Südpack joins Science Based Targets initiative to boost net zero carbon mission

11 Jul 2022 --- Südpack has joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – and signed the commitment letter – in line with its Net Zero activities, with the target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C through establishing effective climate protection on a corporate level. 

The company joins an international community of companies that share similar values and goals, including the UN Global Compact, Carbon Disclosure Project, World Resources Institute and WWF. 

The global film manufacturer is committing itself to initiatives based on current climate protection findings along the entire value chain. It ensures that its climate protection efforts are consistent with the standards of the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. Its goal is to limit global warming to preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-industrial levels.Haux says consumers, governments and industries must cooperate to solve climate change.

Piecing together the pollution puzzle
Valeska Haux, VP of strategic marketing at Südpack, explains that the company is “working hard on the sustained improvement of our carbon footprint, based on our Net Zero vision.” 

“We are convinced that it will only be possible to effectively meet the challenges of climate change if industry, institutions, politics and consumers develop an even greater sense of responsibility, join forces and work together on pioneering solutions,” he elaborates.

In line with this assertion, Innova Market Insights data shows that consumers globally believe that – apart from their own responsibility toward the plastics pollution crisis (32%) – governments and regulatory bodies are most responsible for solving climate change (24%).

Scoping out emissions
The SBTi commitment letter was signed in April 2022, detailing that Südpack will present specific targets to the initiative within the following 24 months for approval. A system of three scopes is used to decrease Südpack’s total emissions:

• Scope 1 emissions are directly emitted by the company. The company’s vehicles, incineration facilities and refrigerants are all included in this.
• Scope 2 includes indirect emissions such as those from capital goods, leased assets, business travel, bought energy, steam, cooling and heating.
• Scope 3 examines the indirect emissions from upstream and downstream processes, including the transportation of bought goods, distribution and logistics, trash disposal and staff commuting.

Südpack has been sourcing 100% carbon neutral natural gas for all of its German sites since early 2022. The energy supply has been shifted to 100% renewable energy with investments in photovoltaic systems at the production sites. The company also took further measures that involve waste and material management or e-mobility.

Committed to carbon cuts
In related news, Südpack recently signed a long-term investment agreement for Carboliq, the provider of a “unique” chemical recycling technology developed by Recenso. The Carboliq process offers competitive advantages in terms of energy efficiency and low emissions. 

The oil the Carboliq process recovers is virgin-grade quality and can be used by the plastics industry in the same way as fossil fuels to produce a wide spectrum of plastic granulates. These granulates can in turn be processed to produce high-performance films for sophisticated packaging applications required in the food industry.

“Fundamentally, our joint vision is tackling the problem of high-performance flexible packaging materials that can’t be mechanically recycled with current technology. We aim to make them recyclable and therefore compatible with future needs,” says Christian Haupts, Carboliq’s CEO.

By Mieke Meintjes

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