Sustainability

During the UN Climate Action Summit held on September 23, Saint-Gobain signed the pledge of the Global Compact “Business ambition for 1.5°C”, committing itself to reach net-zero emissions by no later than 2050 in line with the goal to limit the rise of global temperature to 1.5°C. This ambition is part of the strategy that the Group has been deploying for several years to limit its environmental impact and contribute to decarbonize its markets.

Mitigating climate change means decarbonizing our economies. At Saint Gobain, our goal is simple:

By 2050, we must not emit any more carbon than we absorb.

We are approaching this target in stages. In November 2020, we have further committed to reducing our direct emissions from our plants and electricity-related emissions by 33% by 2030; and the value chain emissions by 16% over the same period. 

To meet these targets, Saint-Gobain will dedicate a targeted capital expenditure and R&D budget of around
€100 million per year until 2030. Also, two internal carbon prices are used: €30 per ton for industrial investments and €100 per ton for R&D investment in breakthrough technology. 

This commitment is part of an approach pursued over many years, which has seen Saint-Gobain set out formal targets to reduce its environmental footprint. In 2019, Saint-Gobain achieved a 14.5% reduction versus 2010, leaving the Group well-placed to meet its 2025 target. After having validated Saint-Gobain’s 2025 ambition in 2019, the SBT initiative has now validated the Group’s targets for 2030, recognizing how the Group has accelerated and deepened its ambitions in line with its target to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Read more about Saint-Gobain's net zero carbon journey here.