The Vita Group, one of Europe’s providers of flexible polyurethane (PU) foam, has committed to set company-wide emissions reduction targets in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which aims to drive ambitious climate action across the private sector globally.
Manchester based Vita has become the first PU foam manufacturer to set science-based emissions reduction targets in line with the level of decarbonisation required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement – to limit global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
The SBTi’s Target Validation Team classified Vita’s scope 1 and 2 target and has determined that it is in line with a 1.5°C trajectory, currently the most ambitious designation available through the SBTi process. Vita has also further committed to reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions by 13.5% by 2030 from a 2019 base year.
The announcement builds upon the launch earlier this year of Vita’s first sustainability report, which detailed how the business has balanced commercial objectives with morally and ethically sound business practices. Over the last two years the company has reduced its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, with other successes including reducing waste sent to landfill to just 2.01% and launching its first foam range made from raw materials extracted from end-of-life products.
These significant environmental achievements have been outlined in Vita’s Sustainability Report 2021 Enhancing Everyday Life. The sustainability strategy outlined in the report was created in collaboration with Schneider Electric UK, a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation.
Ian Robb, CEO of The Vita Group, said: “Having our climate targets validated by the SBTi is the latest milestone on our sustainability journey, and is a very proud moment for our business. When we launched our sustainability report earlier this year it didn’t just outline what we’d done, but how we would not stop until we were able to reach our gamechanging targets, such as sending zero manufacturing waste to landfill by 2040.
“Rapid and deep emission cuts are pivotal if we are to halve global emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero before 2050. Over the coming months I look forward to speaking to our supply chain and customers about why they should join us in aligning with climate science by committing to science-based 1.5°C and net-zero targets too.”
The SBTi is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. It is focused on accelerating companies across the world to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050.
The initiative is a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and is one of the We Mean Business Coalition commitments. The SBTi defines and promotes best practice in science-based target setting, offers resources and guidance to reduce barriers to adoption, and independently assesses and approves companies’ targets. www.sciencebasedtargets.org
