What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Miele identified a range of material issues, such as resource-efficient and consumption-optimised products, climate protection, digital products and services, supplier management. Among these, promoting compliance stands out as a key material issue for Miele.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Miele engages with:

To identify and prioritise material topics Miele engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels: 

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Employees	·      Works council ·      Employee reviews ·      Corporate suggestion scheme ·      Employee survey ·      Complaints office
Customers	·      Miele Customer Service and sales talks ·      Customer hotline ·      Usability tests for various product groups in the test studio ·      Brand positioning surveys
Dealers	·      Dialogue with dealers and project partners in the area of domestic appliances and commercial equipment, particularly concerning customer requirements
Suppliers and service providers	·      Common working groups ·      Discussions with Miele’s purchasing department ·      Dialogue in the context of audits and training ·      Product innovation workshops
Associations and interest groups	·      Membership and active participation in national and international associations and interest groups, such as the ZVEI or APPLiA ·      Conference participation ·      Participation in EU public consultations
Non-governmental organisations	·      Dialogue with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on relevant topics in the sector
Science and research	·      Collaboration with scientific institutions such as the universities in Bielefeld, Paderborn and Munich, as well as the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft on issues such as product development ·      Commissioning of studies on specialist topics ·      Exchange with the Oeko-Institut
Policymakers and legislators	·      Dialogue at national and European level by participating in committees, working groups and conferences ·      International dialogue with the sales subsidiaries, which in turn are represented in working groups and committees ·      Personal exchange at a regional level
Society/ public/ media	·      Answering questions on sustainability topics ·      Sustainability communication and report
Local communities	·      Exchange with the citizens at the locations in direct contact and at events ·      Social engagement at the locations

What actions were taken by Miele to promote compliance?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Miele reports that it took the following actions for promoting compliance:

• Implementing a Code of Conduct
• The Miele Code of Conduct, which is available on the Miele intranet, contains provisions on how to prevent bribery and corruption, as well as policies on proper conduct in relation to conflicts of interest, donations and sponsoring. It also requires strict adherence to competition and antitrust legislation. The Code of Conduct is based on the corporate philosophy, the ethical guidelines for procurement, the principles of the UN Global Compact, the social standard SA8000 and the APPLiA Code of Conduct (formerly CECED). Since 2011, Miele has been a member of the BME compliance initiative and has committed itself to the association’s code of conduct. Compliance with individual aspects of the Code of Conduct, such as receiving and offering gifts, or how to deal with conflicts of interest, is reviewed in internal audits. In the event of violations, Miele will agree on corrective measures. As a rule, however, it is the responsibility of the functional managers to put appropriate guidelines in place to ensure that their employees’ tasks are always carried out in compliance with applicable laws, internal rules and the self-imposed ethical and social standards.

• Raising employees’ awareness of compliance
• At Miele, it is mandatory for relevant groups of employees to participate in an online compliance training programme on the Miele Code of Conduct. This includes managers as well as employees for whom the contents of the Miele Code of Conduct and the issue of compliance are particularly significant. They work primarily in the purchasing, internal audit, sales/field sales and specialist sales departments or are customer service inspectors. The programme is also open to all other interested employees and new employees are automatically informed that they have to complete the programme. To date, 3,514 people worldwide have completed the software-based training programme on the Code of Conduct, 812 of whom completed it during the reporting period. Since the end of 2016, employees at all locations involved in issues relating to competition and antitrust law are obliged to use this self-learning software on the subject of competition and antitrust legislation. The programme ends with a test, and records are kept on whether tests were passed. There is also a legal management system for the areas of environmental protection, energy and occupational health and safety, and an information management software system addressing product-related regulation worldwide.

