Business operations
Even though the direct impact of the Deka Group on the climate and the natural environment is comparatively low, the company is continuously working on reducing it. The focus is on climate-relevant emissions that the Deka Group seeks to reduce by 90 percent by 2045 compared to the starting year 2024. The following presents what role will be played in this by the environmental management system and what contribution the compensation for unavoidable emissions will make.
EMAS certification of the environmental management system
Basic information in the Sustainability Report 2025
The following information on this specific topic is in the Sustainability Report 2025.
The following information on this specific topic is in the Sustainability Report 2025.
- Climate change (own business operations): p. 181 et seqq.
Supplementary information
The Deka Group's environmental management system has been certified in accordance with the international standard DIN EN ISO 14001 since 2009. As part of this environmental management system, the Deka Group has worked systematically to reduce its consumption and emissions. In 2025, the Deka Group introduced EMAS, the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, a system that goes beyond the environmental requirements of ISO 14001. In this context, the collection of relevant data, e.g. on CO2 emissions, water and paper consumption, and waste, was extended beyond the Frankfurt locations to other offices in Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin. The Deka Group's central goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 90 percent by 2045 compared to 2024. The emission reduction targets for 2025, 2030, and 2050 are documented in the 2025 Sustainability Report in the table “Absolute GHG Emissions and Targets”.
The Deka Group's environmental management system has been certified in accordance with the international standard DIN EN ISO 14001 since 2009. As part of this environmental management system, the Deka Group has worked systematically to reduce its consumption and emissions. In 2025, the Deka Group introduced EMAS, the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme, a system that goes beyond the environmental requirements of ISO 14001. In this context, the collection of relevant data, e.g. on CO2 emissions, water and paper consumption, and waste, was extended beyond the Frankfurt locations to other offices in Leipzig, Düsseldorf, Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin. The Deka Group's central goal is to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 90 percent by 2045 compared to 2024. The emission reduction targets for 2025, 2030, and 2050 are documented in the 2025 Sustainability Report in the table “Absolute GHG Emissions and Targets”.
Deka's environmental management system is described in detail in the environmental statement, including environmental impacts, objectives, and measures.
Further information
You can find further information on the addressed topics on the Deka Group’s website and/or in relevant documents.
You can find further information on the addressed topics on the Deka Group’s website and/or in relevant documents.
Documents:
Compensation for unavoidable emissions
Basic information in the Sustainability Report 2025
You can find the following information on this specific topic in the Sustainability Report 2025:
You can find the following information on this specific topic in the Sustainability Report 2025:
- GHG removals and GHG mitigation projects financed through carbon credits: p. 193
Supplementary information
Compensation within high-quality, independently tested projects
To balance the CO2 emissions caused by business activities that are currently unavoidable, DekaBank has been compensating for these since 2020 through the purchase of emission reduction certificates for selected international projects.
DekaBank is aware that compensation for GHG emissions through the decommissioning of emission reduction certificates is not undisputed. It therefore ensures systematically that the compensation is only regularly applied when the current potential for avoidance and reduction of the emissions is exhausted. DekaBank works in this respect according to the principle of “avoid before reduce before off-set".
Furthermore, high standards are set for the climate protection projects from which the emission reduction certificates used for compensation originate. They must not only meet the strict quality standards but also make an active and verifiable contribution to the achievement of at least one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN. This is ensured by the projects being implemented primarily in countries in the Global South. The quality of the projects is evaluated by an independent assessor, who ensures e.g. the additionality of the projects, carries out a plausibility check for the calculation of the compensated GHG emissions and checks the vesting and unambiguousness of the allocation.
For the year 2025, the Deka Group compensates for its unavoidable emissions resulting from business operations for example with a biogas project in India and a project for rainforest protection and the conservation of biodiversity in Borneo/Indonesia.
Supporting savings banks in compensation
On the basis of its own experience, DekaBank has developed a service to help savings banks identify and offset their GHG emissions from business operations.
DekaBank offers savings banks the opportunity to retire emission reduction certificates from climate protection projects previously verified by DekaBank via the Deka Easy Access (DEA) information and trading platform. For savings banks, this comprehensive support from DekaBank offers several advantages: On the one hand, the CO2 offset platform in DEA provides them with a functional infrastructure and a reliable process; on the other hand, they are spared the need for extensive research into suitable offset projects, as DekaBank handles this for them. The legal and administrative burden is also reduced, as DekaBank has already negotiated a framework agreement with all project providers.
Further information
You can find further information on the addressed topics on the Deka Group’s website and/or in relevant documents.
Deka Group’s website:
You can find further information on the addressed topics on the Deka Group’s website and/or in relevant documents.
Deka Group’s website: