CON TENTS OUR COM PANY AN EXPANDING FAMILY COMPANY Business model Digital transformation OUR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS Part of the circular economy Green Hightech Adding value in Europe Corrugated board instead of plastic BUSINESS ETHICS Compliance structure Whistleblower system Code and policies Management Sustainable procurement 9 14 16 STAKE HOLDERS AND MATERI ALITY IDENTIFICATION OF KEY ISSUES DIALOGUE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS SUSTAINABILITY ORGANISATION ECO NOMY CORPORATE STRUCTURE VALUE-ADDED CHAIN CORPORATE STRATEGY ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE 21 24 27 29 30 30 32

AN EXPANDING FAMILY COMPANY ▪ BUSINESS MODEL ▪ DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OUR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS ▪ PART OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY ▪ GREEN HIGHTECH ▪ ADDING VALUE IN EUROPE ▪ CORRUGATED BOARD INSTEAD OF PLASTIC BUSINESS ETHICS ▪ COMPLIANCE STRUCTURE ▪ WHISTLEBLOWER SYSTEM ▪ CODE AND POLICIES ▪ MANAGEMENT ▪ SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S OUR LOCATIONS UNITED KINGDOM 12 02 FRANCE 05 03 1 3 2 13 GERMANY 09 04 POLAND 14 07 10 15 06 CZECH REPUBLIC 16 11 ITALY Progroup manufactures containerboard and corrugated board sheets of different grades. We produce containerboard in Germany, and corrugated board sheets in six different European countries. Board Paper Logistics Power Group Office Under planning / construction WHAT MAKES PROGROUP SPECIAL BUSINESS MODEL OUR VISION Our visionary business strategy and the unique business model are what make us the company with the biggest organic growth in the industry. OUR MISSION Our partners are independent packaging manufacturers. We follow our mission in helping them to grow – with reliability, expertise and the outstanding structures of a highly specialised provider. OUR CULTURE & VALUES The culture in our family company is unique and gives us a key competitive advantage that cannot be copied. Our business model is unique in many different ways. Our target customers are family-run, small and medium- sized enterprises that manufacture packaging but do not have their own corrugated sheetboard production capacities. We have often been working with these customers for many decades. As we only manufacture containerboard and corrugated board sheets, but do not make any finished packaging ourselves, we do not compete with them but instead grow alongside them thanks to our closely

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S WE PRODUCE OUR OWN However, we still do the majority of our business as a traditional supplier. Our customers also enjoy benefits here: As we produce our own containerboard, we are able to produce reliably and also cater for requests at very short notice. The combination of a large number of smaller and medium-sized orders allows our facilities to operate with a very high workload, efficient production with a low level of rejects and great efficiency as a result. This is the basis on which we are able to offer even smaller and medium-sized series of orders with attractive conditions. We therefore view our customers and the way we work together in partner- ship as a vital component of our unique business model. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION The fact that Progroup is one of the pioneers of digital transformation in the paper industry is no accident, but part of the Progroup strategy. We rely on a high degree of automation, maximum standardisation of workflows and the production of large quantities – otherwise the levels of investment that we make would not pay dividends. Our customers also benefit from our thirst for innovation: They grow alongside us by up to 20 per cent each year. We have networked all our sites and all processes that link us to our customers. This enables us to achieve a high degree of transparency. On the one hand we are able to optimally balance out the capacities of our plants, and on the other we can deliver to our customers just in time.

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S OUR SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS PART OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY Progroup’s products are shining examples of the circular economy. We only ever use recovered paper as the raw material for our containerboard. The end product is also a recyclable product because at the end of its life the corrugated board is largely processed through waste separation and reused – throughout Europe. Progroup is FSC®-certified at its production sites and complies with either “FSC® Recycled” or “FSC® Mix”. Our production processes also follow the concept of a cycle: We produce energy from production residues and waste materials in our waste-to-energy plant in Eisenhüttenstadt (Brandenburg). Our water loops are closed on two of the three paper machines, and we recycle corrugated board rejects back into the production cycle as a raw material used for papermaking. GREEN HIGHTECH We have pursued a Greenfield strategy ever since our company was founded: We do not buy existing plants but instead always build our own new production facilities at carefully selected sites. This allows us to construct highly efficient, flexible facilities that have the very best technology and are way ahead of the market standard. Our machines are not just highly efficient when it comes to energy and water consumption, but they also enable us to produce paper and corrugated board sheets that are particularly lightweight. Despite less material being used, they are just as stable as conventional products. With nextboard® we have developed a corrugated board on which we have continuously reduced the grammage while maintaining consistent quality. What this means for our customers is a lower transport weight and transport volume. In addition, the products save raw materials, water and energy during production and have lower CO₂ emissions. We call them nextgeneration®. We also have an alternative for the production of highly stable corrugated boards whose manufacturing usually requires fresh fibre paper. As is the case with all our containerboard, it is made entirely from recovered paper. MODELLFABRIK PAPIER Progroup is a partner of “Modellfabrik Papier”, a not-for-profit enterprise that was established in 2021 and brings together science and business. The partners work together to develop production processes that can help the paper industry to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. There are currently working groups focusing on topics such as raw materials, digitisation, energy or the bioeconomy. [Learn more at: modellfabrikpapier.de ] ADDING VALUE IN EUROPE Many companies are currently engaged in the painstaking process of bringing their production sites and global supply chains back to Europe. Progroup does not face this challenge. We only manufacture our corrugated board sheets in Central Europe, at sites which are very close to our customers. We mostly cover paper production, which is the most environmentally relevant part of the upstream value- adding process, our own paper factories. We only purchase small DIGITAL INTEGRATION OF PROCESSES Digital linking of all participants in the supply chain General balancing of needs and capacities to achieve the overall optimum Reliable just-in-time deliveries to customers within 24 to 48 hours

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S BUSINESS ETHICS We are a family business that has worked together with its customers and suppliers over many decades in a partnership based on trust. We consider fairness, observing the rule of law and integrity to be the foundation of our corporate culture. In particular, we condemn any form of forced or child labour. We safeguard and bolster ethical business practices in particular through our compliance system and our purchasing principles. From 2024, Progroup must comply with the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. This act prescribes certain duties of care (due diligence) that must be undertaken to identify and prevent any negative impacts on human rights and environmental concerns all along supply chains. We are currently preparing to meet these duties and implement appropriate management processes. COMPLIANCE STRUCTURE We have embedded the issue of com- pliance in the structure of our business. The Board member responsible for this is Dr. Volker Metz. The Chief Compliance Officer Dr. Stefan Schmidt reports to him each month. Possible breaches of laws or regulations are reported to the Executive Board either by the Chief Compliance Officer or by the legal department. All employees complete general com- pliance training on a regular basis and the level of participation is reviewed. In addition, we provide other mandatory training, for example in antitrust law or data protection. This is assigned to the relevant employees based on the level of risk depending on which area they work in. To comply with compliance-relevant regulations, we carry out risk-based random checks, in particular in relation to antitrust law, money laundering and data protection. Progroup has not breached any important laws or regulations either in this reporting year or in previous years. Our company also did not have any fines imposed upon it. WHISTLEBLOWER SYSTEM Progroup has had an electronic whistleblower system for many years. Employees or external parties can use a communication platform on our homepage to report wrongdoing or submit documents, including anonymously. This can also be done by e-mail or post. Any tip-offs go to our Chief Compliance Officer, who looks into the issues and discusses any relevant questions with the Executive Board. The whistleblower system is not just an important component for complying with the German Whistleblower Protection Act, which comes into force in 2023, but also gives our company the opportunity to find out about any irregularities at an early stage, whether they apply to us or our supply chain. No critical incidents were reported through the whistleblower channels in 2022. Even in previous years, we only recorded one to three incidents a year. Most of them involved matters relating to employment law. There has so far been no report in relation to corruption. The cases were investigated by the Chief Compliance Officer. No incident ended up with legal action being taken.

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S Boards At the turn of 2022/2023, Maximilian Heindl succeeded Jürgen Heindl as Chief Executive Officer of Progroup, with Jürgen Heindl moving to the Supervisory Board at the same time. Jürgen and Maximilian Heindl are both Progroup majority shareholders and also represented on the decision- making bodies. This does not result in a conflict of interest. In 2022, the Supervisory Board consisted of: ▪ Rainer Dietmann, lawyer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, member since 28.08.2007 ▪ Prof. Dr. Rudolf Wimmer, Professor of Leadership and Organisation at the Witten Institute for Family Businesses at Witten / Herdecke University, member since 06.02.2008 ▪ Christian Buchel, member of the Executive Board of ENEDIS and Chairman at EDSO, member of Progroup’s Supervisory Board since 24.01.2019 Progroup Board since 01.01.2023, left to right: Dr. Volker Metz, Maximilian Heindl In 2022, the Executive Board consisted of: ▪ Jürgen Heindl, Board member and Chief Executive Officer from 29.08.2007 to 31.12.2022 ▪ Maximilian Heindl, member since 01.08.2017, Chairman since 01.01.2023 or secondary roles, unless they are disclosed to the Supervisory Board or the annual general meeting. Outside of the stated bodies, there is no disclosure of possible conflicts of interest. Remuneration policy Previously there was not any assessment of the Executive Board in relation to its sustainability management. However, in the future there will be bonus arrangements relating to the attainment of sustainability goals. For 2023, specific goals have been set for the Executive Board. They are broken down to the management of the different business areas. The Executive Board and managers receive a basic salary and variable, performance-related payments. Severance payments are assessed in each individual case. Board contracts include provisions relating to repayments. There are no retirement benefits, apart from the contributions made to the statutory pension scheme. Since 01.01.2023, Jürgen Heindl, founder of Progroup AG, is member and deputy chairman of the Supervisory Board. ▪ Dr. Volker Metz, Chief Financial Officer of Progroup AG, member since 01.11.2016 ▪ Philipp Kosloh, Chief Operating Officer of Progroup AG, member from 01.11.2016 to 02.05.2022 Since 1 January 2023, the Executive Board of Progroup has only had two members, Maximilian Heindl and Dr. Volker Metz. The members of the Executive Board are contractually obliged to avoid any conflicts of interest. For example, they are prohibited from having any stake in competitors in the market

