CEO & Chairman of the Executive Board, Gea
Search every verified Stefan Klebert interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group, has emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainability. In a March 2025 appearance, Klebert said that GEA has set targets to achieve climate neutrality by 2040, with a goal of reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 60% from a 2019 baseline by 2026, and that the company was at a 58% reduction as of the time of his remarks. He stated that Scope 1, 2, and 3 emission reduction targets are included in executive board compensation, which he said he believed to be unique among German companies. He also noted that 98.4% of shareholders approved the company’s climate plan at the annual general meeting. Klebert said the company views sustainability as an obligation, not just a growth strategy. During the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Klebert said GEA’s business in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical machinery would remain in demand regardless of the crisis, telling investors that “people need to eat and drink.” He expressed optimism about long-term trends in food production, citing population growth and urbanization. Klebert also said GEA works with customers on food safety, traceability, and energy efficiency, and described sustainability efforts as “a journey rather than a destination.” In earlier Davos interviews, he described GEA as a technology supplier focused on collaboration and reliability rather than low cost.
“Wir haben uns ganz klar dem Thema Nachhaltigkeit verpflichtet. Wir wollen als Firma nicht nur wachsen und unser Ergebnis verbessern regelmäßig, wir wollen auch ein Impact hinterlassen für die Gesellschaft in vielerlei Hinsicht. Wir glauben, dass wir eine Verpflichtung haben auch nachhaltig zu wirtschaften.”
“Wir fahren seit Jahren nur noch Elektroautos beispielsweise bei uns, die Führungskräfte. Wir haben das Scope 1, 2 und 3 Reduktion in der Vorstandsvergütung drin. Da gibt's meines Wissens kein anderes Unternehmen in Deutschland, wo alle drei Scops mit drin sind.”
“if there is Corona or not people need to eat and drink and this is our business we are producing the machineries the processes the equipment for our customers who are producing food and beverages and pharmaceuticals so the long-term trend for our industry is brilliant I would say and that's why we are in the medium to...”
“we have not made a final decision yet to open it so it's still on for April 30 or so our AGM we are monitoring closely actually the situation here in Germany but it's advisable for our shareholders and all for employees to leave it on on okay on there so and then further actually no we have not contemplated internally...”
“We are not the cheapest one we are really based on technology and experience and our customers love how we execute projects. We are reliable. We have a lot of dedicated engineers and staff who's working on the side with such a variety of projects.”
“I'm very optimistic because there is a need to feed the world that's very clear population is growing and there is also a trend to more healthy food and there is a trend of urbanization. So there are many challenges we have in this industry and we are working very much together with our customers how can we make food s...”
“I'm very optimistic because there is a need to feed the world that's very clear population is growing and there is also a trend to more healthy food and there is a trend of urbanization so there are many challenges we have in this industry and we are working very much together with our customers how can we make food sa...”
“Sustainability is a big issue nowadays and sustainability has a lot to do with environment but also with economy... for us it's rather a journey than a destination so we always try to become better in providing products for our customers which consumes less energy or we also have developed products where customers can...”
Stephan good to talk to you. Thanks for joining us I think it's fair to say that there's a lot of people that haven't heard of GEA.
This key global gathering is an unparalleled opportunity for GEA to exchange views with customers and decision-makers from all over the world about the challenges and needs of the future.
Sign in to search the full transcript archive, filter by topic, and access every quote from Stefan Klebert.
The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →