AkzoNobel has achieved its 2030 operational carbon emissions reduction target four years ahead of schedule, reaching an important sustainability milestone as it continues its journey towards becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
The target, approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), was established in 2020 and committed the company to reducing its Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon emissions by 50% compared with its 2018 baseline.
According to Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel's Director of Sustainability, reaching the goal ahead of schedule demonstrates the company's long-term commitment to reducing its environmental impact while supporting more sustainable manufacturing.
A significant contribution came from AkzoNobel's production facility in Pilawa, Poland, where the company recently invested €1.7 million to replace gas-fired boilers with energy-efficient heat pumps. The site is also home to AkzoNobel's largest solar energy installation in Europe, which has been operating since 2024 and consists of 3,551 solar panels.
The company said it now operates on 100% renewable electricity across North America, Latin America and Europe, covering 69% of its manufacturing facilities. Renewable electricity has also recently been introduced at operations in South Africa and Vietnam, increasing the total number of AkzoNobel sites powered entirely by renewable electricity to 92.
Bruinsma said the progress achieved within AkzoNobel's own operations is intended to encourage similar action throughout the company's wider value chain.
While operational emissions have reached the company's interim target, AkzoNobel acknowledged that reducing Scope 3 emissions remains a greater challenge. Its objective is to halve value chain emissions by 2030, requiring close collaboration with suppliers, customers and business partners to accelerate progress.
The achievement represents a significant step in AkzoNobel's broader sustainability strategy, demonstrating how investments in renewable energy and energy-efficient manufacturing can deliver measurable reductions in operational carbon emissions years ahead of schedule.