IDENTIFICATION OF KEY ISSUES DIALOGUE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS SUSTAINABILITY ORGANISATION

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S OUR KEY SUSTAINABILITY TOPICS SDG Key topic Measured variable Reduction in CO2 emissions (Scope 1 and 2) [1] Specific CO2e emissions (t of CO2e/ t of total output [2]) Specific CO2e emissions for corrugated board (t of CO2e / 1000 m2) CO2e emissions in total (t of CO2e) Reduction in water consumption Specific fresh water quantity (m3/t of total output [2]) Use of kraftliner (proportion of the amount of paper used in total) Reduction in the use of raw materials 2012 0.32 0.245 527,821 3.27 14 % Grammage (g/m²) 497 Boosting our employees’ level of satisfaction Rate from the “Engagement” and “Attractiveness” indicators Not recorded Improvement in occupational safety Notifiable workplace accidents per 1 mill. hours worked No direct comparable figure available Boosting equal opportunities Percentage of women among salaried employees Percentage of women in management positions Not recorded Not recorded

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S DIALOGUE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS To ensure that Progroup’s strategy is as focused as possible, we conducted more than 30 interviews with stakeholders as part of the 2021 strategy development process. They included internal stakeholders such as the family that owns the business, the management and other employees, but also external stakeholders such as suppliers, investors and associations. The dialogue with stakeholders was split into two stages. A survey of the employees and initial discussions with external stakeholders were conducted as part of a master’s thesis. An online questionnaire was created to try to appeal to as broad a range of employees as possible. Based on these results, the second stage of the dialogue involved a more in-depth discussion which the whole sustainability team took part in. There were then internal discussions with selected experts from different fields. We held direct talks with each of our external stakeholders, structured according to previously defined content. They were tailored to reflect the areas in which the other party worked. REDUCING IS STAKEHOLDER GROUPS CONSIDERED Customers Packaging park customers Regional customers Employees Current employees Future employees Family, Supervisory Board, Board Capital market Investors Banks Rating agencies Partners & suppliers Disposal firms Machine manufacturers Carriers Other suppliers Politicians / legislators EU D, PL, F, CZ, IT, UK German states Politicians / funders EU Green Deal National funding Community Local community, politicians Associations, social groups Residents Society NGOs Science End customers Corporates (EU, global) SMEs (various sectors) E-commerce Consumers

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S SUSTAINABILITY ORGANISATION BOARD Direction of the sustainability strategy STRATEGY OFFICE Evolution of the sustainability strategy as part of the corporate strategy ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OFFICERS Responsibility for environmental and sustainability topics at the sites PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT Assessment of all projects based on defined sustainability criteria SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER Coordination of the sustainability activities Point of contact for all sustainability-related issues PURCHASING Ensuring sustainability in the purchasing processes and supply chain DIVISIONAL MANAGER Integration of sustainability into the respective divisional roadmaps SALES Communicating Progroup’s sustainability activities to all customers CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING Internal and external sustainability communications INNOVATION MANAGEMENT Actively looking for innovations in the context of sustainability Raising awareness of the sustainability scouts OTHER DIVISIONS Integration of sustainability into division-specific topics HUMAN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Responsibility for all measures affecting Progroup’s employees Sustainability is firmly established at all levels in all divisions.

