Sustainability at Paulmann

    Social commitment, environmental responsibility and sustainable corporate governance all play a major role at the family-owned and operated Paulmann company. We employ a holistic sustainability strategy which includes ecological, economic and social aspects in equal measures. Our goal is to fulfil the many requirements of our customers for convenient and customisable lighting options and to give them a feel-good ambiance in their everyday lives. At the same time, we take responsibility and strive to protect our climate and the environment long-term. That is why we are continuously reviewing and revising how light is used and develop lamps and luminaires that support ever more energy-conscious and resource-saving applications. But sustainability at Paulmann extends well beyond the development and manufacture of our products. We are committed to working on Paulmann’s role as a company and on our impact on the three pillars of sustainability with a clear focus on reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). We believe that a well thought-out sustainability strategy is going to make a difference and positively impact society and the economy.


    Paulmann takes a holistic approach to sustainability based on the three-pillar model of sustainable development – find out more below.

    Social Commitment

    As a family-owned and operated company, we assume responsibility for all Paulmann employees and their families. As part of an active dialogue, we explore ways on how everybody at Paulmann can contribute to more sustainability. A robust ethics framework forms the foundation for mutually respectful exchange and unites us in our common commitment. With our active health management, for example, we promote employee health with engaging training videos or our e-bike leasing offering.

    Find out more about our Social Commitment

    Environmental Responsibility

    As part of our efforts to protect people and the environment, social, entrepreneurial and ecological standards are important factors for us in the manufacture of our lamps and luminaires, our packaging and the shipping of our products. We continue to strive towards ever more environmentally friendly production and sustainable operations. This also includes calculating our Corporate Carbon Footprint, which allows us to take conscious action to further reduce our emissions going forward.

    Find out more about our Environmental Responsibility

    Economy & Governance

    Sustainable business operations – with high-quality materials, fair wages, career building opportunities for employees, informative training courses and apprenticeships for the next generation of employees as well as investment to strengthen the overall business model – are just as important for ensuring a holistic sustainability strategy. Here, Paulmann has convened an interdisciplinary project group to ensure the implementation of these efforts. As a member of UN Global Compact, Paulmann also submits an annual progress report.

    Find out more about Economy & Governance

    Social Commitment – Paulmann’s contribution

    At Paulmann, we see ourselves as one big family – a fact that is reflected in the DNA of this family-owned and operated company. Supporting equal opportunities and the common good are at the core of our company culture. We put the health and satisfaction of our employees and customers first and work together towards our common goals. We are committed to actively take responsibility vis-a-vis the communities we touch and to lead by example. That is why Paulmann has been sponsoring various local charities and projects for children and teenagers in the Hannover-Hildesheim-Hameln region for years.


    Find out more about the various organisations and projects we sponsor on our Social Commitment page.

    Paulmann-Mitarbeiter über Maßnahmen vor Ort:

    Every measure helps

    “We are pursuing a wide variety of projects to make our company location in Völksen more sustainable. We not only take on large projects, but also lots of small ones. For example, we inform our colleagues via our intranet about green search engines or how to heat rooms properly in winter.” Saskia Krolop, Content Manager

    A sustainable outdoor area for flora and fauna

    “We rely on economical LED light sources with warm white, insect-friendly light for our outdoor lighting. In addition, a 4,500m² flower meadow and numerous insect hotels contribute to the preservation of native flora and fauna.” Ralf Pusch, Head of Logistics 

    Sustainability on the road

    "We support our employees in using sustainable means of public and private transport. The Paulmann site is only a few minutes’ walk from Völksen/Eldagsen railway station. Tickets for local public transport can be purchased at a discount through the company. And those who prefer private means of transport can take advantage of our attractive bicycle leasing offer.” Thomas Hamann, Human Resources Manager & Member of the Executive Board

