Veridos: Breaking new ground in the identity industry

Veridos is intensifying its research into climate-friendly production processes for ID documents.

The climate crisis is the most significant challenge of our time.

Overcoming it depends on whether governments, companies and private individuals becoming aware of their responsibility and actively seek solutions.

Veridos, an ID solutions provider and manufacturer of travel documents, is facing up to this task, as these documents in their entirety leave a not inconsiderable CO2 footprint: The ePassports expired every year alone would, if placed next to each other, make up a distance from Paris to Zurich.

These dimensions show that the identity industry urgently needs new, eco-friendly solutions.

Current studies indicate that the entire travel and tourism sector accounts for about 8% of global emissions, although concrete results are difficult to discern due to the close interconnection with other industries.

One thing is certain, however: In order to bring about real change and introduce sustainable processes worldwide, it is up to each individual company.

Considering the given urgency, Veridos is aware of this responsibility and is taking up the challenge of adopting eco-friendly measures.

For this reason, the company is focusing its research on the entire lifecycle of the products it manufactures and, in particular, of its chip-based ID documents.

After all, in addition to procuring and transporting the raw materials needed for the production, recycling expired documents also poses a challenge that should not be underestimated.

Veridos’ ecological approach is the use of recycled or natural-based polycarbonates, such as corn or sugar cane.

On the security side, however, there must be no compromise when it comes to sensitive documents such as the ePassport, as international standards must also be complied with.

Therefore, Veridos is driving forward collaboration with industry players as well as close cooperation with authorities and governments – because only a holistic approach to solutions will be able to make the difference and reduce the CO2 footprint.

A decisive factor is that, as a first step, all players focus on the emissions that they can easily measure and also reduce in a next step.

In this context, ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reports, which will not only ensure greater transparency in the future, but also reflect the efforts of companies to act sustainably in figures, represent a further, significant motivation.

A responsible business model

In addition to choosing eco-friendly materials, Veridos is already researching the widespread use of sustainable energy sources for its own production processes and effective transport options that reduce air freight on the one hand and avoid partial deliveries on the other.

At Veridos Matsoukis, for instance, Veridos’ largest production site located in Athens, Greece, the aim is to reduce CO2 emissions until 2040, thus contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The purchased electricity has a guarantee of origin from 100% renewable energy sources, coming from a wind farm in the Greek Phocis region.

One next big step is obtaining the company-wide FSC certification, which would confirm the responsible sourcing of raw materials containing pulp such as paper; these efforts are important building blocks of a comprehensive sustainability strategy.

But, it remains just as important to introduce innovative recycling processes of expired documents in order to be able to record a truly measurable difference – not only inside the company, but industry-wide.

The goal is thus clearly defined: Veridos’ Green ePassport is a sign of the shift towards a responsible product that supports governments in their sustainability efforts, ensures travellers’ comfort and safety and helps the travel and tourism industry achieve real CO2 savings.

By optimising its own production processes and supply chains, Veridos is taking important steps towards effective action against climate change and its consequences as a partner to governments around the world.

This chosen path is not only the morally right one, but in the long term it will also determine the competitiveness of companies in times when customers’ requirements have changed significantly: Younger generations in particular are taking a closer look and are increasingly opting for providers who really do act in an eco-conscious manner.

Veridos believes that the first step towards a responsible business model is a change in mindset.

Central to this must be to combine the reduction of its own CO2 footprint with the high standards of its products and customer service.

Veridos not only takes up this challenge itself, but also actively supports its partners in implementing it.