CORPORATE STRUCTURE VALUE-ADDED CHAIN CORPORATE STRATEGY ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S VALUE-ADDED CHAIN The value-added chain within the corporate group starts with the three paper factories. The paper machine PM2 is supported by Progroup Power 1 GmbH in an upstream stage with the production of steam. The most important input factor for paper production is recovered paper. The paper factories predominantly supply the corrugated sheetfeeder plants within the corporate group as well as a small number of external customers. The complementary technical configuration means that it is possible to produce containerboard with a grammage of between 60 g/m² and 230 g/m². The second key stage in the value- added chain is the production and distribution of corrugated board sheets and therefore delivering products to the packaging manufacturers, which in turn supply the end customers/ consumers. Between the individual stages in this value-added chain are transport logistics processes which are supported by Progroup Logistics GmbH. The product range at the Board plants comprises single-wall to triple-wall corrugated board sheets with different flute sizes. The grammages range from around 300 g/m² to almost 2 kg/m². In general there are trends towards lighter-weight corrugated board that has the same strength and small batches in order to meet the ever more differentiated requirements of the packaging industry. Progroup is well positioned in the market to cater for both trends and has therefore been able to operate very successfully despite a volatile market environment in 2022. The company’s customer base for corrugated board mainly comprises medium-sized packaging manufac- turers. The Paper division mainly supplies the company’s Board plants along with some external customers. CORPORATE STRATEGY Our mission is to be the preferred partner for independent packaging manufacturers that we can help to grow profitably and tap into new potential with the reliability, know-how and outstanding structures that a highly specialist provider is able to offer. Our vision is to change the industry. We want to be Europe’s market leader for corrugated sheetboard and the fastest organically growing, most efficient company in the industry. We know that long-term growth is only possible if we do not lose sight of the importance of people and the environment. The fact that our company’s continuous growth must be sustainable has never been in question and provides the foundation of our corporate strategy. To implement this strategy consistently, we devise rolling, specific strategy periods of ten years each. Since 2016, we have been pursuing the “TWO25” ten-year strategy. What we are aiming to achieve is to double the size of the company by 2025 compared to 2015. At the end of the reporting period, we were already 85 per cent of the way to achieving this target. All of Progroup’s activities are focused on profitable growth, which we want to achieve through innovations as well as leading the way on costs and organisation. At the end of the reporting period, we were building two more state-of-the-art corrugated board plants, one near to Pirmasens in Rhineland-Palatinate and one in northern Italy. The plants are expected to start operating in 2024. Our second waste-to-energy plant is set to start operating in 2025. We received the approval for this at the beginning of 2023 and construction work began at the end of the first quarter. It is being constructed in Sandersdorf- Brehna (Saxony-Anhalt) in order to supply steam to our newest paper factory at the same site (PM3). This will significantly improve our company’s carbon footprint. TWO25 STRATEGY COMPONENTS Growth & integration Cost leadership & profitability Organisation & personnel development

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE In the 2022 financial year, with 1,663 employees (2021: 1,501) we generated revenue of 1.759 billion euros (2021: 1.357 billion). We did not manage to achieve the previous year’s record-breaking sales of corrugated board. However, the sales trend was above the trend in the reference market. Overall, the market for both containerboard and corrugated board was characterised by fluctuating conditions in the market in 2022. Throughout the year, the market for containerboard was shaped by a high level of supply contrasting with a fall in demand for corrugated board. The raw material prices that continued to rise through to the middle of the year and the massive rise in energy costs as a result of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine led to increases in the price of containerboard in the first half of the year. The surplus in supply caused stock levels to rise significantly throughout the paper industry. As a consequence, there were numerous production cutbacks and shutdowns in the third quarter. This in turn led to an imbalance in the recovered paper market and as a result to a significant drop in recovered paper prices in the second half of the year. As energy prices also began to drop slightly after peaking in the third quarter, the prices of containerboard fell significantly in the fourth quarter. As is usually the case, the price of corrugated board followed the price trend in the containerboard market with the typical lag time. Following the steep rise in commodity prices, higher energy, freight and packaging costs also caused corrugated board prices to rise in the first half of the year. Overall, this led to a sharp rise in revenue. In the fourth quarter, the steep fall in containerboard prices resulted in significant price corrections for corrugated board sheets. As part of this price trend, there was a very significant increase in revenue in the Progroup group of 29.6 per cent compared to the previous year. The revenue amounted to € 1.759 billion, following revenue of € 1.357 billion in 2021. The costs of materials rose by around 23 per cent compared to the previous year. This increase was a result of the higher starch, recovered paper and paper prices. In addition, higher energy costs also contributed to the increase. Personnel costs also rose noticeably by around 13 per cent compared to the previous year. In addition to the general adjustments to wages and salaries, the increase resulted primarily from growth in the average number of employees. We recruited new employees in particular in administration (shared service and group roles) and in operations (Board Operations). The other operating expenses were also significantly above the level of the previous year at 22 per cent, which is essentially attributable to higher freight costs and higher maintenance costs. The decline in interest expenses compared to the previous year is fundamentally down to a lower volume of credit. More than two-thirds of the income tax paid in the 2022 financial year resulted from corporation and business tax on the Progroup AG SHARE IN THE OF THE COMPANY

CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN PRACTICE OUR RAW MATERIALS ▪ FEWER RAW MATERIALS IN CORRUGATED BOARD ▪ RECYCLED FIBRE INSTEAD OF FRESH FIBRE WATER AND WASTEWATER ▪ BIOLOGICAL WATER TREATMENT ▪ REDUCTION OF WASTEWATER ENERGY AND EMISSIONS ▪ OUR WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANTS ▪ GREENHOUSE GAS BALANCE

