International. Stahl's Science Based Targets (SBTi) presentation includes a specific commitment regarding the Dutch company's Scope 3 upstream emissions, which it aims to reduce by at least 25% over the next 10 years compared to the base year (2021).
This reduction would be achieved mainly if this manufacturer of hybrid resins and pigments for dispersion in water and solvent replaced its fossil raw materials with alternatives with less carbon.
The goal is an important step towards the goal of limiting the temperature rise of global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050, as agreed in the 2015 Paris Climate Accords.
Stahl's expanded commitment builds on the company's existing targets to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which were set shortly after the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Since then, Stahl has reduced its direct Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by more than 30% thanks to operational efficiency gains and the decarbonisation of its energy supply.
Stahl CEO Maarten Heijbroek stated: "Aligning our GHG targets with the goals of the Paris Agreement is ambitious and will require continuous technological advances across the value chain."
Scope 3 GHG emissions cover all additional indirect emissions that may occur in the value chain. Among them are those associated with purchased raw materials, packaging, business travel and transportation.
Stahl's Scope 3 emissions currently account for more than 90% of its carbon footprint.
"We are already working closely with our upstream partners to reach the ten-year milestone, and will report on our progress each year in our annual ESG report," Heijbroek said.
Stahl's Head of ESG, Michael Costello, said: "By setting a clear and quantifiable target to reduce our Scope 3 emissions, we aim to provide our stakeholders with the strongest and most comprehensive indication to date of how we will achieve our climate ambitions as a company."
Costello concluded: "We are committed to taking the necessary steps together to deliver on this important ambition for our stakeholders, for our planet and for society at large."
