In line with the expectations of the Paris Agreement to contain global warming to 1.5° C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, Arkema — a global specialty chemicals and advanced materials company — has set itself an ambitious target, based on a Science-Based Target (SBT) approach, to reduce its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and its scope 3 emissions by 46% by 2030 relative to 2019.
Arkema is shifting its “lightweight materials and design” innovation platform, to offer solutions that offer a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
The adhesives and coatings manufacturer is raising its level of commitment from well below 2° C to 1.5° C, and now also includes all scope 3 emissions. This decarbonization target is based on energy efficiency and the evolution of the energy mix of Arkema’s industrial activities for scopes 1 and 2.
“As a responsible manufacturer, Arkema is strongly mobilized to address the major societal challenge of decarbonization,” said Luc Benoit-Cattin, executive VP of Industry and CSR. “With this new ambitious climate plan, the Group is taking a new step forward in its action for the fight against global warming. In particular, our cutting-edge expertise and innovation benefit our partners and customers in their own quest for sustainable performance, and we act on a daily basis to limit our carbon footprint.”
Doing more for the environment
After reducing by more than half its greenhouse gas emissions over the past 10 years, Arkema is determined to step up its efforts and continue cutting down its absolute emissions, in an expected context of sustained growth in activity.
In line with its commitment to a 1.5° C SBT trajectory, Arkema aims to limit its scope 1 and 2 emissions to two million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2030, a 46% reduction compared to the 3.7 million tons emitted in 2019. To achieve this objective, Arkema will rely in particular on its energy consumption reduction program implemented since 2012. The energy efficiency of its industrial activities has already improved by 15% compared to 2012, and the Group is looking to further raise this gain to 25% by 2030.
The company will also focus on accelerating the decarbonization of its energy sources through long-term commitments to renewable energy procurement, like recently at the Clear Lake site in the U.S., and by working with its partners to reduce the carbon footprint of purchased steam. For its own steam production, Arkema will turn to alternative fuels or the electrification of its boilers at some of its sites. These initiatives are based on assumptions of low-carbon energy availability at a cost that safeguards the competitiveness of the Group’s activities in the various countries it operates in that have expressed their commitment to carbon neutrality.
This reduction in GHG emissions is also based on a shift towards less emissive manufacturing processes and product ranges, as well as on the enhancement of emission capturing and treatment.
Arkema is also engaged in a pro-climate dialog with its suppliers, and encourages them to define before 2025 SBT targets for their scopes 1 and 2.
Downstream, a reduction in activities in the most emissive fluorogas applications targeted by the Kyoto Protocol and the development of new generation fluorogases (HFOs) for high value added activities are major drivers for reducing scope 3. The Group also leverages the strength of its innovation for sustainable development, and in particular its “lightweight materials and design” innovation platform, to shift its product and service offering towards solutions that contribute to the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Building on its unique set of expertise in materials science, Arkema offers a portfolio of first-class technologies to address ever-growing demand for new and sustainable materials. With the ambition to become in 2024 a pure player in specialty materials, the company is structured into complementary, resilient, and highly innovative segments to ensure success.
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