Operational Sustainability
With a focus on transitioning our value chain to a low-carbon economy, we are reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing waste generation, monitoring our water use, raising associate awareness and complying with all regulatory requirements.
Climate Change and Energy Management
Climate change is a global concern that poses a significant risk to the environment, our health, and the way we do business. Acting on the urgency of these interrelated issues, Avantor set a target to reduce its operational (Scope 1 and Scope 2) emissions by 15% by 2025. To achieve this goal, we:
- Developed an energy and emissions reduction strategy that invests in efficiency and conservation projects, as well as alternative energy sources, and
- Established a cross-functional Environmental Task Force to oversee our emissions reduction strategy, including setting internal annual targets, tracking projects, and training and educating associates
We are proud to report that as a result of these actions, we reduced our Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 12% as of the end of 2022 compared to the 2019 baseline, representing 80% toward our initial reduction goal. Please read the full 2023 Sustainability Report for further information.
These reductions are primarily the result of site-specific energy efficiency and optimization initiatives. In addition to continued efficiency efforts, we will expand our procurement of additional renewable energy through on-site and off-site projects and tools.
Download our latest Sustainability Report
Water Management
Avantor measures and tracks water use through our sustainability performance module and implements water reuse, reclamation and reduction initiatives. To ensure we can future-proof water sources and quality for our operations and surrounding communities, Avantor is embarking on a multi-year water management strategy focused on our operations in high- and very-high stressed water areas.
Landfill Diversion and Waste Management
Avantor continues to drive waste diversion-from-landfill through process optimization within our operations and expanding our reuse and recycling capabilities. Many of these initiatives are tracked and measured within our environmental sustainability performance module, and in 2022, our efforts culminated in a 54.5% waste diversion-from-landfill rate within our operations. One example of our innovative solutions that is reducing waste production as well as creating new efficiencies for our customers is the recent installation of a new packaging system at two of our global distribution facilities. The machine matches product shipment size to a box of equal size, eliminating the extra space that would otherwise require packing materials to protect products during shipping. Reducing the amount of materials created at the onset and requiring disposal.