According to the newest sustainability ambitions announced by polyolefins producer Braskem, the company will significantly expand its efforts to eliminate plastic waste in the environment by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
In 2009, Braskem launched the company’s long-term sustainability goals for 2020, which emphasised Braskem’s commitment to providing solutions that address climate change.
Throughout that period, the company has invested steadily in the development of its I’m green products. That brand, launched in 2010 together, introduced the world's first bio-based polyethylene produced on an industrial scale, using sugarcane as a feedstock. Since then, the I’m Green portfolio has been expanded to include solutions offering recycledd content derived from post-consumer plastic waste, in addition to other bio-based materials, including green EVA.
Braskem also reported that carbon emissions from operations had been successfully reduced by 20%.
And in 2018, Braskem further committed to 100% of plastic packaging being reused, recycled, or recovered by 2040.
The company has now announced additional commitments to mitigate climate change, eliminate plastic waste and provide solutions for recycled products in its markets.
“Plastic plays a vital role in society, and we believe that the strategic direction of our latest sustainability commitments will allow plastics to continue its role in advancing innovation and providing sustainable solutions,” said CEO Roberto Simoes.
The new targets will see the sales growth of the I’m Green portfolio to 300,000 tons of recycled content products per year by 2025, and to 1 million tons by 2030. In addition, Braskem will
work to divert 1.5 million tons of plastic waste away from incineration, landfill, or the environment by 2030 as well as to realise a further 15% reduction in carbon emissions from its operations, in order ultimately, by 2050, to achieve carbon neutrality for its global operations.
The three pillars underpinning Braskem’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality include reducing emissions, offsetting emissions and capturing emissions. Efforts to reduce emissions will focus on improving energy efficiency and advancing the use of low carbon and renewable energy in current operations. In the area of offsetting emissions, Braskem will focus on accelerating our investments in renewable feedstock based chemicals and polymers. Lastly, Braskem’s efforts around capturing emissions are being supported through the research and development of opportunities in using CO2 emissions as feedstock for conversion to value-added chemicals.