• Introducing an external ombudsperson
• Since 2010, an external ombudsperson can be contacted if there is a suspicion of corruption, fraud or theft within Miele’s sphere of influence. Employees, suppliers and third parties all over the world are able to contact the ombudsperson. All employees throughout the world, and all suppliers in Germany, are informed about the existence of the ombudsperson upon starting work or entering into a relationship with Miele. No notifications were made to the ombudsperson during the reporting period, and there were no instances of contracts with business partners being terminated or failing to be extended due to corruption-related violations.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 205-2 Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures

2) Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken

3) Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices

4) Disclosure 419-1 Non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area

 

Disclosure 205-2 Communication and training about anti-corruption policies and procedures corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.5

Disclosure 205-3 Confirmed incidents of corruption and actions taken corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.5

Disclosure 206-1 Legal actions for anti-competitive behavior, anti-trust, and monopoly practices corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.3

Disclosure 419-1 Non-compliance with laws and regulations in the social and economic area corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
• Targets: 16.3

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.
References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Miele, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Miele: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Miele identified a range of material issues, such as compliance, resource-efficient and consumption-optimised products, climate protection, resource-efficient packaging, product conformity, supplier management. Among these, promoting workplace diversity stands out as a key material issue for Miele.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards              

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The reporting organization shall identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations and interests.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Miele engages with:

To identify and prioritise material topics Miele engaged with its stakeholders through the following channels:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Employees	·      Works council ·      Employee reviews ·      Corporate suggestion scheme ·      Employee survey ·      Complaints office
Customers	·      Miele Customer Service and sales talks ·      Customer hotline ·      Usability tests for various product groups in the test studio ·      Brand positioning surveys
Dealers	·      Dialogue with dealers and project partners in the area of domestic appliances and commercial equipment, particularly concerning customer requirements
Suppliers and service providers	·      Common working groups ·      Discussions with Miele’s purchasing department ·      Dialogue in the context of audits and training ·      Product innovation workshops
Associations and interest groups	·      Membership and active participation in national and international associations and interest groups, such as the ZVEI or APPLiA ·      Conference participation ·      Participation in EU public consultations
Non-governmental organisations	·      Dialogue with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on relevant topics in the sector
Science and research	·      Collaboration with scientific institutions such as the universities in Bielefeld, Paderborn and Munich, as well as the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft on issues such as product development ·      Commissioning of studies on specialist topics ·      Exchange with the Oeko-Institut
Policymakers and legislators	·      Dialogue at national and European level by participating in committees, working groups and conferences ·      International dialogue with the sales subsidiaries, which in turn are represented in working groups and committees ·      Personal exchange at a regional level
Society/ public/ media	·      Answering questions on sustainability topics ·      Sustainability communication and report
Local communities	·      Exchange with the citizens at the locations in direct contact and at events ·      Social engagement at the locations

What actions were taken by Miele to promote workplace diversity?

In its 2019 Sustainability Report Miele reports that it took the following actions for promoting workplace diversity:

• Combatting discrimination
• Miele seeks to raise awareness throughout the company about the potential for diverse life and work experiences, perspectives and values. Miele’s corporate philosophy, its Code of Conduct and the Company-Wide Collective Agreement on the German General Act on Equal Treatment represent company-wide guidelines for promoting diversity and equality of opportunity, as well as ensuring an effective anti-discrimination policy. The company demonstrated its adherence to this idea by obtaining SA8000 certification and signing the Diversity Charter in 2012. In the business year 2017/18, 5.9 percent (5.7 percent in 2016/17) of Miele employees in Germany, were citizens of a country other than Germany. Citizens of Turkey, Greece, Italy and Poland accounted for the largest share. Employees with disabilities, made up around 6 percent of all Miele workers in Germany (in the business years 2016/17 and 2017/18). Miele also wants to create an equal playing field in advance of possible employment, which is why, via the Collective Labour Agreement for the Promotion of Apprenticeship Efficiency, the company supports apprenticeship opportunities for refugees. As is the case every year, Miele participated in Germany’s Diversity Day in 2018, and all Miele managers once again attended a one-day diversity training event, while new managers attended a two-day training course known as “Diversity – Vielfalt führen”, in which they learned how to manage a diverse workforce.

