Sustainability at Evonik
We accept responsibility
Sustainability is a central element in our purpose "Leading Beyond Chemistry". Evonik is the one providing innovative solutions that help to make our lives more sustainable, more healthy, and more comfortable.
As a specialty chemicals company with a presence throughout the world, Evonik sees sustainability and long-term business success as two sides of the same coin. That is reflected in the rising demand from our customers for products and services that demonstrate a good balance of economic, ecological and social factors. Sustainability has long since developed into a growth driver for Evonik.
Through our innovative capability and leading technology positions we empower our customers to offer a broad range of resource-efficient solutions. Examples are amino acids for animal nutrition, additives for hydraulic fluids or functional silanes for surface protection of buildings. Around 50 % of the sales generated by our chemical segments come from products that make a measurable contribution to improving the resource efficiency of their applications.
To reduce Evonik's carbon footprint still further, we are continuously optimizing our processes along the entire value chain. We use alternative raw materials and biotechnological methods wherever this is possible and makes sense.
Sound sustainability management does not begin with our own products and production processes. Our purchasing volume has a significant impact on society and the environment. As a founding member of the industry initiative “Together for Sustainability”, we are driving forward transparency and sustainability along the supply chain.
Evonik is committed to the decisions of the Paris climate agreement. On the occasion of our Capital Markets Day on May 11, 2022, we published our new targets for reducing CO2 emissions: In the period 2021 – 2030 we intend to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25 percent. This is in line with the “well-below 2°C” target of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to which we are committed. Our SBTi commitment of -2°C applies to Scope 3 emissions. By 2050, Evonik aims to be climate-neutral.
We set ourselves ambitious non-financial targets, especially as regards work and process safety. A uniform, Group-wide safety culture that sets high standards has been established.
Our sustainability strategy takes up the growth markets identified in our corporate strategy and defines areas of action geared to balanced management of economic, ecological and social factors. Sustainability has developed into a growth driver for many of our business activities.
We have set ourselves ambitious sustainability targets.
We have set a measurable target for the development of our global energy consumption. It calls for reducing the absolute energy consumption (kilowatt hours) and the specific energy consumption (kilowatt hour per metric ton of product) of the Group by 5 %, respectively - compared to the base year 2020 - by 2025.
The executive board bears overall responsibility for sustainability and all climate-related issues at Evonik. Direct responsibility is assigned to the chief human resources officer. The most important sustainability bodies are the Sustainability Circle and the Sustainability Council. The Sustainability Circle comprises representatives of functions and units that are relevant for sustainability. The Sustainability Council ensures close collaboration with the business. The executive board member responsible for sustainability chairs both the Sustainability Circle and the Sustainability Council. The co-chairperson of the Sustainability Council is the executive board member responsible for chemicals and innovation. Responsibility for sustainability management at Evonik is defined in a corporate policy.
We are committed to comply with and implement numerous internationally recognized standards, initiatives and programs. We augmented them with own guidelines and principles of conduct.
Dialogue with our stakeholders is a central part of our sustainability management. By exchanging views with our stakeholders, we understand their perceptions better and utilize this to challenge our own positions and actions.
Our Commitments
We are committed to comply with and implement numerous internationally recognized standards, initiatives and programs. We augmented them with own guidelines and principles of conduct.
Sustainability Strategy
Our sustainability strategy takes up the growth markets identified in our corporate strategy and defines areas of action geared to balanced management of economic, ecological and social factors. Sustainability has developed into a growth driver for many of our business activities