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Climate Action at Univar Solutions
Measuring our progress on our journey toward a net-zero carbon future
Climate change is a pressing issue today, and we recognize the importance of addressing it for a better tomorrow. We are committed to adopting appropriate measures and best practices to help mitigate climate risks and the associated impacts on our business operations. Our short-, medium- and long-term goals are designed to ensure our global operations are continuously working toward carbon neutrality.
Eliminating emissions from our supply chain is vital for combatting climate change. We are committed to adopting appropriate measures and best practices to mitigate climate risks and the associated impacts on our business operations. The actions we take today will have a significant impact in future years.
Learn about how we are monitoring and mitigating energy use throughout our supply chain, from the products we source and services we procure to the end of life of our products.
Liam McCarroll
Director of Sustainability
“Univar Solutions' driving purpose is to keep our communities healthy, fed, clean and safe, and recognizing the importance of carbon reduction is central to supporting the wellbeing of communities around the world. Investing significantly in climate change reduction is at the heart of our business and operations, and we are committed to implementing and continuously improving our technology, processes and culture to support our journey toward a net-zero carbon future.”
Where we take action
Univar Solutions’ approach to climate change and energy use is based on (1) optimizing energy efficiency, (2) using electrical power where possible for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plant equipment and transportation and (3) diversifying our fuel sources. These three categories are core to our strategy on emissions reduction.
Infrastructure and Investment
- Committed to invest $3 million annually in low-carbon technology across the business
- Developing on-site renewable energy production and procurement
- Increasing use of non-conventionally powered vehicles
Processes and Procedures
- Transitioning to increased procurement of electrified FLTs and hybrid cars
- Rolling out site sustainability assessments to key locations across EMEA and North America
- Beginning in 2022, reporting in line with TCFD, SASB and GRI frameworks
Culture
- 80 percent of all employees globally completed sustainability training in 2021
- Employee recognition programs focused on advancing our ESG goals
- Promoting sustainability action among Univar Solutions employees on a day-to-day basis
2021 Performance Highlights
- Decreased Scopes 1 & 2 emissions by 15.3 percent from our baseline, an equivalent of approximately 20,000 tCO2e
- Increased our use of renewable electricity
- Mapped out our entire Scope 3 emissions as relevant to our business
- Continued our dedication to make an annual $3 Million investment toward low carbon enabling technologies
- Launched our first sustainability champion's network in EMEA, a forum for colleagues who volunteer to get more involved in our sustainability journey and promote local activities
Our emissions reductions progress and initiatives
The significant reductions in emissions that we have seen through 2020 and again in 2021 are a testament to the hard work of our teams and the impact of the plans they have delivered on.
Other factors underpinning our progress include secondary benefits of reduced consumption tied to the reduction of our operational footprint; reduced travel and lower occupancy in our offices following COVID-19; and reduced energy use and emissions outside of our sustainability strategy.
In 2021, we also launched various initiatives across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to support the global goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. These programs included launching a new company car policy that limits emissions from business travel and encourages usage of hybrid and electric vehicles. We installed solar panels at sites in Spain that satisfy one third of required energy demand, and purchased 35 new trucks with Euro 6 engines to increase telematics to track and improve driver behavior, fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
Additionally, we have expanded our investment in solar arrays at the Paulínia site in Brazil, as part of our wider strategy to increase our on-site renewable energy generation capacity. This is our largest solar project to date.
Case study: A new industry standard for efficiency and safety in the market
Last year, we began construction on a new, highly innovative logistics Univar Solutions facility in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The new facility is strategically located close to where Univar Solutions’ products and services are to be delivered and offers a much more streamlined and efficient delivery process.
Some key highlights of our new facility:
- Contains a telemetry system for real-time product inventory and high storage capacity
- Equipped with higher rail capacity and blending rooms, which are designed for solvents, corrosives and oxidizers for higher efficiency and lower incidental risks
- Minimizes spillage incidents and protects our employees through a state-of-the-art engineering controls and containment strategy