• Increasing the number of women in management positions
• Increasing the number of women in management positions is a stated goal of Miele’s HR policy. Female candidates displaying high potential are specifically supported and encouraged to set ambitious professional goals, and to keep pursuing these goals after having children, if they choose to do so. Miele helps to accommodate this with its family-friendly working conditions. The company also participates in the “Frauen-Karriere-Index” (“Women’s Career Index”), a project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. The project aims to create more transparency on the issue of career advancement opportunities for women. Miele also places great emphasis on the goal of having more women in management positions internationally. Various measures were implemented to increase the number of women in management positions in the United Arab Emirates from four to nine, meaning that women currently occupy 44 percent of management positions there. Miele does not consider it appropriate to define a fixed quota for increasing the proportion of women in management positions. To officially ensure equality of opportunity in every respect, Miele instead remains committed to recruiting the most qualified candidate for each management position that needs to be filled, regardless of gender. Additionally, following a survey of over 100 female experts and managers at Miele within the context of the “Diversity: Fokus Frauen” project, Miele adopted new measures in the reporting period. These include a regular series of events on the topic of diversity as part of the Open Training Programme and targeted promotion of internal women’s networks at Miele. The company also initiated momentum towards an internal cultural transformation with its first Women’s Conference in Gütersloh in September 2017. This is a requirement for having more women in management. At the event, around 130 female participants engaged in intensive discussion about the potential of digitalisation for creating greater diversity.

• Promoting equal pay between men and women
• Employees at the Miele sites in Germany are paid based on the valuation of their work tasks in accordance with the framework agreement on pay and collective wage agreement in the metalworking and electronics industries. Therefore, there are no differences in the remuneration of women and men at Miele. Performance bonus is categorised and calculated strictly based on the specific task and actual performance and does not take irrelevant criteria into account. Measures to make sure that employee pay does not differ based on gender are also in place at the company’s international production sites.

Which GRI Standards and corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been addressed?

The GRI Standards addressed in this case are:

1) Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees

2) Disclosure 405-2 Ratio of basic salary and remuneration of women to men

 

Disclosure 405-1 Diversity of governance bodies and employees corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality
• Targets: 5.1, 5.5
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Targets: 8.5

Disclosure 405-2 Ratio of basic salary and remuneration of women to men corresponds to:

• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5: Gender Equality
• Targets: 5.1
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• Targets: 8.5
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities
• Targets: 10.3

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

7 GRI sustainability disclosures get you started

Any size business can start taking sustainability action

GRI, ISEP, CPD Certified Sustainability courses (2-5 days): Live Online or Classroom  (venue: London School of Economics)

• Exclusive FBRH template to begin reporting from day one
• Identify your most important impacts on the Environment, Economy and People
• Formulate in group exercises your plan for action. Begin taking solid, focused, all-round sustainability action ASAP. 
• Benchmarking methodology to set you on a path of continuous improvement

See upcoming training dates.
References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Miele, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Miele: With each case study we send out an email requesting a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.

What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report Miele identified a range of material issues, such as product safety, longevity and reliability, employee satisfaction, compliance with social and ethical standards, pollution-free products. Among these, as the company takes an all-encompassing approach to developing durable products, designing all of its appliances to deliver top performance and superior results while using as little energy, water and chemicals as possible, developing and manufacturing energy efficient products stands out as a Miele’s top material issue.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups Miele engages with:

Stakeholder Group	Method of engagement
Customers	·         Dialogue with customers of the domestic and commercial appliance divisions through direct on-site interaction with Miele Service and in sales conversations ·         Customer Hotline ·         Survey of retail and commercial customers by Miele’s internal market research team ·         Survey of retail and commercial customers on the topic  of sustainability every two years
Dealers	·         Dialogue with dealers for the domestic and commercial appliance divisions ·         Survey of dealers on the topic of sustainability, currently once every two years
Suppliers and service providers	·         Joint development of concepts and proposed solutions in working groups ·         Communication during audits and training sessions ·         Survey of suppliers and service providers on the topic of sustainability every two years
Employees	·         Employee involvement in major decisions on the basis of the co-determination arrangement ·         Dialogue in the form of regular meetings with employees ·         Employees contribute their own suggestions through the  employee suggestion scheme /idea management system ·         Annual employee survey
Associations and interest groups	·         Membership and active involvement in national and international associations and interest groups such as Z VEI and CECED ·         Participation in conferences
Science and research	·         Longstanding product development and enhancement collaborations with various academic institutions ·         Research projects awarded for specialised subjects
Non-governmental organisations	·         Dialogue with non-governmental organisations ( NGOs) on relevant industry topics
Local communities	·         Close interaction with citizens at company locations in the form of direct contact and through collaborations/events ·         Social commitment at company locations
Policy makers and legislators	·         Dialogue with political decision-makers at both the national and European level through participation in committees, working groups and conferences ·         Dialogue at the regional level with heavy personal interaction
Society/ The public	·         Contact persons for enquiries related to the Sustainability Report
Media	·         Contact persons for sustainability communications

