Ecosystems Position Statement

Linde’s Position Statement on the Importance of Ecosystems

Linde’s Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policy calls for the company to exhibit behaviors and values that reflect the highest value it places on avoiding harm to people, the environment and the communities in which Linde operate. This commitment includes a commitment to the natural environment.

Compliance, Activities, Goals and Monitoring
The company is committed to environmental responsibility, which includes preservation of the ecosystem, respect for biodiversity, and preservation of natural tree canopies and forests.

Biodiversity
Linde’s approach  is to avoid operations near protected areas.  In fact, because most of Linde’s sites are located in industrial areas, protected areas are not typically within close proximity to the facilities.  If periodic surveillance finds site(s) within close proximity of a protected area, Linde will work to understand possible impacts and to minimize, restore, and/or offset, as appropriate, working with local stakeholders. 

Because sites recognized as important to biodiversity may change over time, Linde periodically conducts a surveillance of the locations of its global industrial gas production facilities and their proximity to protected areas, based on data provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  This surveillance is conducted at least every three years. 

Tree Planting 
Because most of Linde’s sites are located in industrial areas, deforestation is not a material issue for Linde.  Even so, Linde is committed to the importance that trees provide to communities and landscapes, including positive impact on neighborhoods, impacts on air quality, and mitigation of soil erosion.  As such, Linde has been engaged in positive efforts to support tree planting for many years. 

Reporting
Linde addresses biodiversity aspects and reports progress on tree planting in its annual Sustainable Development Report, found in the company’s SD Reporting Center.  

Stakeholder Engagement
Even in cases where there is no negative impact, Linde teams welcome opportunities to work with community stakeholders and does so through community engagement efforts, including cleanups, gardening programs, and tree planting projects, which provide both social and environmental benefits.  Collaborating organizations include those with local, national and international scope, and more information on specific collaborations is included in the annual community engagement brochure and annual sustainable development report.