded.

The average period of employment (UG-BZ) fell slightly again in 2022 - from 12.7 years in the previous year to 11.5 years.

1404-9: Rate is the number of lost time injuries (1 day and more) per 1 million hours worked (Lost Time Injury Rate (LTIR)).

PROPORTION OF REGIONAL SUPPLIERS IN TOTAL MATERIAL EXPENSES

Disclosure

 

2020

2021

2022


204-1

Proportion of regional suppliers in total material expenses

 

 

 

 

Packaging material1

81 %

80 %

76 %

 

Non-dairy raw materials2 incl. semi-finished goods

65 %

65 %

50 %

 

Dairy raw materials3 incl. semi-finished goods

81 %

77 %

79 %


 

Total material expenses of the Uelzena Group

79 %

76 %

76 %


 

Proportion of regional services in total service expenses

20 %

17 %

18 %


UG-RBM

Proportion of regionally procured milk raw materials

94 %

94 %

95 %


Comments
Footnotes

Percentage of expenses to suppliers local to the operation (GRI 204-1): 76 percent of spending on agricultural raw materials and packaging materials goes to regional suppliers, such as milk producers or sugar producers. This corresponds to the previous year's figure. 18 percent of the Uelzena Group's spending on services in 2022 will go to local suppliers. That is one percent more than in 2021.

Percentage of expenses to suppliers local to the operation (UG-RBM): Traditionally, the Uelzena Group procures a very high share of dairy raw materials from local sources. In 2022, similar to the previous year, it was 95 percent. Minor fluctuations in this value are normal and do not indicate a general trend. The Uelzena eG is a cooperatively organised dairy. Liquid milk raw materials are particularly important. The quantity of milk raw materials delivered by the members who hold cooperative shares determines – in addition to the reserves – the amount of equity.  This indicator is important for several groups of stakeholders; it also serves to determine regional sourcing. In contrast, GRI 204-1 is defined and accounted for by the GRI organisation as a value share. Uelzena eG therefore uses two similar indicators in order to cater for all information requirements.

1 Regional supplier for packaging materials: Germany: headquarters of the supplier is decisive
2 Regional supplier for non-dairy raw materials: Raw materials and semi-finished goods of suppliers headquartered in Germany
3 Regional supplier for dairy raw materials: 150 km radius around production sites of the Uelzena Group

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