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S OUR RAW MATERIALS Our most important raw material is different grades of recovered paper. This secondary raw material is becoming increasingly rare and expensive because the demand for papers based on recovered paper continues to rise. unable to improve it any further. This is down to the composition of the products that our customers order, with increasing quantities of heavier grades of corrugated board in the reporting period compared to the previous year. As we base this indicator on the quantities sold, the impact is reflected in the measured variable. The market is highly competitive, yet using recovered paper still makes more sense ecologically than purchasing fresh fibre which – apart from anything else – is equally rare and costly. In addition, we are reducing the grammage of our corrugated board sheets and exploring alternative materials. FEWER RAW MATERIALS IN CORRUGATED BOARD We are striving to reduce the quantity of raw materials we use. This is why we are now manufacturing corrugated board sheets that are lighter and lighter and yet still satisfy the same technical requirements. Since 2012, we have reduced the average grammage by 1.8 per cent and we aim to reduce it by 3 per cent by 2025, and by 5 per cent by 2030. Our weight-optimised products are nextboard® corrugated boards. In addition to a significantly improved life cycle assessment, they feature a volume that is 15 per cent lower than Progroup’s conventional grades of corrugated board, which saves storage and transport costs. nextboard® is also noted for its higher compressive strength and edge crush resistance than other products which use the same quantity of raw materials. We manage to produce this special stability thanks to a change in the corrugated board design. In 2022 we managed to maintain the previous year’s figure, but we were 12 RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION REDUCTION IN THE USE OF RAW MATERIALS Measured variable Reduction in grammage (g/m²) 2012 497 2021 489 (- 1.8 %) 2022 489 (- 1.8 %) Target for 2025 - 3 % Target for 2030 - 5 % RECYCLED FIBRE INSTEAD OF FRESH FIBRE We also buy kraftliner for corrugated boards which need to be particularly resilient. Kraftliner is base paper that is made primarily from fresh fibre and is therefore especially robust. We use kraftliner exclusively for the corrugated board cover layer because it is more expensive than recycled paper and its life cycle assessment is not as good. In our paper factory in Burg we are able to manufacture a type of containerboard from recycled fibres that is just as robust. We call it “Proliner K”. In many cases, we are able to replace the containerboard based on fresh fibre with this recycled containerboard. Our aim is to reduce the fraction of kraftliner used by around 25 per cent in 2025 compared to 2012; by 2030 the saving should be as much as 30 per cent. By increasingly using Proliner K, we will not only reduce the amount of wood we use in our upstream supply chain, but will also achieve a significant energy benefit. 15 LIFE ON LAND REDUCTION IN THE USE OF RAW MATERIALS Measured variable Use of kraftliner (proportion of the amount of paper used in total) 2012 14 % 2021 11 % (- 20 %) 2022 12 % (- 19 %) Target for 2025 - 25 % Target for 2030 - 30 % In the reporting period, the proportion of kraftliner of the amount of paper used in total increased slightly. The absolute amount of kraftliner used has not increased compared to 2021. This result is also down to the portfolio and dependent on the orders placed by our customers.

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S BIOLOGICAL WATER TREATMENT Our paper factory PM3 in Sandersdorf- Brehna is not just one of the world’s most efficient paper machines; we have also integrated a state-of-the-art biological circulating water treatment plant which has been installed for the first time anywhere. It reduces the amount of fresh water that is used by around 80 per cent compared to similar factories. Impurities which are transferred from the recovered paper into the process water are biologically degraded in the plant under anaerobic conditions and converted into biogas. We feed this into the boiler house to produce steam. The steam is in turn used on the paper machine for drying. This means that the plant overall consumes up to 10 per cent less fossil resources. In Sandersdorf-Brehna, this technology enables us to save up to 3.75 million cubic metres of fresh water and up to 62 million kilowatt hours of natural gas each year. REDUCTION OF WASTEWATER on PM2 is treated to the very latest standards by the Oderaue Drinking Water and Sewage Disposal Association. Wastewaters from our corrugated sheetfeeder plants do not require any special treatment, but are instead transported via the sewer system into the public wastewater treatment plants. ENERGY AND EMISSIONS The closed circuits have drastically reduced not just our demand for fresh water, but also the amount of wastewater we have produced in recent years. PM1 does not produce any, and PM3 only produces wastewater from ancillary systems. The wastewater Climate neutrality is a major challenge for Progroup, as it is for many other manufacturing companies. In Germany, the paper industry is one of the three most energy-intensive industries. Although less energy is required for producing recycled paper than for fresh 13 CLIMATE ACTION REDUCTION IN CO2e EMISSIONS (SCOPE 1 AND 2) [1] Measured variable Specific CO2e emissions (t of CO2e / t of total output [3]) 2012 0.32 2021 0.23 (- 28 %) 2022 0.23 (- 28 %) Measured variable CO2e emissions in total [2] (t of CO2e) 2012 527,821 t CO2e 2021 712,041 2022 694,457 Measured variable Specific CO2e emissions for corrugated board [2] (t of CO2e / 1000 m2) 2012 0.245 2021 0.177 (- 28 %) 2022 0.182 (-26 %) Target for 2025 Target for 2025 Target for 2025 - 35 % Target for 2030 - 40 % Constant emissions (comp. to 2012) despite growth - 35 % Target for 2030 Constant emissions (comp. to 2012) despite growth Target for 2030 - 40 % [1] Owing to a lack of availability, in some cases emissions factors from previous years were used to calculate the emissions. [2] Does not include our administration site in Landau. [3] The total output is made up of the output of containerboard and corrugated board sheets, each in tonnes.

