Solvay One Planet ambition
Ten goals focused on positively impacting climate, resources and better life
Monitoring our sustainability progress through 10 key goals to achieve by 2030
In 2020, we announced our sustainability program, Solvay One Planet. It is an integral element of our G.R.O.W strategy and builds on our previous sustainability achievements. It is inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and includes ten measurable commitments in three key focus areas, to be achieved by 2030.
Structured around the three major categories of climate, resources and better life, Solvay One Planet is our roadmap towards a sustainable future that provides shared value for all.
Fighting against climate change
Through the Group’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but also through products that impact customers’ energy consumption or greenhouse gas emissions.
Solvay will double the rate at which it reduces emissions and align its trajectory with the “well below 2°C temperature increase” goal outlined in the 2015 Paris Agreement. In 2020, we took this a step further by committing to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions in line with the expectations of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi*) within 2 years. In 2021, Solvay announced its plan to target carbon neutrality before 2050 and raised its 2030 GHG emissions reduction target to -30% (from -26% initially).
Solvay recently announced it would accelerate the pace toward net zero emissions with a new scope 3 target. The Group plans to reduce scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by -24% by 2030 against a 2018 baseline, incorporating 90% of the Group total scope 3 GHG emissions occuring upstream and downstream of Solvay's plants:
1/ Purchased goods and services.
2/ Fuel- and energy-related activities.
3/ Processing of sold products.
4/ Use of sold products.
5/ End-of-life treatment of sold products.
Solvay commits to phasing out coal usage in energy production wherever renewable alternatives exist.
Solvay plans to reduce our pressure on biodiversity by 30%, in areas such as terrestrial acidification, water eutrophication and marine ecotoxicity.
Protecting natural resources
Through the Group’s raw materials consumption, water consumption, effluents, emissions, and waste generation, but also through products’ life cycles and end-of-life management.
Solvay leverages innovation as we continue to shift our portfolio toward sustainable solutions. These should account for 65% of Group sales by 2030, according to the Solvay Portfolio Management’s assessment.
As some of the global challenges we face go well beyond the impact of a single company, Solvay collaborates with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, customers and suppliers to accelerate our contribution to the circular economy. We aim to double our sales of products based on renewable or recycled resources, to reach 15% of Group sales by 2030.
Solvay commits to decreasing our impact on freshwater withdrawal by reducing our freshwater intake.
Solvay will reduce our non-recoverable industrial waste, such as landfill and incineration without energy recovery, by a third.
Improving the quality of life for employees and society
Through the Group’s management of hazardous materials, people, process and product safety, through social dialogue initiatives, and through product portfolio.
At Solvay, we target a zero accident policy, to protect the safety and security of our employees.
Solvay aims to achieve gender parity for mid- and senior-level management by 2030. Our Code of Business Integrity paves the way toward an inclusive work environment that welcomes diversity of any kind, including thoughts, race, color, national origin, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation.
In January 2021, Solvay adopted our global policy of 16 weeks for maternity, paternity and co-parent leave. This applies to all parents employed by the company, regardless of gender.
