HIGH POINT – Paint and coatings specialist AkzoNobel has announced a sustainability initiative that aims to help it achieve zero waste and cut carbon emissions by half by 2030. The company said that these initiatives are the first in a wave of measures that focus on its new “People. Planet. Paint.” approach to sustainability.
Among the key targets for 2030 are:
- A 30% reduction in energy use
- A shift toward 100% renewable electricity
- 100% water reuse at the company’s most water intensive sites
- A shift toward zero non-reusable waste
“AkzoNobel is sustainability leader in the paints and coatings industry and achieving our ambition to be carbon neutral and a zero waste company by 2030 will ensure that we remain the reference in the sector,” said AkzoNobel CEO, Thierry Vanlancker. “By turning our ambitions into actions, by innovating and creating a better world for future generations, we’re harnessing our passion for paint to make a positive contribution to the lives of the communities we operate in.”
“The ambitions we’ve set are realistic and deliverable and will enable us to continue making an important contribution to addressing the sustainability challenges faced by our company, customers and broader society,” added Rinske van Heiningen, AkzoNobel’s director of sustainability. “As a global company, we’re also actively contributing to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”
The 2030 plan follows steps the company said it is already taking toward sustainability. For example, it said it is on track to have zero waste to landfill by the end of 2020. In addition it said that renewable electricity is already in use at 33 locations and eight countries.
The company also has installed solar panels at 14 locations and has reduced its waste by 40% in the past eight years, while total VOC emissions fell by 24% in 2019.
“Ongoing efforts to integrate sustainability into everything we do has been boosted by the recent introduction of ‘People. Planet. Paint.’ – a new, down-to-earth approach which makes sustainability a daily priority,” van Heiningen said. “It’s about focusing on the things we can truly influence. Through our sustainable solutions and processes, we are delivering tangible benefits for our customers, society, the environment and our business, enhancing our position as the sustainability leader in the paints and coatings industry.”
The post AkzoNobel announces sustainability initiatives appeared first on Furniture Today.