    Environmentally conscious diet

    “The issues of sustainability and environmental protection are very important to many colleagues. Some also follow a climate-friendly diet as a result. We can support them in this with company-subsidised, locally prepared, fresh food. We offer at least one vegetarian or vegan dish every day.” Sven Klute, Head Chef at the company’s canteen

    Mobile working for the environment

    “Digitalisation is changing the way we work. The company’s offer of mobile working has been very well received by all colleagues. This not only saves people from having to travel to our headquarters, our sales colleagues can also greatly reduce the need for national and international business trips through digital options such as video conferencing etc.” Magnus Weidke, IT employee

    Individual ideas for sustainability

    “Many colleagues have a very strong environmental awareness and want to contribute their ideas for protecting the climate and resources at Paulmann. “We have introduced an idea management tool to enable them to do so. All employees can submit their proposals there. The suggestions for improvement are promptly evaluated by specialists and management, implemented and the employees responsible recognised. Nina Schymczyk, Ideas Manager

    Environmental guidelines

    Environmental protection is everyone’s responsibility – from trainees and colleagues in logistics and administration to management. Every individual has a part to play! Through our actions, we want to make a lasting contribution to relieving the burden on the environment, actively shaping environmental protection at Paulmann and firmly anchoring it in all areas of the company. We have laid down how we define and want to implement environmental protection in our everyday work in our environmental guidelines.

    • Beyond complying with environmental law requirements, we strive to improve our environmental performance and our operational environmental protection. For us, this means considering, analysing and continuously improving our operational processes as a whole, including from an environmental point of view.
    • We use resources such as energy, water, materials and land sparingly and in an environmentally friendly manner. We aim to continuously reduce our consumption of these resources.
    • We strive to keep waste to a minimum. Unavoidable waste products are sorted, re-used and recycled, and – if this is not possible – disposed of responsibly.
    • We support our employees in using environmentally friendly means of public and private transport. A direct train connection is available to our employees, customers and visitors.
    • We are aware that environmental protection can only be achieved through the active participation of all employees. That’s why we aim to anchor environmental protection as self-evident in the thoughts and actions of all our employees. We inform every employee about environmental issues, as offer everyone the opportunity to actively get involved with ideas and suggestions.

    Bereich Ökologie – was wir schon umgesetzt haben

    Von Ökostrom über Recycling bis hin zur Optimierung unserer Verkaufsverpackungen und des Versandprozesses – Schritt für Schritt gehen wir bei Paulmann den Weg, um möglichst umweltbewusst zu agieren. Denn Nachhaltigkeit ist in den Grundwerten unseres Familienunternehmens fest verankert. 

    Daher möchten wir uns neben sozialen und ökonomischen Aspekten auch im Bereich der ökologischen Nachhaltigkeit ständig verbessern. Wir haben das Ziel, unseren CO2-Fußabdruck kontinuierlich zu senken. Über unsere Maßnahmen informieren wir transparent auf dieser Seite. 

    Aktuell fokussieren wir das Thema Green Mobility: Wir elektrifizieren schrittweise unseren Fuhrpark und haben in 2023 15 E-Ladesäulen auf unserem Betriebsgelände installiert – eine Maßnahme, von der auch unsere Mitarbeiter profitieren. Der Strom u.a. dafür soll mittelfristig aus unserer eigenen Photovoltaik-Anlage eingespeist werden, die wir bis 2024 installieren möchten.

    Umgesetzte Maßnahmen im Bereich Ökologie:

    Every measure helps

    “We are pursuing a wide variety of projects to make our company location in Völksen more sustainable. We not only take on large projects, but also lots of small ones. For example, we inform our colleagues via our intranet about green search engines or how to heat rooms properly in winter.” Saskia Krolop, Content Manager

    A sustainable outdoor area for flora and fauna

    “We rely on economical LED light sources with warm white, insect-friendly light for our outdoor lighting. In addition, a 4,500m² flower meadow and numerous insect hotels contribute to the preservation of native flora and fauna.” Ralf Pusch, Head of Logistics 

