A strong determination to lead by example has resulted in AkzoNobel already achieving its 2030 ambition of halving carbon emissions in its own operations.
Validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, the company set a target in 2020 to lower its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50%, with 2018 as a baseline. Reaching it four years ahead of schedule highlights how strongly sustainability has become part of AkzoNobel’s day-to-day business.
“We set out a clear vision to become carbon neutral by 2050, and we’re very proud to have taken an important step towards realising that goal,” says Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel’s Director of Sustainability. “As a leader in the global paints and coatings industry, we also aim to be recognised for our leadership in sustainability – and that’s not going to stop. Because it’s all about leading by example; managing carbon emission reduction in our own operations so we can convince the value chain to do the same.”
AkzoNobel is currently operating on 100% renewable electricity on three continents – North America, Latin America and Europe – covering 69% of its manufacturing sites. The full switchover was also recently completed in South Africa and Vietnam. In total, 92 of the company’s locations now use 100% renewable electricity.
One of the most important contributions to achieving the 2030 Scope 1 ambition has come from the Pilawa site in Poland, where a recent €1.7 million investment was made to replace the facility’s gas boilers with heat pumps. The site is also home to the company’s largest solar energy plant in Europe. The installation has been operational since 2024 and features 3,551 solar panels.
“We’re not just focused on our own operations,” continues Bruinsma. “We also have a 2030 ambition to halve carbon emissions across our full value chain. That’s proving to be more of a challenge, but we’re making progress and will continue to innovate with suppliers, customers and other partners as we step up our efforts around Scope 3.”
A recent example is the Eco+ Cure energy calculator launched by the company’s Interpon powder coatings brand. It can help customers to reduce energy consumption, lower operating costs, and reduce carbon emissions by analysing operational data such as gas usage, oven temperature and throughput.
More information about AkzoNobel’s sustainability ambitions can be found on the company’s website and in the 2025 annual report.
