Sustainability

Annual sustainability data reporting

Sustainability report, executive summary

Fact sheet (PDF)

A key business driver 

EcoVadis Gold rating
Top 5%

34% of revenue
from Eco-Premium Solutions 

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~77%
 of our R&D product pipeline is focused on solutions with sustainability benefits

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22%
of organic raw materials are from renewable sources

>98% retention rate
over the past six years for our top 250 customers

CDP A-

Climate score Leadership

Top-quartile performer

in people safety

100%

of our in-scope employees completed mandatory Compliance trainings

36%
gender and ethnic diversity represented on our Board of Directors

23%

of mid-level managers and above are female

Environment Social Governance

Environment

Company carbon footprint

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022 Progress toward target1
Total absolute direct and indirect emissions market-based (Scopes 1 and 2) Kton CO2_eq 1,194 1,329 1,451 1,427 1,403 1,432 -1.3%
Carbon intensity (Scopes 1 and 2 combined)

Ton CO2_eq/ton of production

 0.454 0.371 0.420 0.428 0.406 0.422 n/a
Direct absolute emissions (Scope 1)2 Kton CO2_eq 526 533 545 554 569 583 n/a
Direct emissions (Scope 1) intensity

Ton CO2_eq/ton of production

 200 149 158 166 165 172 n/a
Indirect emissions market-based (Scope 2): including allocated RECs2,3

Ton CO2_eq

 668 796 906 872 835 849 n/a
Indirect emissions market-based (Scope 2) intensity

Ton CO2_eq/ton of production

 254 222 262 262 242 250 n/a
Indirect emissions location-based (Scope 2) Ton CO2_eq     1,267 1,186 1,190 1,244 n/a
Estimated Scope 3 total absolute emissions Kton CO2_eq           4,4274 n/a
Total absolute emissions (Scope 1, Scope 2 market-based, and Scope 3) Kton CO2_eq           5,859 n/a
Direct emissions, covered by emissions-limiting regulations % of direct emissions   26% 24% 27% 27% 28% n/a

Energy Management5

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022 Progress toward target1
Total energy consumption Mln GJ 23.0 29.1 30.0 30.3 32.2 32.9 n/a
Total energy consumption intensity GJ/ton of production 8.74 8.12 8.67 9.09 9.33 9.7 n/a
Percentage renewable energy5 %     30% 38% 38% 34% n/a
Percentage energy from grid electricity %   70% 62% 61% 60% 60% n/a
Total self-generated electricity Mln GJ - - - - - - n/a

Air Quality

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022 Progress toward target1
NOx absolute emissions Ton 889 497 460 466 496 509 n/a
NOx emission intensity Kg/ton of production 0.34 0.14 0.13 0.14 0.14 0.15 n/a
SOx absolute emissions Ton 5,286 3,264 3,413 2,995 3,111 3,143 n/a
SOx emission intensity Kg/ton of production 2.01 0.91 0.99 0.90 0.90 0.93 n/a
VOC absolute emissions Ton 717 789 669 1,172 1,938 1,792 n/a
VOC absolute emission intensity Kg/ton of production 0.27 0.22 0.19 0.35 0.56 0.53 n/a
Hazardous air pollutants Ton         374 357 n/a
Hazardous air pollutants intensity Kg/ton of production         0.11 0.11 n/a

Emission to Water – Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)7

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022 Progress toward target1
COD absolute emissions to surface water Ton 968 1,134 845 768 896 854 n/a
COD emission intensity to surface water Kg/ton of production 0.37 0.32 0.24 0.23 0.26 0.25 n/a
COD absolute emissions to external waste water treatment Ton     14,400 15,736 17,008 17,581 n/a
COD emission intensity to external waste water treatment Kg/ton of production     4.17 4.72 4.92 5.18 n/a

Water Management

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022 Progress toward target1
Absolute fresh water intake 1,000 m3 162,148 142,953 134,721 147,122 161,482 153,211 n/a
Fresh water intake intensity

M3/ton

 61.7 39.9 39.0 44.2 46.7 45.2 n/a
Percentage in regions with high water stress % 0.3% 1.8% 2.3% 2.0% 1.6% 2.0% n/a
Absolute fresh water consumption8 1,000 m3 14,552 15,551 15,280 14,639 14,179 14,302 n/a
Fresh water consumption8 intensity M3/ton 5.5 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.1 4.2 -5.0%
Percentage in regions with high water stress %     20% 20% 18% 18% n/a

Waste Management

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022 Progress toward target1
Total absolute waste Ton 47,746 51,365 53,328 50,872 53,068 59,040 n/a
Total waste intensity Kg/ton of production 18.2 14.3 15.4 15.3 15.4 17.4 13.0%
Absolute non hazardous waste Ton 33,306 34,562 36,109 33,329 32,194 31,722 n/a
Non hazardous waste intensity Kg/ton of production 13 10 10 10 9 9 n/a
Absolute hazardous waste Ton 14,440 16,802 17,219 17,543 20,874 27,317 n/a
Absolute hazardous waste to landfill Ton 1,615 312 417 465 268 548 n/a
Hazardous waste reused % 39% 20% 24% 39% 33% 22% n/a

Production

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022 Progress toward target1
Performance Formulations Kton   1,844 1,792 1,708 1,725 1,645 n/a
Technology Solutions Kton   1,740 1,662 1,622 1,729 1,747 n/a