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S PPI AWARD At the start of 2023, Progroup received the Pulp & Paper International Award (PPI Award) in the “Sustainability Leadership Award 2023” category. With this coveted paper industry award, the information provider “Fastmarkets Forest Products” recognises the special achievements of companies, mills and individuals in the pulp, packaging and paper industry. This year’s award recognises our high- tech sites that allow us to make the best possible contribution to a circular economy. Our Eisenhüttenstadt site is a perfect example of this: This is where we produce papers that are very lightweight and yet are still strong – based exclusively on recovered paper. The energy required for this is supplied from the company’s own waste-to- energy plant. By thermally utilising what are known as rejects – waste materials from paper production and also from industry – it supplies the whole paper machine with all the hot steam it needs. OUR WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANTS We acquired our first power plant from EnBW in Eisenhüttenstadt in 2016 and have been operating it ourselves ever since. The second has been under construction in Sandersdorf-Brehna since the end of 2022. The approval process has been completed here. They are both CHP plants in which in particular we convert waste materials from papermaking and substitute fuels into energy. In Eisenhüttenstadt, we produce roughly 1.2 million tonnes of steam and approx. 130 gigawatt hours of electricity each year. This means that, apart from when the power plant is being inspected, we provide all the steam that PM2 requires. The volume of electricity produced is equivalent to approx. 50 to 60 per cent of the power that PM2 requires, but in the period under review this was fed into the power grid due to network regulations. The combined heat and power plant in Sandersdorf-Brehna is set to start operating in mid-2025 and on average will provide 125 tonnes of steam per hour and generate up to 20 megawatts of electrical power. By 2025 we want to reduce our specific emissions – relative to our total output of containerboard and corrugated board sheets – by 35 per cent. By 2030 the new power plant should help us to achieve a saving of 40 per cent. GREENHOUSE GAS BALANCE Our absolute emissions in 2022 in Scopes 1 and 2 were 694,457 tonnes of CO2 equivalents. Compared to the previous years, our calculation for 2022 also includes the emissions from our commercial vehicle fleet. In addition, we have started to record the first categories of our Scope 3 emissions. They amounted to 639,439 tonnes of CO2 equivalents. The recording of our Scope 3 emissions for 2022 covers the categories that are most relevant for our production processes: the upstream emissions from the purchase of electricity and fuels, transmission and distribution losses from the purchase of electricity, production materials, office equipment, related services, capital goods, purchased logistics services as well as water consumption and wastewater. The production materials make up the largest share. In this category, we have recorded the most important materials for us. These include glue, starch and dye for papermaking, starch and caustic soda for the production of corrugated board and the external purchase of containerboard. We have not yet recorded our use of recovered paper. In addition, the emissions from our purchased logistics services make up a large share of the overall Scope 3 emissions. In this category, we have set out the transport consignments that we issue. Only the consignments of the purchased quantities of recovered paper transported to our paper machines are not included. We will continue to expand the calculation in 2023. For an energy-intensive company likes ours, it is another way to become carbon-neutral by 2045. This will only work if in the coming years renewable energy and green hydrogen is made available in sufficient quantities and other general conditions (for example the possibility of storing captured CO₂ volumes) are put in place so that not only we but the industry as a whole can manufacture products in a carbon-neutral way. Politicians are in the process of establishing the general framework for this. In 2023, we started to develop a trans- formation concept for a reference corrugated sheetfeeder plant. This project is receiving state funding. The aim is to provide a detailed description of the previous, current and future-planned efforts to combat climate change at this site and to develop a strategy that is consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5 °C and meets the goal of achieving climate neutrality over the long term. The intention is then to adopt the transformation concept at the rest of our plants.

