Reducing our environmental impact along the value chain

At Solvay, we’re actively working to minimize the impact of our activities on nature. This means acting on both a local and global level to mitigate and adapt to climate change, protect ecosystems, and prevent nature loss. 

We’re taking steps to actively enhance biodiversity and are supporting the main objectives of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) adopted in Kunming-Montreal, Canada COP15 in December 2022, aiming to stop biodiversity loss and reverse the trend.

We are also improving our waste management and reducing our water footprint to minimize our environmental impact and preserve scarce natural resources.  

In addition, we continuously assess the sustainability of our business across our value chain. Upstream, we strive to source materials responsibly by using more sustainable, recyclable materials and renewable energy whenever possible. Downstream we’re taking a variety of actions, from reusing to recycling or recovering energy from waste. These efforts help us to meet our customers’ expectations for effective products with minimal environmental impact.

Addressing water scarcity

Water is essential to our operations, and we are unwavering in our dedication to help conserve water in the areas where we are active. The rise in droughts and extreme weather worldwide and the associated environmental and industrial risks have led us to create water conservation action plans.  

We have analyzed the hydric stress situation at our manufacturing sites using the World Wildlife Fund's Water Risk Filter tool, considering factors like water scarcity, effluent quality, and regulatory risks. 

This led to the construction of a roadmap for reducing water consumption, and the implementation of several projects and actions, such as:

• Detailed water mapping to detect leakages and identify actions to repair (e.g. in our French sites, Collonges and Dombasle).
• Monitoring over 90% of Solvay’s daily freshwater intake worldwide, thanks to annual reporting of  water withdrawals and, at priority sites, directly monitor water consumption with weekly reports during drought crises.
• Drawing up and/or updating water-related risk mitigation plans for each industrial site. Currently, 10 plants have these plans, aiming for a 10% reduction in water intake through specific projects, with the potential for further reductions due to our carbon neutrality strategy.
• Launching water consumption reduction projects to manage risks at priority sites.

At our silica plant in Włocławek, Poland, we were able to reduce the freshwater intake by 8% in 2023 compared to 2022, at similar production levels, thanks to water reuse and recycling initiatives.

To minimize surface water use and control well water intake, we continued to optimize cooling tower operations. For example, at our soda ash plant in Bernburg, Germany, we implemented a tracer-based system to reduce river water intake by 250,000 m³ annually starting in 2023.

Our global manufacturing sites have been assessed using the IUCN Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) and WWF's Biodiversity Risk Filter. We prioritized 16 sites, including Paulinia in Brazil, Rosignano in Italy, and Torrelavega in Spain, and are developing biodiversity roadmaps for each.

Each action plan aims to protect local ecosystems by gathering information on flora and fauna, identifying projects to protect biodiversity and support regeneration, developing nature-based solutions, and measuring their impacts, all in collaboration with local stakeholders.

All three of the following sites are among the leading companies featured in the IUCN report on nature conservation (2023): 

• Paulinia, Brazil: Awarded a Gold Conservation Certification by the Wildlife Habitat Council for its initiatives implemented since the 1970s to promote Solvay’s harmonious coexistence with nature. The 16 million m² site, with only 15% occupied by buildings, features Atlantic Forest vegetation, rivers, and close to 83 species of diverse wildlife like capybaras and jaguars.
• Rosignano, Italy: The lake at this site, now the Santa Luce Lake Nature Reserve, was highlighted by the IUCN as an example of corporate biodiversity action. Originally built in the 1960s for water supply, it now serves educational and scientific purposes.
• Torrelavega, Spain: Recognized by the IUCN in 2023 for transforming the Cucha quarry into a bird sanctuary and natural area for the local community, exceeding regulatory obligations.

Managing waste, contributing to a circular economy

Solvay is committed to protecting nature and resources through initiatives focused on reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering energy from waste.

In 2023, we improved our management of non-sustainable industrial waste (NSIW) — waste that is landfilled or incinerated without energy recovery — with projects at over 20 plants worldwide, and this will continue through our STAR Factory program.

Recycling is a key part of our approach, contributing to a circular economy and supporting sustainability goals like the European Green Deal. For example, we recycle over 80% of the residues from our SOLVAir® flue gas cleaning solutions into raw materials for our soda ash plants in Dombasle, France and Rosignano, Italy. In early 2024, we announced expansion of our recycling capacities. This will help Solvay’s plants to reduce the use of natural brin which contributes to resource conservation.

We are also forming partnerships to recycle waste more sustainably. At our plant in Paulínia, Brazil, we are working to recycle wastewater and sludges into bricks for the fertilizer industry. In 2023, we sent about 36% of our water treatment sludge to the cement industry for co-processing. Similarly, in Torrelavega, Spain, we recycled 35% of non-hazardous waste generated by our soda ash and bicarbonate activities with a local cement plant.

Monitoring emissions  

Emissions need to be carefully handled to minimize any negative impact on both people and the planet. At Solvay, we thoroughly assess risk to make sure any emissions to air or water are below hazardous levels.  

Emissions of hazardous substances are regulated and the same applies to nutrient pollution: i.e., excess nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, in effluents. Solvay is committed to being compliant with all regulations. In addition, we are voluntarily monitoring our emissions of more than one hundred (potentially) harmful substances and groups of substances