WACKER makes carbon footprints available for its product range

• Added value for customers’ own sustainability
• Production and emissions data from cradle to gate
• High data quality based on material consumption rates
• Product sustainability software platform from AllocNow
• Calculated in line with TfS standard (Together for Sustainability initiative)

WACKER customers throughout the world now have access to comparable sustainability data for the company’s products. This information will be based on “cradle-to-gate” production and emission data for everything WACKER produces. A software system from AllocNow uses this data to calculate a concrete, comparable carbon footprint for every product.

By 2030, WACKER aims to cut its direct and energy-related greenhouse gas emissions by half relative to 2020 values. By 2045, the company hopes to achieve net zero, which means it would no longer emit any net greenhouse gases. WACKER customers are also increasingly asking for CO₂ data on the company’s products. The reason in many cases is that they are likewise pursuing sustainability goals and would like a means of precisely calculating the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their business activities. They would also like a direct way to compare supplier sustainability data.

The carbon footprint of each product is based on WACKER product and process data. The emissions underpinning the footprint are calculated based on actual material consumption data – an approach that, unlike those calculation methods that are based on the chemical formulation and which are greatly dependent on the quality of the formulation data, makes for high-quality data.

AllocNow’s Product Sustainability Platform uses this information as a basis for calculating the product carbon footprint (PCF), enabling automatic life cycle assessments specifically for chemicals. The tool’s calculations are in line with the Together for Sustainability (TfS) standard published in 2022, which stipulates a uniform procedure for calculating the PCF values of chemical products. TfS is a global initiative driven by the chemical industry, which has set itself the task of developing common auditing and assessment standards. Relevant ISO industrial standards and the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) Protocol serve as a starting point. What is more, the calculation method and carbon footprint comply with ISO 14067 and are certified by the TÜV Rheinland technical inspectorate.

WACKER has been studying emissions data at the product level since 2010. Determining the PCF requires more than just the relevant product data: it also involves compiling data on the raw materials used, plus energy, steam, emissions and process information from various systems. The PCF represents all of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with manufacturing a product up until it leaves the plant. CO₂ is used as a baseline for quantifying levels of other greenhouse gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide.

While PCFs are already available for a great many WACKER products, more are being gradually added. Customers have already been provided with initial data. Customers interested in a PCF can now contact their WACKER sales manager.