    Sustainability on the road

    "We support our employees in using sustainable means of public and private transport. The Paulmann site is only a few minutes’ walk from Völksen/Eldagsen railway station. Tickets for local public transport can be purchased at a discount through the company. And those who prefer private means of transport can take advantage of our attractive bicycle leasing offer.” Thomas Hamann, Human Resources Manager & Member of the Executive Board

    Environmentally conscious diet

    “The issues of sustainability and environmental protection are very important to many colleagues. Some also follow a climate-friendly diet as a result. We can support them in this with company-subsidised, locally prepared, fresh food. We offer at least one vegetarian or vegan dish every day.” Sven Klute, Head Chef at the company’s canteen

    Mobile working for the environment

    “Digitalisation is changing the way we work. The company’s offer of mobile working has been very well received by all colleagues. This not only saves people from having to travel to our headquarters, our sales colleagues can also greatly reduce the need for national and international business trips through digital options such as video conferencing etc.” Magnus Weidke, IT employee

    Individual ideas for sustainability

    “Many colleagues have a very strong environmental awareness and want to contribute their ideas for protecting the climate and resources at Paulmann. “We have introduced an idea management tool to enable them to do so. All employees can submit their proposals there. The suggestions for improvement are promptly evaluated by specialists and management, implemented and the employees responsible recognised. Nina Schymczyk, Ideas Manager

    CO2-Reduktion im Fokus – auf dem Weg Richtung Klimaneutralität​

    Es ist uns ein großes Anliegen, in unserem unternehmerischen Wirtschaften so umweltverträglich wie möglich zu handeln – sei es in der Produktion, in der Lieferkette oder an unseren Arbeitsplätzen. Wir möchten unsere Emissionen konsequent reduzieren und verfolgen unsere zahlreichen Reduktionsmaßnahmen stetig – idealerweise bis zur Erreichung einer Klimaneutralität. 

    Dafür fokussieren wir unsere Ressourcen und Investitionen auf das Messen, Analysieren, Vermeiden und Reduzieren unserer Emissionen. Um dabei stetig weitere Stellschrauben zu identifizieren, ermitteln wir jährlich unseren CCF – Corporate Carbon Footprint nach dem Greenhouse Gas Protocol, also den CO2-Fußabdruck unseres Unternehmens. ​Enthalten sind die direkten Emissionen des Firmenfuhrparks und Einrichtungen des Unternehmens (direkte Emissionen, Scope 1) sowie die eingekaufte Wärme und Strom (indirekte Emissionen, Scope 2) und mit der Anfahrt der Mitarbeitenden, Geschäftsreisen, Brennstoff- und energiebezogene Emissionen, eingekaufte Güter und Dienstleistungen (Emissionen bei vor- und nachgelagerten Aktivitäten, Scope 3) wesentliche Verursacher erfasst. Andere indirekte Emissionen, die außerhalb des Unternehmens bei der Herstellung von Rohmaterialien und Vorprodukten, externer Logistik sowie der Nutzung und Entsorgung von Produkten, oder anderen Prozessen anfallen, sind nicht Gegenstand der Bilanzierung. 

    Wir setzen uns aktiv für den Klimaschutz ein und streben an, zukünftig so weit wie möglich unseren CO2-Fußabdruck zu reduzieren. Um auch die Region, in der Paulmann verankert ist, zu unterstützen, investieren wir in regionale Projekte und den Ausbau unserer unternehmensweiten Reduktionsmaßnahmen, zum Beispiel:​
    • Wir nutzen in Völksen Öko-Strom aus 100% erneuerbaren Energien.​
    • Wir haben E-Ladesäulen an unserem Hauptstandort und stellen unseren Fuhrpark schrittweise auf E-Mobilität um.
    • ​ Wir planen gerade den Bau einer Photovoltaikanlage an unserem Unternehmens-Hauptsitz.​
    • Wir nehmen an der Summitree-Challenge 2023 teil mit dem Ziel der Aufforstung von 1.000 Bäumen in der Region.​
    • Wir optimieren stetig unseren Versandprozess, in dem wir Material einsparen und den Recycling-Anteil massiv erhöhen.​
    • Wir reduzieren unsere Papier- und Druckprodukte und verzichten als eines der ersten Unternehmen in der Branche vollständig auf einen gedruckten Hauptkatalog.​