Sustainable Sourcing

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022 Progress toward target1
Suppliers screened using Risk IQ9 % of spend         96% 94% n/a
Suppliers measured on Ecovadis performance10 % of spend         50% 60% n/a
Suppliers acknowledging our Business Partner Code of Conduct11 % of spend         98% 100% n/a
% of bio-based raw materials (portion of organic materials) % of organic portion (by mass)     20% 21% 22% 22% n/a

Management Systems12

 Unit 2009 2018 2019 2020
 2021

2022

 Progress toward target1

 

         Per April, 2021 Per February 28, 2022

Per March 23, 2023

  
% of manufacturing sites with ISO-14001/RC-14001 certifications %       77% 84% 98%  n/a
% of manufacturing sites with ISO-9001 certifications %         88% 88%  n/a

1 Percentage change 2019-2022.
2 Scope 2 emissions calculations for 2019 until 2022 are based on the Green House Gas Protocol. Prior period calculations were based on electric utility fuel mix data.
3 In addition to RECs retired on our behalf for utility supplied renewable electricity.
4 Energy consumption is expressed in mln GJ, which is the sum of the actual consumed by the sites. The energy consumption for 2009 was derived from the consumption expressed in Fuel Equivalents that year by applying a factor expressing the relation between direct consumption in GJ and Fuel Equivalents for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
5 The estimated Scope 3 total GHG emissions reported include estimates for categories 2, 8, and 15 representing approximately 1.7% of the total Scope 3 emissions we report. These categories of emissions were excluded from ERM CVS Assurance engagement.
6 Renewable-energy data includes renewable fuel consumed, produced, and purchased. This does not consider certifications for biomass and hydro power, which are not currently tracked.
7 Until 2018, only COD discharge to surface water was measured.
8 Total fresh water consumption (excluding once through cooling water intake) [1,000m3]
9 In terms of all external spend (product, non-product, energy, logistics, etc.) The Risk IQ tool considers industry segment risk, country risk and EcoVadis scores from the complete EcoVadis database. Based on 2022 spend.
10 Based on policies, actions, results. For more information: https://ecovadis.com/
11 Tracked by acceptance of a Nouryon Purchase Order or a signed Nouryon contract
12 Our ISO certification percentage metric includes sites that have been in our portfolio for one year. This is to allow sufficient time required for activities reviewed by the certification process (e.g., pre-start up safety reviews, management reviews, production, and/or internal audits if relevant). Any exceptions will be identified.

 

Social

Workforce data13

 Unit 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022
Global headcount Nouryon employees # 10,395 10,389 9,730 7,77114 7,909
% female in workforce % 23% 24% 23% 25% 25%
% female in senior positions15 % 26% 25% 24% 24% 23%
Employee turnover rate (voluntary and involuntary)

 % 12% 17% 14% 14% 15%

Safety

 Unit 2018 2019 2020  2021 2022
Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR)– Nouryon Employees, temporary workers and contractors Per 200,000 hours worked 0.34 0.26 0.23 0.17 0.30
Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) – Nouryon Employees, temporary workers and contractors Per 200,000 hours worked 0.15 0.07 0.13 0.09 0.16

Management systems

 Unit     Per April 2021 Per February 28, 2022 2022
% of manufacturing sites with OHSAS-18001/RC-18001 and ISO45001 certifications %     39% 39% 44%

13 Workforce data prior to 2021 includes Nobian employees (Nobian’s separation from Nouryon occurred in 2021). 2021 workforce data excludes Nobian employees.
14 Headcount and similar metrics may differ slightly, depending on exact collection date, due to timing of reporting schedules, divestments, and acquisitions, as well as regular workforce fluctuations.
15 Senior positions are defined as mid-level managers and above. Source data December 2022.

Governance

 

Board 

Unit

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022
Directors # 9 9 10 11 11
Average director tenure (years) # 0 1 2 2 3
Independent directors # 8 8 9 10 10
Independent directors (%)

 % 89% 89% 90% 91% 91%

Board diversity

 Unit 2018
 2019

2020

2021

2022
Women on the Board # 1 0 1 3 3
Women on the Board (%) % 11% - 10% 27% 27%
Racially/ethnically diverse on Board # 1 0 0 1 1
Racially/ethnically diverse on Board (%) % 11% - - 9% 9%
Board diversity (%) % 11% - 10% 36% 36%

Board coverage of sustainability data reporting Issues

   2018 2019 2020  2021 2022
Frequency of Board updates on sustainability data reporting issues   Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly Quarterly
Board oversight of climate strategy? (Y/N)

   Y Y Y Y Y

Policies and Statements

   2018 2019 2020  2021 2022
Code of Conduct, anti-discrimination, anti-harassment   N Y Y Y Y
Anti-corruption, anti-bribery   N Y Y Y Y
Business Partner Code of Conduct, including suppliers   N Y Y Y Y
Health, Safety, Environment and Security (HSE&S), including product stewardship   N N Y Y Y
Palm oil statement   N N Y Y Y
Sensitive Country Policy   N N Y Y Y

 

 

For more information about Nouryon’s Corporate governance, visit our Investor Relations page.

Download the Sustainability Report 2022

We invite you to read more about all of the progress we are making in this report. And, as in previous years, we transparently report relevant data, including a clear overview of our annual sustainability data reporting.

Thank you for your interest in Nouryon’s contribution to a sustainable future and do not miss our Sustainability Report online report experience.  

Full Report    Fact Sheet

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