SDG 13
Climate Action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
Challenge
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today. Its connection with the emission of greenhouse gases from human activities has been proven by scientific observations and calculations. Rising average temperatures, higher sea levels, an increase in extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, droughts or extreme heat are signs of changes in the climate.
In addition to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, we need to adapt to the changes.
With the Paris Climate Agreement in December 2015, the signatory states committed themselves to countering climate change and its associated consequences. The agreement includes a global action plan to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels in order to reduce the risks of climate change. Global greenhouse gas emissions are expected to peak as soon as possible, with less developed countries being given more time and international support for climate adaptation being pledged.
Example of our contribution
Next Generation Solutions (Handprint)
We already generate 43 percent of our sales with products and solutions that are characterized by a distinctive, positive sustainability profile. By 2030, we want to increase the share of sales generated by these next-generation solutions to over 50 percent.
Next Generation Technologies (Footprint)
Evonik is committed to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. We underline this with our commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Between 2021 and 2030, we aim to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25 percent. We have committed to an 11 percent reduction in our Scope 3 emissions.
In the year under review, SBTi successfully validated the emission reduction targets submitted by Evonik. SBTi confirmed that the level of ambition of the Scope 1 and Scope 2 targets is suitable for helping to reduce global warming to well below 2°C
Around 35 percent of Evonik's externally purchased electricity worldwide already comes from renewable sources. The PPAs with EnBW, Vattenfall and RWE increase the share to well over 50 percent. At the same time, these collaborations reduce Scope 2 emissions (electricity from external purchases) by around 150,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Our goal is to reduce our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions from 6.3 million tonnes to 4.7 million tonnes between 2021 and 2030. About a third of this reduction is to be achieved through the use of renewable energy sources.
In addition to green electricity, Evonik is also growing in importance of biomethane as a substitute for fossil natural gas. Evonik is already relying entirely on renewable energies for its production in Schörfling am Attersee (Austria). Only green electricity from wind, hydropower or biomass flows into our production facility for the SEPURAN® membranes. Since the beginning of 2022, the site has also covered 100 percent of its gas requirements with biomethane from regional production. By switching to an environmentally friendly energy supply, Evonik is reducing its direct CO2 emissions in Upper Austria by around 5,000 metric tons per year. Biomethane has also been used for the production of individual products of the High Performance Polymers Business Line in Germany since 2021, and biomethane has been used to generate steam at the Ham (France) site of the Health Care Business Line since May 2023.
Our Goals
- Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 25 percent between 2021 and 2030.
- Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions by 11 percent between 2021 and 2030.