    Für die Reduktion unseres Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) haben wir 2022  Produktportfolio-Analyse durchführen lassen. Dabei hat sich als größtes CO2-Reduktions-Potenzial der Materialeinsatz herausgestellt, sodass wir künftig den Materialeinsatz weiter reduzieren und den Recycling-Anteil bei Metallen und Kunststoff deutlich erhöhen werden. So werden u.a. in der Warengruppe der Außenbeleuchtung, die bereits besonders wetterbeständige und insektenfreundliche Produkte umfasst, vermehrt Kunststoff-Recyclate eingesetzt. ​

    Bereich Ökonomie & Governance – was Paulmann dafür tut

    Wir sind davon überzeugt, dass verantwortungsvolles und langfristiges Wirtschaften nur durch die Einhaltung fairer Geschäftspraktiken zu erreichen ist. Ein großes bereichsübergreifendes Team beschäftigt sich kontinuierlich mit neuen Lösungen, Rechtsvorgaben und Aktivitäten im gesamten Unternehmen und stellt die systematische Umsetzung sicher. Dabei achten wir auf eine nachhaltige Wirtschaftsweise, in der wir uns stetig weiterentwickeln und unsere Maßnahmen ständig auf den Prüfstand stellen. Paulmann hat sich als stabiler Arbeitgeber in der Region verankert, der Arbeitsplätze schafft. Zudem bietet Paulmann verschiedene Ausbildungsberufe und sorgt so für gut ausgebildete Nachwuchskräfte.

    Aktivitäten im Bereich Ökonomie & Governance:

    Every measure helps

    “We are pursuing a wide variety of projects to make our company location in Völksen more sustainable. We not only take on large projects, but also lots of small ones. For example, we inform our colleagues via our intranet about green search engines or how to heat rooms properly in winter.” Saskia Krolop, Content Manager

    A sustainable outdoor area for flora and fauna

    “We rely on economical LED light sources with warm white, insect-friendly light for our outdoor lighting. In addition, a 4,500m² flower meadow and numerous insect hotels contribute to the preservation of native flora and fauna.” Ralf Pusch, Head of Logistics 

    Sustainability on the road

    "We support our employees in using sustainable means of public and private transport. The Paulmann site is only a few minutes’ walk from Völksen/Eldagsen railway station. Tickets for local public transport can be purchased at a discount through the company. And those who prefer private means of transport can take advantage of our attractive bicycle leasing offer.” Thomas Hamann, Human Resources Manager & Member of the Executive Board

    Environmentally conscious diet

    “The issues of sustainability and environmental protection are very important to many colleagues. Some also follow a climate-friendly diet as a result. We can support them in this with company-subsidised, locally prepared, fresh food. We offer at least one vegetarian or vegan dish every day.” Sven Klute, Head Chef at the company’s canteen

    Mobile working for the environment

    “Digitalisation is changing the way we work. The company’s offer of mobile working has been very well received by all colleagues. This not only saves people from having to travel to our headquarters, our sales colleagues can also greatly reduce the need for national and international business trips through digital options such as video conferencing etc.” Magnus Weidke, IT employee

    Individual ideas for sustainability

    “Many colleagues have a very strong environmental awareness and want to contribute their ideas for protecting the climate and resources at Paulmann. “We have introduced an idea management tool to enable them to do so. All employees can submit their proposals there. The suggestions for improvement are promptly evaluated by specialists and management, implemented and the employees responsible recognised. Nina Schymczyk, Ideas Manager