CEO Dr. Norman Goldberg and CTO Dr. Ingrid Sebald about the relevance of sustainability at tesa

Editorial Sustainability Report 2024

Sustainability

Helping to create a more sustainable future is our most important task – as an international company, a manufacturer of innovative adhesive solutions, a business partner, and an employer.

We are fully committed to this goal with all of our expertise, relying on our science-based approach and the potential of our innovations.

To guide our sustainability initiatives, we follow international frameworks such as the UN Global Compact and Sustainable Development Goals. We have also set ambitious goals for ourselves, and we are proud and delighted to have been awarded the highest CDP score, A, this year for our climate protection efforts.

By 2030, we aim to achieve carbon-neutral production (Scope 1 and 2) and reduce our indirect emissions along the value chain by 20 percent compared to 2018. In all six tesa plants worldwide, we are investing in the latest technical standards and a more sustainable infrastructure. Since 2020, we have been purchasing electricity from renewable energy sources for all our locations worldwide. Currently, a solar park is being constructed at the tesa plant in Offenburg, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2024 and will then cover around 25 percent of the site's electricity needs. Additional solar parks in China, Italy, Germany, and the USA are already under construction or in preparation. For all these technical measures, we are investing 300 million euros in the coming years.

Our diverse workforce of 5,200 dedicated employees, including over 600 scientists, engineers, and product developers, operates around the globe, working daily to contribute to our goals with innovative products and processes. This report provides detailed insights into the momentum we are harnessing, in part in cooperation with our customers, to drive this transformation forward.

At our site in Sparta (USA), for instance, this year we completely switched our production to manufacturing adhesive tape without solvents. Embedded in a holistic concept with many other initiatives, this will enable us to reduce CO₂ emissions in production at the site by 38 percent. As part of the strategy to regionalize production and optimize supply chains, tesa has also opened a new site in Haiphong, Vietnam. 

Text graphic featuring tesa sustainability goals on the left. Centered text reads: we do with a stylized globe replacing the letter o. Listed goals include reduce emissions, source responsibly, rethink materials, push circularity, support customers.

Our products are now reaching our customers in Southeast Asia even faster. In addition, 50 percent of the products manufactured in Haiphong are water-based adhesive tapes. The measures in Sparta and Haiphong are important milestones on our sustainability agenda, helping our customers achieve greater sustainability.

Developing and improving adhesive tape solutions with a focus on optimization for sustainability is another part of our mission. Each year, we invest 6 percent of our annual sales in developing new products and technologies. Last year, we launched approximately 40 new, more sustainable products.

Developing and improving adhesive tape solutions with a focus on optimization for sustainability is another part of our mission.
Dr. Norman Goldberg

CEO tesa

For our classic product tesa® 4965 Original, we were able to reduce CO₂ emissions by 40 percent with our biomass balance approach and by using 90 percent PCR material in the PET base, in preparation for the launch of tesa® 4965 Original Next Gen. We want to increase the share of bio-based or recycled raw materials across our product range to 70 percent by 2030.

With more than 125 years of expertise, we at tesa are working to manufacture adhesive tapes that are strong and long-lasting. New approaches we have developed aim to ensure that strong adhesive bonds can also be easily debonded as needed.

With this new, promising technology of the future, tesa is setting significant trends in the market and laying crucial foundations for a successful circular economy by simplifying product repairs and recycling.

We also know that sustainability begins with responsible sourcing. To ensure that fair working conditions, human rights, and standards for environmental protection are upheld in the supply chain, we rely on certifications and aim for complete transparency within our supply chains, setting a good example ourselves. 

Last year, tesa was awarded the Gold Medal by EcoVadis, placing us among the top 2 percent of companies evaluated in our industry. We are also requiring our business partners to fulfill their social, ecological, and economic responsibilities. Since 2020, we have asked our direct suppliers to carry out self-assessments through platforms such as EcoVadis. At least 80 percent of our raw material expenditures should go to suppliers who demonstrably share our standards – and we’re well on our way at a current figure of 70 percent.

The path to sustainability is an ongoing process – one we are pursuing with determination and commitment. 
Dr. Norman Goldberg

CEO tesa

As CEO of tesa, I am proud that sustainability is deeply embedded in the core of our corporate strategy. We understand that our responsibility extends beyond manufacturing high-quality products, and we are continuously improving our manufacturing processes, procedures, and products to minimize our environmental footprint. The path to sustainability is an ongoing process – one we are pursuing with determination and commitment. In a constantly changing world, we remain committed to our pledge for sustainability – because we know that a sustainable business approach is not only a successful and viable strategy for the future but creates our legacy for generations to come.

 

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Last updated on May 6, 2026