From biofuels in France to electric transport in Germany, Solvay works with partners to scale practical solutions.
Reducing carbon footprint goes beyond Solvay’s own operations. It also means rethinking how products move. We work closely with partners across our value chain to help reduce transport-related emissions.
Across the industry, decarbonizing logistics is one of the most complex parts of reducing emissions. Transport relies on shared infrastructure and external partners, which makes change more difficult but also more impactful.
Our European teams are testing and scaling practical solutions to address Scope 3 emissions linked to logistics. These initiatives reflect a shared approach by combining local innovation with strong partnerships to deliver measurable progress.
A shared challenge across sites
At several of our locations, road transport remains essential to connect our operations to customers and distribution networks.
At our La Rochelle site in France, outbound logistics rely on trucking to reach the port. With few options such as rail or barge, this transport adds to Scope 3 emissions, which occur outside our operational boundaries.
Similar challenges exist across our network, requiring site-specific solutions that can reduce emissions while maintaining reliability.
Partnering to deliver practical solutions
To address these challenges, our teams work closely with logistics partners, including Ocean Network Express (ONE). Together, we identify and implement lower carbon transport solutions.
In La Rochelle, this collaboration led to the introduction of biodiesel for a portion of container transport. By switching to fuel derived from 100% French rapeseed residue, teams reduced CO₂ emissions while maintaining operational performance.
The teams chose biodiesel because it works in existing trucks without major changes. This makes it one of the fastest solutions to deploy.
This initiative shows how collaboration enables practical solutions that teams can deploy quickly and effectively in real operating conditions.
At Ocean Network Express, we are committed to working alongside our partners to explore innovative solutions for sustainable logistics. This project in La Rochelle is a prime example of how collaboration and the adoption of biofuels can significantly reduce our environmental impact and drive positive change within the shipping industry.
Expanding solutions across Europe
Building on this experience, similar initiatives are being developed and scaled across our network.
In Germany, electric trucks now serve a key route connecting our site in Bad Wimpfen to Mannheim. From there, cargo transitions to lower emission transport modes, helping reduce the overall footprint of the journey. While biofuels offer a fast solution for today’s fleets, electrification works best on short routes. It also works best on fixed routes with charging infrastructure.
While the technologies differ, such as biofuels in France and electrification in Germany, the objective is the same:
- reduce logistics-related emissions
- maintain supply chain reliability
- and develop solutions that can be replicated across sites
Together, these initiatives show how progress in one location can inform and accelerate action in another.
Scope 3: Where collaboration drives impact
At Solvay, we often call emissions across our value chain Scope 3 emissions. They represent a significant share of our overall footprint and require close collaboration with partners.
For many industrial companies, logistics emissions are a large part of Scope 3 emissions. This makes them a key priority for action.
The projects in La Rochelle and Germany illustrate how this collaboration translates into action:
- working with partners to test and deploy different technologies
- adapting solutions to local constraints
- building a portfolio of approaches that can scale over time
"This project in La Rochelle is a great demonstration of how we can reduce our indirect emissions in a competitive way for Solvay and our customers. We can do this through strong partnerships and creative ideas," says Andrea Bory, Solvay VP Supply Chain. "Reducing our scope 3 emissions is crucial for Solvay and seeing our teams finding effective solutions is inspiring. This is one of many examples of how local creativity, supported by partnerships, helps Solvay's sustainability goals. Finding smart, authentic ways to lessen our environmental impact across our entire value chain is important."
A continuous journey
As technologies evolve and partnerships deepen; more routes will be able to adopt similar low-carbon logistics solutions.
Reducing emissions across the value chain is a long-term effort. Each initiative, whether introducing alternative fuels or testing electric transport, contributes to broader progress.
By combining local expertise with strong partnerships, we are working to cut logistics emissions. We are also building a more resilient, lower carbon value chain.
Together, these efforts show how we are turning strategy into action across our operations.
