Manage water responsibly
Water is a critical resource for Arkema’s operations and for the communities and ecosystems surrounding its sites. The Group is committed to managing water responsibly by reducing water withdrawals, improving water efficiency, limiting emissions to water, strengthening resilience to water stress, and contributing to sustainable water stewardship across its value chain.
Water governance
Arkema’s water governance is guided by a dedicated Water Policy, which sets the Group’s commitments and principles for responsible water management, water stewardship and the protection of freshwater resources.
Water governance at Arkema is overseen by the Executive Committee, which defines the Group’s water strategy, priorities, and long-term objectives. Water performance is also integrated into the CEO’s performance objectives, reinforcing accountability at the highest level of the organization.
The implementation of this strategy is supported by the Optim’O program through a dedicated operational governance structure organized both at regional level and across Business Units. This cross-functional network is coordinated by a full-time dedicated program manager who leads the network, facilitates collaboration, and drives the deployment of water stewardship initiatives across the Group. The network coordinates water management initiatives, monitors performance, shares best practices, identifies improvement opportunities and supports the deployment of water efficiency actions across all Arkema sites worldwide.
Regular site visits and internal audits are conducted to assess implementation, monitor progress, identify opportunities for improvement, and ensure alignment with Group water management objectives and standards.
Water risk management and climate resilience
Arkema regularly assesses water-related risks across its operations, including exposure to water stress, water scarcity, drought conditions, and regulatory developments.
These assessments are complemented by site vulnerability studies that consider both historical trends and future climate projections. The outcomes are used to identify potential impacts, prioritize mitigation actions, and inform site management plans and investment decisions, thereby strengthening operational resilience and supporting the long-term availability of water resources.
To support this assessment process, Arkema uses recognized water-risk mapping tools, including the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas and the WWF Water Risk Filter, complemented by climate risk analyses such as Swiss Re’s risk assessment tools.
These evaluations help identify sites exposed to water-related risks and define tailored action plans. For production facilities located in water-stressed areas, specific projects are implemented to reduce freshwater withdrawals and improve water resilience. Examples include leak detection and repair programs at several French sites (Coubert, Lannemezan and Pierre-Bénite), as well as wastewater reuse initiatives being developed at Genay (France) and Boretto (Italy).
Optim’O: Arkema's water stewardship program
Launched in 2016, the Optim’O program encompasses all water management activities across the Group and is deployed across all Arkema industrial sites.
The program provides a common framework to improve water efficiency, protect freshwater resources, and strengthen resilience to water stress through dedicated procedures, operational programs, and continuous improvement initiatives.
To support its implementation, the Group allocates an annual investment budget of €1 million to water management projects, in addition to site-level capital expenditures.
To better integrate water-related risks and opportunities into decision-making, Arkema applies an internal water value framework.
While the average purchase cost of water is approximately €1 per m³, the cost of treatment can reach around €10 per m³, and the estimated value of a cubic meter of water unavailable to operations is set at €100 per m³. These reference values are taken into account in project evaluations and investment decisions, encouraging water efficiency, reuse, and resilience initiatives across the Group.
Optim’O is built around ten fundamental principles that guide water stewardship activities throughout the Group:
1. Advanced treatment technologies and wastewater management
Implementation treatment processes to reduce suspended solids, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and substances of concern in water discharges, while mitigating impacts on freshwater resources.
For example, in 2026, Arkema is implementing a major wastewater treatment project at its Nansha site (China), including the installation of a Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) system and an Activated Carbon Filter (ACF), to further improve water treatment performance and support water reuse and resource efficiency.
2. Water reuse and recycling
Deployment of recycling systems, condensate recovery, local reuse initiatives and circular water management practices to reduce freshwater withdrawals.
For example, at the Boretto site in Italy, a project supported by the Go for the Planet fund will enable the reuse of water treated through phytoremediation in cooling towers, significantly reducing groundwater withdrawals and increasing water recovery for operational use.
3. Process optimization and water efficiency
Optimization of industrial processes, adoption of lower-water-demand technologies and process substitutions to minimize water consumption and improve water-use efficiency.
For example, at the Calvert City site (United States), the upgrade of a hydrogen chloride absorber reduced water withdrawals and wastewater discharges by approximately 30,000 m³ per year, while also lowering VOC and greenhouse gas emissions.