WORKFORCE ▪ FEEDBACK FROM THE WORKFORCE ▪ TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT ▪ BOOSTING EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES ▪ OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AS THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK CHARITABLE INVOLVEMENT ▪ PROJECTS

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S FEEDBACK FROM THE WORKFORCE employer need to do more to increase the level of satisfaction. All companies are already suffering from a shortage of skilled workers and this is set to become even more acute in the future. This is why it is so important for us to keep and retain our employees. Employee surveys help us to measure their level of satisfaction and identify issues where we as an In 2018, we carried out our first ever cultural analysis – a comprehensive survey of all employees that covers various aspects of day-to-day working at Progroup and is done every three to four years. We repeated the whole survey in 2022. In addition, annual “pulse checks” are starting in 2023. They contain fewer questions and are designed to flag up any discrepancies sooner. These pulse checks are based on the “Engagement” and “Attractiveness” indicators. The first indicator reflects how willing the employees are to get fully involved at work, and how much of an affiliation they have with the company. EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURE (GROUP-WIDE) 2021 2022 Number of employees Male Female Total Male Female Total Acc. to employment category Salaried employees 295 143 438 364 178 542 (+ 24 %) Wage earners 1,051 12 1,063 1,111 10 1,121 (+ 5 %) Acc. to hierarchy Directors Operational management Managers (incl. wage earners) 4 9 0 0 4 9 4 8 0 1 192 17 209 209 20 4 9 229 (+ 10 %) Acc. to employment contract Acc. to employment relationship As of 31/12/2021 As of 31/12/2022 Permanent 1,323 155 1,478 1,456 187 1,643 (+11 %) Fixed-term 23 0 23 19 1 20 (-13 %) Full time Part time 1,338 135 1,473 1,464 157 1,621 (+ 10 %) 8 20 28 11 31 42 (+ 50 %)

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S 8 DECENT WORK & ECONOMIC GROWTH BOOSTING OUR EMPLOYEES’ LEVEL OF SATISFACTION Measured variable Rate from the “Engagement” and “Attractiveness” indicators 2022 68 % Target for 2025 Average for manufacturing sector [1] Target for 2030 Best-in-class [2] [1] engagement: 68 %; attractiveness: 66 % [2] Best-in-class: engagement: 93 %; attractiveness: 94 % To evaluate the results of the cultural analysis and improve the corporate culture where there is a need to take action, we have initiated a multi-stage process. As the results differ signifi- cantly between divisions, they were initially discussed in the individual divisions. Measures within each division will thus be addressed directly. In addition to this, we also look at issues that affect the whole company. They are worked on in a working group that meets regularly and is made up of members of the management team and the Board and one employee from the human resources department. The working group has identified the error and feedback culture as an area that requires particular improvement. This is where our managers have a role to play. They must firstly provide space to learn from any errors, and secondly not just demand excellent work but praise it too. This is why we have decided to work more with our managers to create a constructive and appreciative leadership culture. The introduction of a “lessons learned” process should help with this. This involves recording positive and negative incidents across the company and sharing them across divisions or the whole company, for example via our Progroup app. We will thus encourage mistakes to be addressed openly. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CULTURAL ANALYSIS 2022 …there’s a good working relationship between immediate colleagues. Progroup’s corporate structure has changed in a positive way in recent years. I enjoy my current job.

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S 8 DECENT WORK & ECONOMIC GROWTH IMPROVEMENT IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY Measured variable Notifiable workplace accidents per 1 mill. hours worked 2021 Paper machines: 17.5 Corrugated sheetfeeder plants: 18.3 Waste-to-energy plant: 0 2022 Paper machines: 22.9 [1] Corrugated sheetfeeder plants: 24.4 Waste-to-energy plant: 10.1 Target for 2025 At least industry average [2] Target for 2030 < 5 [1] Including external service providers [2] Industry average: Paper machines: 18.3 Corrugated sheetfeeder plants: 11.7 Waste-to-energy plant: 11.1 (Figure from 2021 annual report because the 2022 figure was not yet available at the time of writing.) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AS THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK One of our most important tasks is still to ensure occupational health and safety at our workplaces. To make sure this is done in the best way possible, responsibility and organisation is split between the individual divisions of Paper (Progroup Paper PM1 GmbH and subsidiaries), Board (Progroup Board GmbH and subsidiaries) and the CHP plant (Progroup Power 1 GmbH). Our administration site in Landau is looked after by the occupational safety specialists for the Board division, and Progroup Logistics GmbH is looked after by the specialists for the Paper division. The reason for this split is that the respective value chains have different production workflows. The occupational safety specialists talk to each other online if required and also meet in person twice a year. Despite every effort being made, in the year under review more accidents occurred at all sites than in the previous year. We responded by taking extensive measures and recruited additional occupational safety specialists. In some cases, our accident statistics record not just our own employees, but also workers from external service providers. Paper division To make our employees aware of occu- pational safety, they use our digital occupational safety tool to undergo quarterly training that is tailored to the specific work they do. If the specified number of completion attempts (3) is exceeded, the manager receives a notification and must enable the training in the system again. This ensures that the manager can respond with appropriate qualification measures, for example. Risk assessments are conducted on a regular basis and updated if an incident occurs. This includes our safety checks, which we outlined in the previous sustainability report. In addition, all employees are required to report any hazards or unsafe situations. THE RECRUITMENT OF MORE PERSONNEL TO THE AREA OF UNDERLINES HOW IT IS