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

As part of an expert stakeholder survey conducted in financial year 2013/14, 22 experts from the economic, scientific and political fields, as well as from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and media, were invited to offer their assessments. In a second, publicly conducted survey, Miele asked 600 customers and 25 dealers and retailers for their input. Both surveys were intended to evaluate relevant topics and assess Miele’s sustainability performance.

The internal perspective on relevant sustainability topics was determined in a survey of 39 managerial staff members and plant managers and also in special workshops involving employees in positions of accountability in relevant areas of the company, such as production, human resources, purchasing, quality and environmental management and outbound logistics.

A comparison of the internal company perspective with that of the external stakeholders allowed Miele to create an updated materiality matrix, which provided increased clarity regarding the relevance of the individual topics. Using this updated matrix, it was then possible to illustrate where the identified and prioritised sustainability issues were relevant on the value chain – be it inside or outside the company. The results showed that the topics considered most relevant by the external stakeholders were also viewed as vital to the company’s long-term success from an internal standpoint.

What actions were taken by Miele to develop and manufacture energy efficient products?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report Miele set the following targets for developing and manufacturing energy efficient products, based on the company’s approach to materiality – on taking action on what matters, where it matters:

• Increasing the energy efficiency of Miele’s domestic appliances

In the reporting period, a number of measures and developments contributed to a continued increase in the energy efficiency of Miele’s domestic appliances. In business year 2013/14, 63 percent of all Miele washing machines produced for EU countries were rated in the highest energy efficiency class (A+++). This figure had been at 54 percent in business year 2011/12 and the resulting change was equal to a 17-percent increase. Today (as per 11/2015) all washing machines from the new generation to which energy labelling applies are in the top A+++ category, exceeding the required level by up to 40 percent (depending on the model). A large part of the energy-efficiency improvement in the Miele product portfolio was due to the introduction of the new “PowerWash” washing system (2013) and the enhanced “PowerWash 2.0” (starting in 2014). The innovative system features an additional water pump that soaks laundry faster and more effectively. This in turn shortens programme cycle times, reduces the amount of water used in the main washing process and, as a result, also lowers energy consumption. This allows PowerWash appliances to outperform the class A+++ limits by up to 40 percent (depending on the model) – with programme cycle times under three hours. The introduction of the new energy label for dryers in early 2013 has made it possible to more accurately differentiate dryers in terms of their energy consumption. For Miele, this means that the 57 percent of its appliances with an A+ rating under the old label in financial year 2012/13 increased to a much higher 70 percent in financial year 2013/14 with the advent of the new label. Miele has also enhanced the energy efficiency of its dishwashers. In financial year 2011/12, 22 percent of the company’s dishwashers were rated in the A+++ class, with that number growing to 30 percent in 2013/14. This was equal to a 22-percent increase. The percentage of Miele dishwashers in the A++ class remained unchanged. Positive trends were also noticeable for Miele’s refrigeration products. In financial year 2013/14, 67 percent of all models were rated in either the A++ or A+++ energy efficiency classes. Both of these segments showed growth: the amount of A+++ models grew from 3 percent in 2011/12 to 8 percent in 2013/14, while the proportion of models with an A++ rating increased from 35 percent to 59 percent over the same period. Overall, Miele was able to increase the amount of washing machines, dishwashers and refrigeration products produced in the top two energy efficiency classes (A++ and A+++) by 28 percent in the reporting period. The internal target for dryers manufactured for the European market was an A+ rating on 60 percent of all models. At 73 percent by the close of financial year 2013/14, Miele actually exceeded this mark by a clear margin.