4. Monitoring, emergency preparedness and water scarcity response
Continuous monitoring of water withdrawals, consumption and discharges through flow meters, real-time monitoring systems, leak detection programs and performance indicators to identify potential risks, develop preventive measures and protect freshwater resources. Monitoring results are used to support informed decision-making, strengthen operational resilience, and implement site-specific action plans in areas exposed to water stress.
Several French sites have established water sobriety plans ("Plans de Sobriété Hydrique") identifying technical and organizational measures to reduce water withdrawals during periods of water scarcity while maintaining safe operations and operational continuity. Preventive measures are also implemented to minimize the risk of accidental releases and protect surrounding water resources.
5. Employee awareness and operational excellence
Employee engagement and training programs aimed at strengthening sustainable water management practices and continuous improvement.
As part of the Group’s Go for the Planet program, “water” was selected as the 2023 global awareness theme, leading to numerous internal events and initiatives organized across Arkema’s regions and sites worldwide.
Employees also benefit from dedicated e-learning modules designed to raise awareness of water-related challenges and promote responsible water management practices.
In addition, Arkema has developed a sustainability WebApp, initially designed for employees and now accessible to all audiences, featuring themed quizzes and nearly 100 questions covering climate, water, energy, biodiversity and natural resources to support education and engagement on sustainability topics.
6. Stakeholder collaboration and water stewardship
Collaboration with suppliers, industrial partners, local stakeholders and communities to support responsible water stewardship initiatives.
Arkema actively supports water stewardship through a partnership with the NGOs, One Foundation, to improve access to safe drinking water in underserved communities and promote water hygiene awareness among students. These collaborative initiatives demonstrate Arkema’s commitment to engaging with civil society and local partners to advance sustainable water management and education.
7. Innovation and R&D
Development of innovative solutions through Arkema's Water Management, Membrane Technologies and Online Analytics platforms to improve water treatment, reuse, recycling and resource preservation.
Membrane technologies provide eco-efficient and resource-efficient solutions for water and wastewater treatment, enabling increased water recycling and reuse within production facilities, while advanced online analytical tools support real-time water quality monitoring and process optimization. These platforms also identify and assess emerging technologies to further enhance the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of Arkema’s water management activities.
8. Water risk assessment and management of water-stressed areas
Assessment of water-related risks, implementation of site-specific action plans and deployment of resilience measures to manage operations located in water-stressed regions.
Using tools such as the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas and the WWF Water Risk Filter, Arkema identifies sites exposed to water stress and develops targeted mitigation plans.
At the Ringwood facility (United States), for example, a project is being evaluated to improve the cooling system through the installation of an additional cooling tower and strengthen the site's resilience to water-related risks.
9. Alternative water sources and water security
Exploration of rainwater harvesting, non-drinkable water and alternative water resources to strengthen long-term water availability and reduce dependence on freshwater resources.
For example, the Moerdijk site (Netherlands) operates as a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) facility and recovers rainwater for reuse within its operations, supporting circular water management and reducing reliance on freshwater resources.
10. Best practice sharing and continuous improvement
Deployment of best practices across Business Units and regions, including closed-loop cooling systems, refrigeration upgrades and other initiatives designed to reduce water demand and improve environmental performance.
During Optim’O quarterly reviews conducted with each Business Unit, water performance, ongoing projects and best practices are systematically shared to accelerate the deployment of successful initiatives and drive continuous improvement across the Group.
Through these principles, Optim’O aims to reduce freshwater withdrawals, improve water reuse and recycling, enhance wastewater management, support water stewardship and strengthen the long-term resilience of Arkema’s operations.
A key objective of the program is to reduce the intensity of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in water discharges by 70% by 2030 compared with 2012 levels.
Building on the successful achievement of its previous water withdrawal reduction target, Arkema has also set a new ambition to reduce annual water withdrawals to 76 million m³ by 2030. This target takes into account 2024 withdrawal levels, the impact of planned projects, changes in operational scope and expected activity growth across the Group’s sites.
Water performance and reporting
Arkema transparently reports key water performance indicators and regularly monitors progress against its water stewardship objectives.