Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning achieves Carbon Neutrality (Scope 1 and 2) in Anaheim
We’re proud to announce a major milestone in our sustainability journey: our Anaheim, CA facility has achieved carbon neutrality for Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions. The plant belongs to the Ceramics division and manufactures coolants, lubricants, abrasive slurries, cleaners and specialty fluids for use in a wide variety of industries.
The Journey to Carbon Neutrality
In 2019, the Saint-Gobain Group announced its commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. The Group developed its sustainability objectives according to the GHG protocol, splitting the emission targets into Scope 1, 2 and 3. Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from an organization's own facilities and production activity, such as those from diesel or natural gas combustion. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heating, or cooling. Scope 3 emissions cover value chain emissions, including upstream (e.g. raw materials) and downstream (e.g. product shipping, usage) activities.
All Saint-Gobain Ceramics sites were encouraged to explore and implement projects that would support the Group’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The Anaheim manufacturing represented 80 tons of CO2e in 2022 and was using only two sources of energy: electricity and natural gas. The majority of Scope 1 and 2 impact came from electricity use (90%) and the gas consumed to power the water heater. Anaheim was an ideal candidate to become carbon neutral (Scope 1+2) and successfully reached that milestone in less than 2 years by the combination of two actions:
Purchase of electricity coming only from renewable sources: The site’s electricity supplier could not guarantee renewable energy supply, so the team sought a Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) to cover 100% of the electricity used by the site. RECs are a legal instrument for accounting, tracking, and assigning ownership to renewable electricity generation1. This involved coordination between our plant, the purchasing team, and the North American sustainability team.
- Electrification of the Water Heater: The plant’s natural gas water heater was swapped for an electric model. Thanks to the RECs, the electricity used for the heater remains carbon neutral in terms of Scope 2. Electric water heaters are energy efficient and eliminate the need for fossil fuels. By eliminating the use of the natural gas and using the REC to ensure a renewable energy supply, the carbon emissions were reduced by 100%.
Looking Ahead
This achievement is a testament to the sustainability commitment and determination to reach our target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. One portion of the Saint-Gobain Group sustainability objectives is a 33% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions in absolute terms compared to a 2017 baseline. We are proud to make meaningful progress towards this goal.
1definition according to EPA website https://www.epa.gov/green-power-markets/renewable-energy-certificates-r….
ABOUT SAINT-GOBAIN SPECIALTY GRAINS AND POWDERS
Saint-Gobain Specialty Grains and Powders department internationally designs, produces and distributes technical ceramic grains, powders, suspensions and chemicals, as well as thermal spray equipment for a wide range of industries: abrasives, aerospace, automobile, energy, semiconductors, metallurgy, and more.
Specialty Grains and Powders is part of Saint-Gobain Ceramics.
For more information, please visit our websites:
abrasivematerials.saint-gobain.com
coatingsolutions.saint-gobain.com
surfaceconditioning.saint-gobain.com
lithium-solutions-materials.com
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ABOUT THE SAINT-GOBAIN GROUP
Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.
€48 billion in sales in 2023
160,000 employees, located in 76 countries
Committed to achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050
For more details on Saint-Gobain, visit saint-gobain.com and follow us on X @saintgobain.