• Increasing the energy efficiency of Miele’s commercial appliances

Miele’s Professional division, whose product lineup includes commercial appliances manufactured for use in medical facilities and laboratories, made further consumption-related improvements to its machines in 2014. Fully demineralised water from Miele disinfection appliances, which are used to reprocess surgical instruments, for example, is collected in a tank and can then be reused in Miele’s large-capacity cleaning units (for containers and transport trolleys). Depending on the number of cleaning cycles, this can provide substantial energy and water savings. In 2013, Miele launched a new generation of commercial freshwater dishwashers to market. The special feature of these appliances is that, unlike tank-based dishwashers, they use fresh water for each new washing cycle (the freshwater system is the more economical option when less than 40 washing cycles are performed per day). Depending on the programme selected, these new machines can use up to 50 percent less electricity than the previous models – while delivering the same cleaning excellence.

• Equipping Miele’s appliances with “Eco-friendly functions”

All of Miele’s appliances come equipped with a number of “Eco-friendly functions”, which give users the option of saving additional energy and can thus help to reduce resource consumption. For example, Miele is an industry leader in the area of automatic detergent dosing, a technique that can significantly reduce the amount of detergent used. In 2006, the company presented LiquidWash, the world’s first dosing system for liquid detergent. In 2010, Miele then introduced AutoDos, the world’s first automatic dosing system for liquid and powder detergents. At the 2013 IFA consumer electronics trade fair, Miele unveiled its TwinDos, the first fully-integrated automatic dosing system that can also be used with whites and heavily soiled laundry. This technology is possible in conjunction with Miele’s two detergents “UltraPhase 1” (for removing grease and protein stains) and “UltraPhase 2” (for removing tough spots), which are dispensed in consecutive programme segments by the TwinDos system. TwinDos uses up to 30 percent less detergent, as verified in 2013 by the independent Oeko-Institut, the European Institute for Applied Ecology. Alternatively, TwinDos can also be used to dispense conventional liquid or powder detergents and fabric conditioners through the classic detergent dispenser. With the EcoFeedback function, which was first introduced by Miele in 2010, users can track current consumption statistics for their washing machine and also change them by selecting a different programme. EcoFeedback predicts the level of water and electricity consumption even before the user starts the selected programme. It shows the estimated consumption levels in the form of bar diagram on the appliance display. This allows users to easily recognize that a programme with longer cycle times or lower temperatures will require less energy, for example. Once the programme has finished, the actual consumption levels are displayed in kilowatt hours and litres. EcoFeedback is a product feature that has been very well received. Of all washing machines (front loaders) sold in the private customer segment in 2013/14, 39 percent (more than one-third) were equipped with the EcoFeedback function. Miele AllWater washing machines also offer significant potential savings, since they can be used with both service water or hot water. To make this possible, the appliances are equipped with two water connections. The use of an existing hot water supply can result in energy savings of up to 43 percent – as confirmed by the Oeko-Institut in Freiburg in 2008. AllWater appliances have been part of Miele’s product lineup since 1993 and have been continuously updated to keep pace with each new series. Miele places great importance on communicating these product features to consumers in advertisements, user manuals and personal consultations in order to promote resource-friendly user behaviour and appeal to consumers’ concern for the environment.

