Clariant has announced that it is upgrading its ambitions for enabling a sustainable future. After establishing a dedicated transformational unit in 2020 to accelerate its sustainability transformation, the company now follows that up by committing to new 2030 targets to reduce CO₂ emissions in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The new targets, which have been officially validated by the SBTi, set out absolute emission reductions in the company’s operations and supply chain. Between 2019 and 2030, Clariant targets a 40% absolute reduction in scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions and a 14% absolute reduction in scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, thereby striving for the level of decarbonization required to keep global temperature increase to well below 2°C.

“Sustainability is one of Clariant’s five strategic pillars and guides the path of our transformation into a leading specialty chemicals company. Our new targets reflect our commitment and responsibility toward enabling a more sustainable future,” commented Bernd Hoegemann, Chief Transformation Officer at Clariant.

Clariant commits to new 2030 targets to reduce CO₂ emissions.

Climate change represents a necessity to act and an opportunity for the chemical industry to develop the innovative and sustainable solutions needed to reduce emissions and enable significant reductions in other sectors so that the world gets on a trajectory in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change.

“We congratulate Clariant for setting emission reduction targets in line with climate science and the goals of the Paris Agreement,” said Cynthia Cummis, Director of Private Sector Climate Mitigation at World Resources Institute, one of the Science Based Targets initiative partners.

Clariant’s science-based targets are accompanied by other environmental targets in the area of water intake, wastewater, hazardous waste, land-filled non-hazardous waste, and nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx). Clariant also commits to the implementation of sustainable water management systems at all sites in areas of high water stress by 2030.

These targets ensure a continuous improvement of Clariant’s environmental footprint and enable further contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goal SDG 13 “Climate Action”.

The company has also adapted important governance aspects to steer its transformation, such as linking greenhouse gas emissions reduction to remuneration and implementing internal carbon pricing.

Clariant is pursuing a mixed approach to reducing emissions across its value chain. The company will focus on increasing energy efficiency through digitalization in operations, increasing the use of green electricity and low carbon fuels, and accelerating innovation in its value chains with increased use of low carbon raw materials such as waste streams and sustainable bio-based materials.