A milestone year for ESG at Liebherr China

In December 2025, Liebherr China was officially awarded ‘Four-Star Green Factory’ status by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization for the sales and service company’s contributions to China’s national ‘dual carbon’ goals. These goals were announced by President Xi Jinping in 2020 and speak to China’s plan to reach peak carbon emissions before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality before 2060.

In order to achieve ‘Four-Star Green Factory’ status, the Commission rigorously assessed Liebherr China’s sustainable manufacturing capabilities across 12 key criteria, looking at factors such as land use, production processes, waste management and utilisation of low-carbon energy solutions.

‘Receiving this recognition for our work in the sustainability space reflects the hard work that the entire Liebherr China team has done to ensure our everyday operations align with China’s carbon reduction goals,’ says Armin Natter, general manager and head of department for earthmoving and mining equipment sales and service for Liebherr China.

Powerful projects

Liebherr China was also honoured at the 10th annual ‘More than a Market’ awards in October 2025 for two of its projects: ‘Liebherr Logistics: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future’ and ‘Liebherr’s Integrated Sustainability Strategy’. These projects are featured in the 2025 ‘Excellence ESG Projects of German Companies in China’ list. The ‘Liebherr Logistics: Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future’ project won the ‘Supply Chain Collaboration’ award, which recognises Liebherr China’s work with supply chain partners to drive efficiency and resilience while supporting more sustainable operations. And the ‘Liebherr’s Integrated Sustainability Strategy’ project earned recognition in the ‘ESG Innovation Strategy’ category, celebrating how Liebherr China has woven sustainability considerations into its everyday operations while maintaining a clear focus on sustainable long‑term growth.

The ‘More than a Market’ initiative highlights the commitment of German companies operating in China to corporate social responsibility efforts and sustainable business practices. It was first launched in 2015 by the German Chamber of Commerce in China and the Bertelsmann Stiftung – a German-based private operating foundation dedicated to social change for public good. Over the past decade, German companies of all sizes have submitted more than 400 projects for consideration.

‘2025 was our first time participating in the “More than a Market” awards, and we are thrilled with the result,’ enthuses Patrick Schulz, Liebherr China’s general manager. ‘We are excited to participate again this year to showcase our continued dedication to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.’

Boosting ESG engagement

Achieving these honours is only possible with a workforce that’s well versed in, and dedicated to, ESG principles.

In order to strengthen employees’ connection to Liebherr China’s ESG endeavours, an ESG Open Day was held in November at Liebherr China’s headquarters in Shanghai. The event was designed to blend fun with experiential learning about sustainability, governance and safety. It opened with essential ESG retraining sessions about office safety, including a fire drill, before an afternoon full of interactive games and challenges that allowed the team to get hands-on with ESG principles.

Schulz was impressed by the genuine enthusiasm expressed by the personnel who participated in the day.

‘The way that our team embraced this Open Day highlights just how important ESG efforts are to our everyday operations. These are more than just corporate strategies – they are at the very core of everything that we do,’ he says.

Liebherr China’s achievements in 2025 demonstrate that its ESG commitment extends beyond formal recognition to genuine employee engagement, while also highlighting how the sales and service company is building a lasting culture of sustainability – turning important concepts into shared experiences that resonate every day.

‘I’m incredibly proud of what Liebherr China accomplished in 2025 and am excited to see how the team can continue to support the Chinese government's dual carbon goals as well as the wider ESG initiatives of the Liebherr Group,’ says Schulz.