Appreciation is also reflected in a responsible use of resources and the environment, especially as the environmental sustainability of products has become a central decision criterion for consumers. Clariant aims to set new standards in specialty chemicals with the use of leading technologies and the development of innovative solutions to improve environmental standards. The company can be measured in terms of clearly defined environmental goals.
Sustainability saves costs
The responsible use of resources and the environment in the production process at Clariant includes numerous individual measures that also have a positive impact on the cost structure, meaning the brand values Performance and Planet fit together perfectly.
The knowledge and ideas of every single employee contribute to Clariant’s success. That is why Clariant motivates employees to submit recommendations for improvements in the areas of health protection, workplace safety, process safety and optimization, and environmental protection with the company suggestion scheme. For example, a total of 1 700 individual suggestions were submitted at the Frankfurt-Höchst site, Germany, in 2015, which is equal to a rate of 0.82 suggestions per employee. The savings achieved this way totaled approximately CHF 185 000 for that location in the year under review, whereby the greatest savings were distributed amongst seven major projects to optimize energy consumption.
The Clariant Production System YEE (Yield, Energy, Environment) was established in 2013 as part of the Clariant Excellence efficiency improvement initiative (see Pillar 1: Increase profitability). This focuses on cost savings and benefits related to raw materials, energy and the environment. As a result, CHF 39 million were realized over the period from 2013 to the end of 2015. The planned target is approximately CHF 60 million by 2017/2018.
NET BENEFIT BY CLARIANT PRODUCTION SYSTEM YEE
in CHF m
In addition, Clariant has had considerable success on the topic of energy efficiency and saves CHF 6 million every year solely from the in-house eWatch program thanks to targeted investments in the optimization of production facilities and the training of its employees. eWatch covers the entire life cycle of a plant or a production process. Outstanding examples of projects in this context include the increase in energy efficiency in the catalysis laboratory in Heufeld, Germany, where significant savings in natural gas and electricity consumption could be achieved through limited investments in the 2015 year under review. Long-term savings in steam consumption have been achieved at the Gendorf location, Germany, thanks to new exhaust steam energy recovery.
New environmental targets by 2025
Clariant first set specific environmental goals for itself in 2011, focusing on six key criteria based on emission levels of the Group. These were very clearly exceeded in relation to the reference year of 2005. Upon conclusion of the completed portfolio restructuring, Clariant has decided to define new environmental targets at the beginning of 2015 by which the Group can be measured. These relate to the reference values in the financial year 2013.
The clear commitment of the management to transparency manifests itself in the area of environmental protection. The ambitious goals can only be achieved in the future through ongoing optimization of production systems and staff training.
ENVIRONMENTAL TARGETS 2025
in % (per t produced goods)
Clariant excellence (CLNX)
Clariant Excellence is an initiative launched in March 2009 with the aim of establishing a culture of continuous improvement. The initiative is based on a change in mindset among all employees and at all levels of the company. It aims to improve competitiveness through gains in efficiency and to create added value. The four elements of Clariant Excellence are: Operational, Commercial, People, and Innovation Excellence. VIEW ENTIRE GLOSSARY