Sustainability

100% CARBON NEUTRALITY

By 2025, in accordance with the GHG Protocol¹ and in cooperation with our raw material suppliers, we will also make the emissions over which we have no influence (Scope 3**) completely climate-neutral. For this purpose, we, as well as our raw material suppliers, use CO2 certificates according to the Gold Standard to compensate for unavoidable emissions

10% YEARLY INVESTMENT

We will invest 10% of all investments per year in explicit sustainability projects. This level of investment will be independently monitored and certified by the ZNU.

100% COCOA TRACEABILITY

By 2025, we want to know exactly where our cocoa used for our chocolate comes from, who grows it, and under what conditions. We aim traceability all the way to the farm level.

Out of conviction, we have set ourselves clearly defined goals for climate protection. PREVENTION – REDUCTION-COMPENSATION. Thus we have reached a climate-neutral production in 2019, in 2020 we can call ourselves a climate- neutral company according to the GHG Protocol. Our next steps are to lead us to complete climate neutrality* by 2025 and a new highly ambitious decarbonisation goal of 42% emission reduction according to SBTi (Science Based Target initiative) by 2030.

*The unavoidable emissions we compensate by Gold Standard climate certificates

RAINFOREST ALLIANCE

The Rainforest Alliance seal certifies that the cocoa used in all our products comes from certified sustainable cultivation. Rainforest Alliance Cocoa sets ecological, social, and economic sustainability standards for cocoa farming.

FSC®

All our paper-based packaging is FSC® certified. The seal certifies that the materials were produced with wood from sustainable forestry, which means using forests according to the social, economic, and ecological needs of present and future generations. ID: FSC® N002880

IFS food

The IFS certificate certifies that our production facility in Waldenbuch meets the requirements of the IFS Food. The IFS's focus is on the safety of the products and the quality of the processes and products.

GERMAN INITIATIVE ON SUSTAINABLE COCOA (GISCO)

We are an early member of the German Initiative on sustainable cocoa. The German Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), the German confectionery industry, the German food trade, and civil society have joined forces. As a so-called multi-stakeholder initiative, that pursues improving the living conditions of cocoa farmers and their families and increasing the cultivation and marketing of cocoa certified according to sustainability standards.

ZNU (Center for sustainable leadership)

The ZNU Standard certifies through third-party certification that we will make our business more sustainable and that we want to make an active and measurable contribution to sustainable change in the economy and society (and have a functioning management system for this).

FONAP

The Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil currently includes companies, non‐governmental organisations, associations, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The aim of FONAP is to boost significantly the proportion of sustainably produced palm oil on the German, Austrian and Swiss markets and to improve existing standards and certification schemes.

Climate Alliance BW

In 2020, we were one of the first companies to sign up for the Baden-Württemberg Climate Alliance. The goal of the joint, voluntary partnership between the state of Baden-Württemberg and us as a company is to implement corporate climate protection systematically. Together all Climate Alliance partners, who have set themselves ambitious goals, enter into exchange, support each other and work together cooperatively.

OUR COCOA

Since 2018, we have been sourcing 100% of our cocoa from certified sustainable sources according to the Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade Cocoa Program. We believe it is an important step in the right direction, but we have not yet reached our goal. To improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers, we collaborate with local programs.

We work hard out of conviction to make delicious chocolate and to make our world a little better. We are all the more delighted to have been awarded the German Sustainability Award in 2018.

For us, doing the right thing means that all our actions show respect and appreciation for people and the environment. And not just since sustainability became fashionable, but for many years. It has a lot to do with the Ritter family and their attitude that entrepreneurial action is only possible in harmony with people and nature. This conviction has given rise to a multifaceted commitment that has become a matter of course for us. The award encourages us in our actions.