• Introducing energy-intelligent domestic appliances and smart home applications

Miele is the industry pioneer when it comes to networking domestic appliances with other home technology components and the Internet. In the 1990s, the company introduced the first mobile status updates for domestic appliances with the Miele InfoControl. InfoControl made it possible for users to determine the remaining cycle time on a washing machine located in the cellar via a mobile hand-held transmitter, for example. In subsequent years, Miele introduced additional applications for greater comfort, safety and energy efficiency. This group of applications is now referred to as Miele@home. At the 2010 IFA trade fair, Miele introduced the first washing machines and dryers to feature smart grid compatibility. One year later, the company introduced a smart grid-ready dishwasher. Within a preset timeframe, these appliances automatically switch on (“Smart Start”) when energy suppliers offer economical electricity rates or when a particularly high amount of renewable energy is available on the electrical grid. Unfortunately, the necessary infrastructure, e.g. the electric meters required for variable-rate billing (“smart meters”), still only exists in pilot projects and on newer buildings, where smart meters have been mandatory since 2011. Despite this, Miele has been working with the solar technology group SMA to market its smart technology since 2012. In this case, a private photovoltaic system (PV system) takes the place of the smart electrical grid, while still automatically checking online weather forecasts for smart operation. The “Smart Start” occurs when the PV system is able to provide enough energy. This application promotes the use of renewable energy, increases private energy consumption and lessens the load on electrical grids, all while lowering electricity costs – since the private consumption of user-produced energy is ultimately more economical than obtaining energy from the grid. In order to promote new ideas in home appliance networking, Miele has been involved with Deutsche Telekom’s Qivicon Home Management Platform as a founding member since 2011. Qivicon is a cross-industry networking solution which offers a large number of applications for greater comfort, security and energy efficiency. Since 2014, owners of Miele domestic appliances have been able to download the Miele domestic appliance app from the Qivicon portal. This app allows users to control their appliances and check the status from any desired location. It is truly a useful application. Ever wonder whether the cooker at home is actually switched off after leaving the house for work? With a smartphone and the Miele app, users can make sure that the situation is under control when they’re on the go. RWE Effizienz GmbH, a Miele systems partner since 2013, also offers a similar application that includes an app for controlling domestic appliances. Both of these network platforms received the “Security-Tested Smart Home Product” distinction from the AV-TEST Institut in 2014. The AV-TEST Institut is a leading independent provider of security services and anti-virus research in the global IT market. Miele’s international product lineup includes approximately 400 network-capable domestic appliances. These appliances are ready to be networked, which means that they require additional communication components that are easily installed in virtually all cases. For the applications mentioned above, one communication module and one central gateway are required per machine. The communication both between individual appliances and with the gateway is based on a wireless standard, so that no cables need to be routed through the building. The use of solar power generated in the home makes domestic appliances sustainable and cost-effective. With the introduction of its solar-powered tumble dryer in September 2011, Miele unveiled a product which set a new standard for energy-efficient drying in laundry care. To dry clothing and linen, this appliance uses hot water that is generated by a solar-thermal array and stored in a stratified tank from Solvis. The system functions by feeding the heated water from the stratified tank (a component in the home’s water-heating system) to the dryer. Heat exchangers convert the energy stored in the water into hot air for the drying process and return the cooler water and condensate to the storage tank. Because the circulation system connecting the solar-powered dryer and the storage tank is closed, there are minimal losses in the system. The costs of drying with Miele’s solar-powered dryer are roughly 50 percent lower than when using a heat pump dryer and can be as much as 80 percent lower when compared with a condenser dryer. An added benefit of the solar-powered dryer is that it helps to ensure that the capacity of the building’s solar array is fully utilized in the summer months. In 2013, Miele’s solar-powered dryer received the GreenTec Award, one of Europe’s most prestigious environmental awards.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicators/Standards addressed in this case are:

1) G4-EN7: Reductions in energy requirements of products and services – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 302-5 Reductions in energy requirements of products and services

2) G4-EN27: Extent of impact mitigation of environmental impacts of products and services

3) G4-PR3: Type of product and service information required by the organization’s procedures for product and service information and labeling, and percentage of significant products and service categories subject to such information requirements – the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 417-1 Requirements for product and service information and labeling

 

References:

1) This case study is based on published information by Miele, located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses. However, we made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original, please revert to the original on the Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Disclosure Database at the link:

http://database.globalreporting.org/

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

Note to Miele: With each case study we send out an email to your listed address in request for a comment on this case study. If you have not received such an email please contact us.