Transformation concepts for companies in the plastics industry

SKZ – The Plastics Center

The plastics processing industry is in the midst of a transformation towards greenhouse gas neutrality. In close cooperation with several companies, the SKZ Plastics Center has developed individual transformation concepts in which the status quo of the company’s own greenhouse gas emissions was presented, reduction targets were defined according to the current state of science and regulation and action plans for reducing emissions were developed.

Many companies in the plastics processing industry are aware of their social responsibility and are also feeling the regulatory pressure to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions. The EU has set itself the target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, which can be broken down into individual sectors and even individual companies.

A transformation concept looks at where a company stands today, what the Paris climate targets mean for its own company and which implementation measures have the best cost-benefit ratio. The SKZ has carried out these considerations in several steps on behalf of several companies:

Step 1: Creation of a corporate carbon footprint
First, a corporate carbon footprint, i.e. a corporate carbon footprint (in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol), was determined, which will also become mandatory for many companies as part of the sustainability reporting obligation initiated by the EU as part of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Both direct emissions (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from energy procurement (Scope 2) are taken into account. Emissions from the upstream and downstream supply chain (Scope 3) have also been included in the balance sheet, as this is relevant in terms of risk analysis. In addition, the emissions were precisely allocated to individual plants and processes in order to identify specific options for action to reduce them.

Step 2: Setting reduction targets
Once the company’s own emissions are known, reduction targets must be set for the coming years. In order to assess the extent to which these are sufficient to achieve the Paris climate targets, the calculations of the Science Based Targets Initiative can be used. Companies can have their reduction targets reviewed and published there, which creates commitment and authenticity.

Step 3: Measures to reduce emissions
Specific measures to reduce emissions are developed based on the status quo and the targets. This is done in close cooperation between company representatives and SKZ experts in order to take into account the broad industry knowledge of the SKZ as well as the company-specific characteristics. These measures are evaluated in terms of their relevance for the company’s own carbon footprint and the extent to which they can be influenced.

Overview of the status quo
Overall, the transformation concept provides a company with an overview of the status quo and a path to greenhouse gas neutrality. “Creating the CO₂ footprint at company level with the help of the SKZ and the action plan has helped us to take a consistent course towards greenhouse gas neutrality,” says Sascha Klamp from Innovation Management and Application Technology at Treffert GmbH & Co. “The SKZ’s transformation concept has given us important impetus for our further development. The partnership was a decisive step for us towards greenhouse gas neutrality,” adds Patrick Winkler from Konzelmann GmbH:
The SKZ is also happy to support other companies in creating a transformation concept. With the help of BAFA Module 5 “Transformation Plans”, funding of up to 60% of the eligible costs is possible. The SKZ energy efficiency experts listed with BAFA can provide support here. More information on the SKZ research area Transformation of the plastics industry