Stahl, a supplier of specialty coating for the apparel, footwear and home furnishings sectors and an active proponent of responsible chemistry, has published its 2020 Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) report that outlines the company’s sustainable development goals and ESG targets for 2030.
These include a transition to renewable feedstocks amid a 10-year plan that supports Stahl’s efforts to help shape a better chemicals industry that “enables high living standards within planetary boundaries.”
In the report, Stahl said it took concrete steps toward eliminating non-renewable carbon resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas as feedstocks for its raw materials. The company said it exceeded its five-year CO2 emissions target and has set new goals for 2030. The company also launched two new portfolios of products based on renewable feedstocks.
Stahl NuVera, a range of renewable carbon polyurethanes, and Stahl Relca Bio, water-based polyurethane resins for high performance coatings, are examples of new portfolios of renewable carbon-based products that were launched in 2020. In 2021, the company said it will launch a range of leather chemicals, Stahl Ympact, also based on renewable feedstocks. These product ranges are derived either from plant-based biomass, typically vegetable oils or sugars, or from captured carbon sources, such as CO2 released from industrial processes.
Last year, Stahl implemented new criteria for governing and reporting safety, health and environment (SHE) standards and process safety, to more accurately report on safety incidents. This includes the global rollout of the Stahl Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Methodology for safety risk assessments.
Related Stories
Last year, Stahl achieved Level 3 status in the ZDHC Gateway chemical conformance module for 1,200 products from its global portfolio. This achievement is part of its wider efforts to go beyond minimum information disclosure and regulatory compliance to deliver value for all stakeholders, including suppliers, customers, partners and the public.
“If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that society and industry will continue to face new challenges,” Huub van Beijeren, CEO of Stahl, said. “At Stahl, we were nevertheless able to take an important step forward in our ESG ambitions. In particular, we established a clear roadmap for what we want to achieve in the medium term, supported by strict targets for 2023 and 2030. Stahl is committed to being a catalyst for positive change and we continue to view environmental and social challenges as an opportunity to create a better future.”
With headquarters in Waalwijk, the Netherlands, Stahl works with partners worldwide to develop and deliver the necessary chemistry behind everyday materials. Supported by a global workforce of nearly 2,000, its processing and specialty coatings technologies help these materials to perform better for longer, while reducing their environmental impact.
The company has identified four areas of strategic importance to help realize its goals–digital transformation, open innovation, renewable feedstocks and sustainable development.