Climate and Environmental Protection

ProSiebenSat.1 Group’s environmental commitment relates in particular to climate and environmental protection measures. ProSiebenSat.1 contributes to slowing climate change and protecting our environment by using resources sparingly and reducing CO₂ emissions. As a media group, ProSiebenSat.1 is not a member of the energy- and resource-intensive manufacturing industries with complex, global supply chains. Nevertheless, doing business on a sustainable basis along its entire value chain is important for the future corporate success of ProSiebenSat.1.

At ProSiebenSat.1, the largest energy requirement results from the production of TV content and the distribution of television programming. The Company therefore fully converted its power supply at the Unterföhring location to use renewable energy back in 2012. This results in additional costs of around EUR 40,000 per year. In 2015, we made savings of around 60,000 kWh in electricity procurement with measures such as the switch to LED lighting and the modernization of the transformer technology. Annual total consumption is approximately 16 GWh.

Geothermal heating is also part of ProSiebenSat.1’s supply concept, which focuses on safety, efficiency and environmental friendliness. The Group has used geothermal heat for several properties at the main site in Unterföhring since 2012. Three further buildings were added in 2015, which have since been supplied with geothermal heating by GEOVOL, operator of the local geothermal plant. The three buildings, which accommodate offices and a large cafeteria, are equipped with six transfer stations. Their power rating totals 2.6 megawatts.

Since summer 2015, two office buildings used by ProSiebenSat.1 at the Unterföhring site have also been air-conditioned in an environmentally friendly manner using geothermal heat. This innovation is made possible by an absorption refrigerator, which uses thermal energy and a solution of water and the salt lithium bromide to generate coldness. The absorption refrigerator replaced the previous air-conditioning system, which was powered by electricity. It has a refrigerating capacity of 200 kilowatts and provides air conditioning for around 4,500 square meters of office space.

In November 2014, the German government passed a law obliging large businesses to carry out energy audits. The “Act on Energy Services and Other Energy Efficiency Measures” serves to implement the EU Energy Efficiency Directive and to achieve German energy conservation targets. ProSiebenSat.1 performed an energy audit according to DIN EN 16247-1 in due time in 2015 and concluded it for all Group entities on the campus in Unterföhring in December. On the basis of the results of the audit, we will examine measures to further improve the Company’s energy supply systems technologically, economically and ecologically.