Orion aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

Orion Engineered Carbons, a specialty chemicals company, aspires to align its sustainability objectives with the Paris Climate Agreement and strive to achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.

To make its net-zero aspirations realistic, Orion developed a roadmap with near- and long-term targets. The company aspires to launch a broad range of products using recycled materials by 2025 and during the same period position the company to enlarge its footprint in the conductive additives space, such as in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and other applications critical for the transition toward electric power. It also aims to generate 30% of its adjusted EBITDA through sustainable solutions by 2030 and grow the sustainable solutions’ share of adjusted EBITDA to 50% by 2035. Orion is also setting new aspirational mid-term goals for greenhouse-gas emissions reduction that are aligned with science-based methodologies.

The net-zero ambition demonstrates Orion’s ongoing commitment to address global climate change while meeting customers’ needs for highly engineered materials essential for tires, coatings, batteries and numerous other everyday products.

“We know our goal is ambitious and we want to make sure it’s meaningful. Like most companies, we can’t say we have all the answers now. But we’re determined to work hard to find sustainable solutions with collaboration, innovation and the right regulatory environment,” said Corning Painter, Orion’s CEO.

“Our ambition to align with the Paris Climate Agreement is a natural progression in our sustainability journey. Investing in sustainability is core to our growth strategy and key to our success as a business,” Mr. Painter added.

Orion Engineered Carbons is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers’ exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability, and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centres on three continents and 14 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company’s corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world’s longest-running carbon black plant.