SPONSORED CONTENT – Austrian fibre manufacturer Lenzing has revealed its progress against the company's environmental and social targets with the publication of its 2023 sustainability report. Underpinning the company’s ‘Naturally Positive’ sustainability strategy, the report discusses Lenzing’s work to define the areas in which it can contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on which the company's activities have the greatest impact.
The report outlines Lenzing’s updated targets to reduce scope 1 and 2 absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 42% and scope 3 absolute GHG emissions by 25% by 2030 against a 2021 baseline, which supports the longer term goal of achieving at least a 90% reduction in absolute GHG emissions (scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 2050.
Lenzing senior vice president for corporate sustainability, Krishna Manda told Ecotextile News: “The measures Lenzing has taken and the innovations implemented in the pursuit of targets linked to climate change are a central pillar of the latest Lenzing sustainability update.
“The procurement of energy in a cost effective yet more sustainable way is vital for Lenzing and as such, this seen a large investment focus in 2023.
“We have actually achieved around 17% of emission reductions for scope 1 and 2 emissions compared to 2021 and for scope 3, we have reduced emissions by around 20%.”
The report also offers updates on the completion of major projects to enhance Lenzing’s manufacturing facilities in key markets such as China, Indonesia and Thailand, which are designed to both boost growth and reduce its carbon footprint.
Amongst the highlights is confirmation that Lenzing has successfully converted a production line in Nanjing, China, to Tencel branded modal fibres with an annual capacity of up to 35,000 tonnes marking the first production of Tencel fibres for textiles and clothing in the country.
It has also successfully converted its site in Purwakarta, Indonesia, for the production of Ecovero viscose fibres with the facility also receiving accreditations to the EU Ecolabel.
Meanwhile, Lenzing’s joint venture with LD Celulose successfully shipped 500,000 tonnes of pulp by rail and break bulk vessel, further reducing GHG emissions compared to traditional truck and container ship methods.
Other strategic milestones from last year saw Lenzing join forces with ARA, Salesianer Miettex, Caritas and Sodra to launch Austria’s largest textile pilot project for recycling post-consumer textile waste. The company also launched its Ecovero and Refibra technologies to customers worldwide.
Elsewhere, seven Lenzing production sites assessed by the Higg Facility Environmental Module (FEM) scored ‘exceptional’ results while five plants were successfully assessed by the Social Labor Convergence Program (SCLP).
It was also one of only 10 companies worldwide to be recognised with an outstanding triple ‘A’ score by the non-profit CDP environmentally responsible management in three categories - climate change, water security and forestry.
Further ratings and awards include a second place in Canopy’s Hot Button Ranking, earning a ‘dark green’ shirt, a platinum EcoVadis CSR rating for the third time in succession and, as a result of its partnership with Södra, an ITMF Award 2023 in ‘International Cooperation’, for joint achievements in textile recycling and the circular economy. MSCI also reconfirmed the company's AA rating.
“We need to work collaboratively with other companies and stakeholders that have a similar thought process and work with the policy makers to get the infrastructure right to create a level playing field for sustainable products,” Manda adds.
“(Lenzing) remains convinced that if each and every member of the Lenzing team, as well as like-minded collaborators in the sector, all work in one direction, that the company will be able to achieve even the most ambitious of its long-term targets.”
Lenzing's Sustainability Report 2023 is available online. It was produced in accordance with the standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).
