Solvay (Brussels, Belgium) has developed an automated system to calculate product carbon footprint (PCF), a measurement that takes into account all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by a product from raw material extraction to when it leaves the Solvay factory (cradle to gate). The digital tool is being rolled out across the group’s Novecare business, which offers high-performing solutions across the agro, home and personal care, coatings and industrial markets.

Developed using best-approved PCF and digital principles, and advancing integration with suppliers, the new tool will enable Solvay’s Novecare business to calculate the PCF of its entire portfolio of products and meet customer demand for increased accuracy and timely updates. This information will enable the business and its customers to identify areas in which emissions can be reduced, and regularly track progress. It will also serve as a springboard for collaboration across the supply chain, enabling the development of innovative, climate-friendly solutions aligned with customer needs.

“Automated and fully aligned with existing global initiatives, this digital tool will be used to drive our commercial relationships, enabling us and our customers to make informed decisions that will reduce our carbon footprints and advance innovation,” Mike Radossich, president of Solvay’s Novecare business, says. “It will also empower our business to better manage our decarbonization strategies across all scopes, particularly by providing us with a way to effectively measure upstream Scope 3 emissions.”

The group’s automated PCF calculations are aligned with ISO 14067 and the “Product Carbon Footprint Guideline for the Chemical Industry” issued by Together for Sustainability (TfS). This allows TfS members to integrate the PCFs of chemical products into their product carbon footprint determinations and corporate GHG inventories, with a specific focus on Scope 3 Category 1 emissions, which cover raw materials. Solvay is also working with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to encourage a cohesive approach to PCF calculation across all industries.

In 2022, Solvay announced its commitment to reduce Scope 3 GHG emissions by 24% by 2030, as compared to 2018 — a goal that has since been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The PCF tool is the latest initiative taken by the group to help achieve this ambition.

The project is currently being piloted at five of Solvay’s Novecare sites, in France and the U.S. It will be rolled out across all Novecare sites over the coming months and extended to more business areas in the near future.

For related information, read “On the radar: Technologies for lifecycle analysis (LCA)”