About Stefan Klebert
Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA Group, has emphasized the company's commitment to climate action and sustainability. In a March 2025 interview, he stated that GEA has integrated Scope 1, 2, and 3 emission reductions into executive board compensation, which he described as unique among German companies. He also noted that GEA was the first company in the DAX index segment to present a climate plan to its annual general meeting, receiving 98.4% approval from shareholders. Klebert stated that GEA aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, with a target of a 60% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2024 compared to 2019, and reported being at a 58% reduction.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Klebert expressed optimism about GEA's long-term prospects, arguing that people need to eat and drink regardless of economic conditions. He highlighted trends such as population growth, urbanization, and demand for healthier food as drivers for the industry. Klebert described sustainability as "a journey rather than a destination," noting GEA's work on products that consume less energy or operate with neutral wastewater. He also stated that GEA's business involves collaborating with customers to improve food safety, traceability, and shelf life while reducing energy consumption in transport and cooling.
Source: AI-verified profile updated from Stefan Klebert's recent appearances.
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Transcript (14 segments)
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Interviewer0:00
Here on the Speakers Corner we have now Stefan Klebert. He is the CEO of GEA Group, a listed industrial conglomerate from Düsseldorf. His lecture topic here at MKK is 'Pioneering work for more climate protection'. We'll definitely talk about that right away. I'm glad you're here and that we can talk. What is it like for you to be back at the university? What spirit, what student spirit do you get here?
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Stefan Klebert0:38
It's always nice. I'm not here for the first time; we as a company are always present. It's a great, inspiring environment with many highly qualified speakers and lots of exciting topics in a broad portfolio. That's why I always enjoy being here because you can always learn from others. We were just talking about it: GEA Group manufactures machines for the pharmaceutical, food, and beverage industries. We are very important because without us there would probably be no Oreo cookies, among other things. Without us there are no innocent smoothies, no yogurt, and not to forget, here in Bavaria, without us there is no beer. Every second liter of beer worldwide is made by our breweries and plants. Every third liter of milk. So we are indispensable in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. It is almost impossible to survive a week without consuming something from our customers.
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Interviewer1:43
Now I can imagine that such a plant or machine for an Oreo cookie has to look completely different than for beer or milk. That means you make many diverse, different machines.
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Stefan Klebert1:57
Exactly, exactly. We are actually a conglomerate of many mid-sized companies. We start on the farm; we also have milking machines. There is a standard in Germany for that. Then you go 40 km further, you have another standard where separators are made. Then you go to Italy near Venice, we make pasta machines. 50 km further we make bakery machines, and another 100 km further in Italy we make apple machines, for example. So it is a conglomerate of many dynamically operating companies that belong together in this group.
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Interviewer2:31
And with all of that, you always think about climate protection. You are doing pioneering work there. In what way?
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Stefan Klebert2:39
I would have to ask how much time you have. 19 minutes? But we can... We have clearly committed ourselves to sustainability. We as a company not only want to grow and improve our results regularly; we also want to leave an impact on society in many respects. We believe we have an obligation to manage sustainably. It runs through many things. For example, we have only been driving electric cars for years. Our managers have Scope 1, 2, and 3 reduction in their executive compensation. To my knowledge, there is no other company in Germany where all three scopes are included. We have very extensive programs, we invest a lot. We were the first company in the entire DAX index segment to present a climate plan to the Annual General Meeting. We got 98.4% approval from our shareholders to continue this path.
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Interviewer3:38
Now you may also mention that you were awarded for this climate protection work, for this pioneering work. That means the topic is probably close to your heart personally.
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Stefan Klebert3:47
Yes, it has to be that way. As CEO you have to stand behind such a topic. We have a fantastic team that implements and drives these things forward. But if a CEO doesn't want that or doesn't stand behind it, then it doesn't work that way. The work is done by many, many good people in our company, and that's nice.
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Interviewer4:09
Now GEA Group is listed in the MDAX. How does the topic of climate protection go down with shareholders? That is always an issue because climate protection is also associated with costs and effort.
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Stefan Klebert4:21
Exactly, it goes down very well. As I said, we were the first and only company at the AGM with 98.4% of shareholders saying yes, do that. We also told them what it costs, what we have to do to be climate neutral by 2040. So we have the full support of our shareholders. 98.4% - you can't really expect much more than that.
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Interviewer4:46
And what is your goal? Where do you want to go?
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Stefan Klebert4:50
To net zero, of course. In 2040 we want to be completely climate neutral. We have set a target for Scope 1 and 2 to be minus 60% by next year compared to the base year 2019, and we are currently at minus 58%. So we not only have ambitious goals, we are also on the path and we are doing a lot to achieve this goal.
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Interviewer5:13
Then we wish you all the best. Thank you very much.
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Stefan Klebert5:15
Thank you, thank you very much.
