PPG Publishes 2018 Sustainability Report

PPG published its 2018 Sustainability Report, detailing the company’s performance and progress against its 2025 sustainability goals that contribute to its purpose and promise: “WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD.” 
 
Last year, PPG embedded additional sustainable practices into its operations, introduced new sustainably advantaged products for customers, achieved a record low in injury cases across the company, advanced its global community engagement initiatives, and further advanced its diversity and inclusion efforts.
 
“Our dedicated workforce continues to drive sustainability deeper into our global operations,” said Michael H. McGarry, PPG chairman and CEO. “At PPG, we are focused on doing better today than yesterday. Our 2018 sustainability progress is encouraging, and it inspires us to identify new opportunities and ultimately reach the aggressive 2025 goals that we have set for our company.”
 
PPG launched a new set of sustainability goals in 2018, guiding the company to further embed sustainability into its day-to-day operations and measure its progress. Highlights of PPG’s sustainability progress in 2018 include the following.
 
Preserving and protecting the environment: PPG is committed to using resources efficiently and driving sustainability throughout its entire value chain to preserve and protect the environment in which the company operates.

PPG achieved:

• 32 percent of sales from sustainably advantaged products and processes, such as its low-cure automotive paint process that allows customers to use 39 percent less energy;
• 29 percent of manufacturing and research and development locations with zero process waste to landfill;
• 28 percent improvement in the spills and releases rate;
• Seven percent reduction in water intensity;
• Six percent reduction in waste disposal intensity. 

Beautifying our communities: PPG and the PPG Foundation collaborate and engage with employees, community partners and other stakeholders to make the company’s vision of bringing color and brightness to communities a reality. In 2018, PPG and the PPG Foundation:

• Completed the 200^th COLORFUL COMMUNITIES project since the program’s launch in 2015 – a significant milestone that allowed the company to impact more than 5.2 million people in 30 countries; 
• Donated more than $9 million globally; 
• Logged nearly 25,000 employee volunteer hours. 

Valuing our people: PPG has an obligation to ensure its employees are safe, healthy, engaged and valued for the diverse talents they bring to the company. In 2018:

• 20 percent of top management positions were held by women, with a steady increase in female representation of total workforce; 
• PPG achieved a 10 percent reduction in its injury and illness rate.