In its latest sustainability report for 2021, the Austrian fiber manufacturer Lenzing AG presents its efforts towards a circular economy under the motto “Linear to Circular”.
“Our innovations in circular economy and biodegradability stem from a deep sense of responsibility towards our planet and a desire to act in a way that future generations can be proud of. We hope that you will discover and share this sense of responsibility when reading the Lenzing Sustainability Report 2021,” comments Robert van de Kerkhof, Member of the Management Board of the Lenzing Group, in a statement.
climate neutrality
With the implementation of two key projects – a dissolving pulp mill in Brazil and the world’s largest lyocell factory in Thailand – Lenzing is taking further steps towards group-wide climate neutrality, as well as with the investments in the existing Asian locations in China and Indonesia in the amount of 200 million euros.
In 2019, Lenzing was the first fiber manufacturer to set itself the goal of reducing its CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieving net zero by 2050. This CO2 reduction target has been reviewed and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.
textile recycling
The cooperation with the Swedish pulp producer Södra is a step in the direction of making a decisive contribution to solving the global problem of textile waste. An expansion of the capacity for pulp production from used textiles is also planned. The goal is to be able to recycle 25,000 tons of used textiles per year by 2025.
Innovation and product development
In this area, the company was able to further expand its product range for the textile and nonwovens industries and presented the first Tencel Lyocell fibers made from wood and orange-based fiber pulp in the third quarter.
“The upcycling of orange peels as part of the Tencel Limited Edition initiative is another successful step taken by Lenzing to develop new recycling solutions together with partners along the value chain. The launch of the first CO2-neutral fibers on the global nonwovens market under the Veocel brand is another product innovation from the reporting year, which is an example of Lenzing’s ambitious path in the area of climate protection,” says Lenzing.
Global “Sustainability Champion” awards
Lenzing received multiple awards for its sustainability efforts in 2021 and was one of only 14 companies worldwide to be rated AAA by the global non-profit environmental organization CDP for its environmental leadership in the areas of climate change, water security and forest protection. CDP is recognized worldwide as the gold standard of environmental reporting.
In addition, the rating agency MSCI upgraded Lenzing from “A” to “AA”, placing the group in the top six percent of the rated companies in its peer group. The better MSCI ESG rating also results in a reduction in interest expenses for Lenzing, as the company placed a promissory note loan of EUR 500 million in November 2019, which is linked to its own sustainability performance.
In the EcoVadis CSR rating, Lenzing achieved platinum status for the first time in 2021, making it one of the top one percent of the companies assessed worldwide in terms of the environment, fair working conditions and human rights, as well as ethics and sustainable procurement.
communication
“We have set ourselves the goal of reflecting the high level of innovation at Lenzing in communication as well, and are breaking new and innovative ground here. We are pleased to be able to present our reports in digital and thus interactive form for the first time this year. This not only makes our reporting more user-friendly, but also takes place exactly where the majority of our users are: online,” concludes Dominic Köfner, Vice President Corporate Communications & Public Affairs.
The entire sustainability report is available online from this year on the Lenzing website.