At the One Planet Summit convened on 12 December 2017 by Emmanuel Macron in Paris and attended by 27 heads of state, 91 French companies, including Arkema, deliver an assessment of their investments since the historic agreement reached at the 21st Conference of the Parties on climate change held in Paris in 2015. By signing a new agreement, they now reaffirm their commitment to a low carbon industry and economy and to joining forces in changing course to initiate a drastic cut in greenhouse gas emissions around the world.
A world-scale specialty chemicals and advanced materials manufacturer, Arkema has been developing a global strategy for several years designed to minimize its environmental footprint, in particular its greenhouse gas emissions, and to offer its customers sustainable and innovative solutions.
Arkema’s actions on the climate pertain to two main areas. The first is the reduction of the environmental impacts of its activities. Through proactive programs and ongoing investments, we cut down both our emissions and our energy consumption. The second is the tremendous scope of innovation which enables us to supply our customers with ever more efficient and environmentally sound solutions. Every year close to half the patents we file concern solutions for new energies, lightweighting in transportation, and sustainable housing.
To reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Arkema engages in concrete actions:
- the ARKENERGY® program, designed to reduce energy consumption in its 137 plants throughout the world, with a view to achieving a 15% drop in energy consumed by 2025 compared to 2012;
- its greenhouse gas emissions reduction policy, aiming for a 50% drop by 2025 compared to 2012;
- its OPTIM’O® program launched in 2016, designed to reduce COD by 20% and water-related costs by 15% by 2025 compared to 2012.
Arkema has also been focusing its R&D on producing a range of materials to help the development of alternatives to oil-based resources and the reduction of carbon emissions from buildings. Accordingly, the Group offers new solutions in the fields of:
- energy storage, with Kynar® fluoropolymer (PVDF) for Li-Ion batteries and photovoltaics;
- performance and insulation of buildings, thanks to Bostik® adhesives and sealants and to innovative coatings and paints like Kynar® Aquatec for cool roofing;
- biosourced products, such as Rilsan® polyamides, a range of technical polymers used in a large number of value chains (sport, automotive, industry, oil & gas, etc.);
- lightweighting of components in transportation, such as Rilsan HT® to replace metal in vehicle engines, and ultra high performance PEKK® in aerospace.
Finally, Arkema is also engaged in a circular economy approach, with Elium®, a fully recyclable thermoplastic resin used in composites as a substitute to non-recyclable thermoset resins currently in use in various mass markets (wind turbine blades, automotive industry, construction, sailing).