WESEL, Germany—By 2025, the specialty chemicals group ALTANA plans to reduce its CO2 impact from production and energy procurement worldwide to zero.
Already in 2020, the company’s entire power supply will be converted to renewable energies. ALTANA will compensate for the unavoidable use of natural gas until 2025 by financing equivalent climate protection projects in the regions where CO2 emissions are generated. The same applies to offsetting CO2 emissions arising from necessary business trips, company cars and the transport of goods. The specialty chemicals group reports it will thus achieve climate neutrality in its direct sphere of influence by 2025.
“We want to leave our footprint on innovations, not on emissions,” said Martin Babilas, CEO of ALTANA AG, explaining the decision. “With our CO2 neutrality program up to 2025, we are fulfilling our responsibility for climate protection and consistently pursuing our sustainability course.”
In 2017, ALTANA had already achieved the goal it set itself in 2007 of reducing CO2 emissions by 30 percent in relation to gross value added by 2020.
In order to further reduce its CO2 emissions, ALTANA is relying on greater energy efficiency as well as heat and electricity generation at its worldwide sites. In the long term, renewable energies should also replace natural gas as a source of energy. In addition to the existing solar systems at ELANTAS in Ascoli Piceno, Italy and at BYK in Deventer, the Netherlands, a further photovoltaic system went into operation at ELANTAS in Pune, India, which covers the electricity requirements of the new research center at this site. In Collecchio, Italy, ELANTAS is currently constructing another photovoltaic system for a new production and laboratory building.
Aside from the measures at its own sites, ALTANA is setting up a program in close cooperation with its suppliers to consistently further improve the CO2 balance of purchased raw materials, too.
According to ALTANA CEO Babilas, industry plays a decisive role in driving forward global climate protection. “The more companies that commit themselves to climate neutrality and create the relevant facts, the faster we can achieve the Paris climate protection targets.”