Avient Corporation
Climate Impact & Sustainability Data (2020, 2022)
Reporting Period: 2020
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:254,995 tCO2e/year (Scope 1 & 2)
Scope 1 Emissions:21,092 tCO2e/year
Scope 2 Emissions:87,776 tCO2e/year
Scope 3 Emissions:1,440,584 tCO2e/year
Renewable Energy Share:31%
Total Energy Consumption:1,547,647 GJ/year
Water Consumption:1,309,000 m3/year
Waste Generated:23,709 tons/year
ESG Focus Areas
- Climate Change
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Circular Economy
- Supplier Sustainability
- Human Rights
- Product Stewardship
- Occupational Health & Safety
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions by 37% in 2020 (against 2019 baseline)
- Reduced waste to landfill by 17% in 2020 (against 2019 baseline)
- Approximately 90% of Avient’s products met recyclability/reusability criteria in 2020
- Increased renewable energy usage to 31% of total energy needs in 2020 (from 0.69% in 2019)
Social Achievements
- Achieved a recordable incident rate of 0.50 in 2020 (7 times better than industry average)
- Received Great Place to Work® certification in 2020
- Earned a perfect 100/100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index in 2020
- Launched EMBRACE, an Employee Resource Group focused on racial diversity and inclusion
Governance Achievements
- Updated Supplier Code of Conduct to align with ILO standards
- Updated Corporate Governance Guidelines and Committee charter to promote diversity at the highest levels
- Expanded transparency and disclosures on human capital matters in the 10-K report
- Zero incidences of non-compliance with legally required and voluntary labeling standards and zero product recalls in 2020
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Achieve operational carbon neutrality by 2050
- Achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050
Medium-term Goals:
- Reduce Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions by 60% by 2030
- Obtain 60% of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030
- Reduce waste to landfill by 35% by 2030
- Enable 100% of products manufactured for packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2030
Short-term Goals:
- Assess 50% of total direct spend suppliers by 2021
Environmental Challenges
- Climate change impacts (extreme weather, supply chain disruptions, regulatory changes)
- REACH reclassifications of substances
- COVID-19 pandemic
- Plastic waste in the environment
- Supplier sustainability assessment
Mitigation Strategies
- Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) for renewable energy
- Energy saving projects
- Waste reduction initiatives
- COVID-19 Task Forces and safety protocols
- Partnership with EcoVadis for supplier evaluation
- Updated Supplier Code of Conduct
- Membership in the Alliance to End Plastic Waste
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 39% of top suppliers assessed in 2020
Responsible Procurement
- Supplier Code of Conduct (aligned with ILO standards)
- EcoVadis assessment
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather events
- Supply chain disruptions
Transition Risks
- Regulatory changes
- Market shifts
- Energy transition
Opportunities
- Development of energy-efficient products
- Renewable energy procurement
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI Standards: Core Option, SASB Chemicals Standard, TCFD
Certifications: ACC Responsible Care®, Great Place to Work®, ISO 9001 (73% of manufacturing sites)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
- Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- Goal 13: Climate Action
Avient's initiatives contribute to these goals through various programs and product offerings
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Lightweighting materials
- Recycled content materials
- Bio-polymers
- Eco-conscious solutions
Awards & Recognition
- Great Place to Work®
- Newsweek’s America’s Most Responsible Companies
Reporting Period: 2022
Environmental Metrics
Total Carbon Emissions:134,257 tCO2e/year (Scope 1 & 2)
Scope 1 Emissions:34,792 tCO2e/year
Scope 2 Emissions:99,465 tCO2e/year
Scope 3 Emissions:6,421,128 tCO2e/year
Renewable Energy Share:37% of total energy use
Total Energy Consumption:439,215.11 MWh/year
Water Consumption:1,738,000 m3/year
Waste Generated:32,267 tons/year
Carbon Intensity:0.30 MT 1&2 GHG/MT Sales (2022)
ESG Focus Areas
- People
- Products
- Planet
- Performance
Environmental Achievements
- Reduced Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 35% vs. 2019 baseline.
- Achieved 53% renewable electricity.
- 41 "landfill free" sites.
- Reduced waste to landfill intensity by 6%.
Social Achievements
- Maintained world-class safety performance with a recordable incident rate of 0.51.
- Launched SERVE Employee Resource Group for veterans.
- 60% of CEO's direct reports are female or racially diverse.
- 42% of Board of Directors are female or racially diverse.
- Over 142,000 hours of training completed.
Governance Achievements
- Added ESG performance metrics to associates’ Annual Incentive Plan.
- 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index for the third consecutive year.
- Expanded cybersecurity controls.
Climate Goals & Targets
Long-term Goals:
- Achieve operational carbon neutrality by 2050.
Medium-term Goals:
- Reduce Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030.
- Enable 100% of materials for consumer packaging to be recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2030.
- Reduce waste to landfill intensity by 3% annually.
Short-term Goals:
- Complete 100% of risk assessments on hazardous materials greater than 1 ton by 2025.
Environmental Challenges
- Scope 3 emissions are many times greater than combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
- Less than 50% of assessed suppliers and customers have existing greenhouse gas commitments.
- Climate change risks including extreme weather events, supply chain disruptions, and technology changes.
Mitigation Strategies
- Initiated a targeted assessment of 460 suppliers and 20 largest customers to assess carbon emissions data availability and reduction plans.
- Established an internal cost of carbon to encourage investments in low-carbon and carbon-free technologies.
- Expanded existing risk management practices to incorporate the analysis of short to long-term climate-related risks and opportunities under various climate scenarios.
Supply Chain Management
Supplier Audits: 60% of suppliers assessed in 2022 using EcoVadis.
Responsible Procurement
- Supplier Code of Conduct aligned with ILO standards.
- EcoVadis assessments.
- Conflict Minerals Policy.
Climate-Related Risks & Opportunities
Physical Risks
- Extreme weather events
- Supply chain disruptions
Transition Risks
- Regulatory changes
- Market shifts
- Energy disruption
Opportunities
- More efficient production processes
- Emergence of new technologies
- Products with low environmental impact
- Sustainable feedstocks
Reporting Standards
Frameworks Used: GRI, SASB, TCFD, UNGC
Certifications: ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 45001, ISCC Plus, ACC Responsible Care®, Great Place to Work®
Third-party Assurance: TÜV Rheinland (for Product Carbon Footprint)
UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy)
- Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)
- Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)
- Goal 13 (Climate Action)
- Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)
Avient's initiatives contribute to these goals through renewable energy use, sustainable product development, waste reduction, emissions reduction, and workforce development.
Sustainable Products & Innovation
- Bio-based Dyneema® fiber
- ColorMatrix™ Ultimate™ UV Light Barrier for PET
- Cesa™ NOX A4R Additive
- Rejoin™ PCR Masterbatch
- Trilliant™ HC Glass Filled Polyketone
- Mevopur™ Healthcare Bio-Based Polymer Solutions
Awards & Recognition
- Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies
- Barron’s Most Sustainable Companies
- The Wall Street Journal’s 250 Best Managed Companies