AkzoNobel has committed to accelerating its sustainability agenda by announcing a new ambition to use 100% renewable energy and become carbon neutral by 2050.

The company has been among the global leaders in sustainability for more than a decade, and this new goal confirms AkzoNobel’s belief that sustainability is business and business is sustainability.

“Our ambition to eliminate carbon emissions and use 100% renewable energy by 2050 demonstrates our clear and unwavering commitment to sustainability,” explained CEO Ton Büchner. “We continue to identify areas of opportunity which will drive us forward and help reduce our industry’s dependence on fossil fuels. This new vision for 2050 will propel us further along that path, while enabling us to make a measurable contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”  

AkzoNobel’s share of renewable energy currently stands at 40%, with almost half the company’s sites around the world having improved their energy footprint in 2016. The intention now is to increase the momentum which has already been created by the company’s Planet Possible sustainability agenda.

This will include charting a path towards zero carbon emissions and 100% use of renewable energy, and continuing to offer innovative products and services that enable customers to reduce their energy use and carbon impact. Achieving the 2050 ambition will position the company at the forefront of industry efforts to transform the use of resources throughout the value chain.
“The year 2050 represents the final destination on a journey which has already seen us make great progress,” said AkzoNobel’s Corporate Director of Sustainability, André Veneman. “So this is about successfully using sustainability as a driver for innovation, new technologies, new partnerships and new service models, which will ultimately lead to market transition.

Continued Veneman: “Our pathway to renewable energy means going beyond the immediate business, working with others to create a wider change in society. That’s the pathway we want to speed up. Partnerships will play a key role and we are at the forefront of working together with others to help the world move towards renewable energy quicker.”

AkzoNobel is involved in several ongoing sustainability partnerships, notably in the Netherlands. These include sourcing energy from two new wind parks, switching from gas to sustainably generated steam to provide energy for chemicals production and investigating the possible launch of a waste-to-chemicals factory.