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S Progroup donated 1,500 euros to the voluntary fire brigade in Trzcinica (PL). Managers were also made more aware of the issue. All operations managers received appropriate training. What is more, we enhanced the level of visibility in the various working areas, for example by installing information cubes to raise the level of awareness of occupational safety among all employees. In addition, our corrugated board plants have an internal information portal which also lists all the processes, responsibilities and basic principles of occupational safety. In the reporting period, we enhanced the quality of the accident analyses by adopting an interdisciplinary approach to look at them with various levels of management, an occupational safety specialist and the person involved in the accident. Besides recruiting a third occupational safety specialist, we decided at the end of 2022 that in future occupational safety should also be reflected in the plant wage paid to the employees. For example, the intention is to pay a bonus as soon as a set number of preventative measures has been implemented. Waste-to-energy plant division Owing to the smaller number of employees at just one site previously, we only have one colleague who is responsible for occupational safety in our combined heat and power plant. Training here is also provided mainly using our occupational safety tool. In addition, the employees receive external training for specific tasks as well as additional briefings following an accident. Risk assessments are updated on a regular basis. Unsafe situations are also digitally recorded and reported. To ensure that these situations are rectified, they are regularly discussed by all managers, added to the digital production tool and responsibilities are defined. The main risks identified are the potential to fall when working in elevated work- places, the risk of scalding yourself on hot media and the risk of tripping and falling on uneven outside paths. These risks were identified by observing the personnel on each shift followed by an inspection with the occupational safety specialist and the maintenance team. In the period under review, none of the risks led to an injury with serious consequences. There was one notifiable workplace accident in our combined heat and power plant in 2022. 98,880 hours were worked in total. This therefore yields a figure of 10.1 for every 1 million hours worked. These statistics include all Progroup employees. CHARITABLE INVOLVEMENT Progroup is a good neighbour at the sites where it operates. This is why we are involved with charitable causes. The main areas we support focus in particular on working with children

O U R C O M PA N Y S TA K E H O L D E R S A N D M AT E R I A L I T Y E C O N O M Y E C O L O G Y S O C I A L A S P E C T S GRI INDEX Progroup AG has reported the information that is stated in this GRI index for Progroup for the period running from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022 with reference to the GRI standards. GRI Standard Disclosure SDG no. Location General Disclosures GRI 2: General Disclosures 2021 2-1 2-2 2-3 2-5 2-6 2-7 2-9 2-10 2-11 2-12 2-13 2-14 2-15 2-16 2-17 2-18 2-20 2-22 2-23 2-24 2-25 2-26 2-27 2-29 Organizational details Entities included in the organization’s sustainability reporting Reporting period, frequency and contact point External assurance Activities, value chain and other business relationships Employees Governance structure and composition Nomination and selection of the highest governance body Chair of the highest governance body Role of the highest governance body in overseeing the management of impacts Delegation of responsibility for managing impacts Role of the highest governance body in sustainability reporting Conflicts of interest Communication of critical concerns Collective knowledge of the highest governance body Evaluation of the performance of the highest governance body Process to determine remuneration Statement on sustainable development strategy Policy commitments Embedding policy commitments Processes to remediate negative impacts Mechanisms for seeking advice and raising concerns Compliance with laws and regulations Approach to stakeholder engagement Material Topics GRI 3: Material Topics 2021 3-1 3-2 Process to determine material topics List of material topics Pages 9, 10, 17 Page 9 Page 5, Legal information Pages 5, 54 Pages 11, 29 Pages 44, 45 Pages 17, 18 Pages 17, 18 Page 18 Page 18 Pages 18, 21 Pages 18, 21 Page 18 Page 16 Page 18 Pages 18, 19 Pages 18, 19 Foreword Pages 16, 17 Pages 16, 17 Pages 16, 17 Pages 16, 17 Pages 16, 17 Pages 24, 25 Page 21 Pages 22, 23

Certificate Validation Sustainability Report After remote assessment, document inspection and discussions with responsible employees, we confirm the credibility, transparency and plausibility of the information in the Sustainability Report, business year 2022, published by Progroup AG with the headquarter Horstring 12, 76829 Landau. Progroup AG prepares its Sustainability Report 2022 based on the GRI Standards (Version 2021). The focus of the audit is on the principles of corporate sustainability responsibility as well as the reliability and quality of the report content on a sample basis. The validation of the sustainability related disclosures presented in the report is planned and performed to enable us to express our opinion with limited assurance. Berlin, 21. Juli 2023 Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Uwe Lieback Director No. N-23-24804-EN