Stahl, a manufacturer of coatings for footwear, clothing and home furnishings, said it was submitting a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target aligned with the most recent guidance provided by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The new target marks a key milestone on the company’s journey toward carbon neutrality. Stahl’s SBTi submission includes a specific commitment regarding the company’s Scope 3 upstream emissions, which Stahl aims to reduce by at least 25 percent over the next 10 years compared with the base year 2021.
This reduction would primarily be achieved by Stahl replacing its fossil-based raw materials with lower-carbon alternatives. The target is a major step toward the objective of limiting global warming temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2050, as agreed to at the 2015 Paris Climate Accords.
Stahl’s extended commitment builds on the company’s existing targets to reduce its emission for Scopes 1 and 2, which were set shortly after the Paris Agreement in 2015. Stahl said it has since reduced its Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by more than 30 percent thanks to operational efficiency gains and by decarbonizing its energy supply.
Scope 3 GHG emissions cover all the additional indirect emissions that can occur in the value chain, including those associated with purchased raw materials, packaging, business travel and transportation. Stahl’s Scope 3 emissions currently represent more than 90 percent of its carbon footprint.
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“Aligning our GHG targets to the Paris Agreement goals is ambitious and will require continuous technology advances throughout the value chain,” Stahl CEO Maarten Heijbroek said. “We are already working closely with our upstream partners to reach the 10-year milestone and we will report on our progress each year in our annual ESG report.”
Stahl ESG director Michael Costello said by setting a clear, quantifiable target to reduce the company’s Scope 3 emissions, “we aim to offer our stakeholders the most robust and complete indication to date of how we will realize our climate ambitions as a company.”
“We are committed to taking the necessary steps together to meet this important ambition for our stakeholders, for our planet and for society at large,” Costello added.
With headquarters in Waalwijk, the Netherlands, Stahl’s processing and specialty coatings technologies helps materials to perform better for longer, while reducing their environmental impact. The company has identified four areas of strategic importance to help realize its goals: digital transformation, open innovation, renewable feedstocks, and sustainable development.