Ansell is committed to reducing emissions in its own operations to zero by 2040. We will focus on a minimum of 90% decarbonisation through our efforts and initiatives before investing in carbon off-sets.
Our Net Zero goal is in line with the ambition of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5oC. We have used the Science-Based Targets Initiatives Net Zero Standard as guidance to frame our targets.
We are integrating our 15,000 employees into a culture of sustainability through various actions including clear and transparent communication within the company and providing training to convey our company’s strategy and address employees concerns. We know that our journey to Net Zero, won’t be possible without our employees sharing the same vision.
We report our progress on a yearly basis in our sustainability report, our annual general meeting and CDP. You can find more information on our dedicated sustainability pages on our website, www.Ansell.com. We also communicate our major milestones through social media and press releases.
Action is required now. A mid-term target in 2030, is a within sight objective which we will focus on while working at the same time, towards our longer-term goal which is reaching Net Zero within our operations by 2040. The science is clear that we need to strategise halving our emissions by the end of this decade and that is where we have focused our ambitions.
Although we felt we met the science-based criteria for making a Net Zero commitment, including Scope 3 emissions, we chose to focus on Scope 1 & 2 as we believe we need to do more work to ensure we have substance to the partnerships across the industry necessary to deliver Scope 3 reductions. This will take time, but we are optimistic for significant progress in FY23.
We support and encourage our value chain partners to make similar science-based commitments with robust decarbonisation action plans to support the shift to a more sustainable low-carbon economy and meet the targets of the Paris Agreement. Joining the CDP Supply Chain Climate Change and Water Security Program are examples of how we engage with our key upstream suppliers in order to encourage disclosure, target setting and action. Going forward, we will elevate the importance of robust decarbonisation and sustainability efforts when selecting our value chain partners.
Any commitment we make must be grounded in an achievable action plan. If not, it will not be credible. While we continue our own decarbonisation efforts, we will work with our value chain partners, including our suppliers and distributors, to gain more clarity on their efforts and influence, and encourage and support them to decarbonize as well.
At Ansell, we apply a science-based approach when it comes to sustainability. We are committed to real change with demonstrated benefits to the environment. For example, our Net Zero commitment for Scope 1 & 2 relies to only a minimal degree on carbon offsetting and instead, we are committed to the more complex path of actual reduction in emissions we produce at our manufacturing sites. We know that meaningful change requires collaboration, and we are committed to being part of the solution. Being a founding member of Responsible Glove Alliance is a great example where we bring change to the industry through collaboration.
Through dedicated investments, we have focused our renewable energy initiatives on three areas: biomass, rooftop solar panel installations and power purchase agreements. We are also working on assessing further opportunities to establish biomass hot water generators in place of fossil fuel driven equipment, and ensure that the sources of our biomass are certified as sustainable. We embrace innovation and are an active participant in supporting the transition to a low carbon future. Our engagement with policymakers in Sri Lanka via USAID’s Sri Lanka Energy Program to create an electricity marketplace that supports access to renewable electricity for industries is a great example of that.
We have increased our energy mix today to 45% renewables and our renewable electricity by 11% since our baseline year (FY20), thanks to our collective investments and initiatives. Moreover, by recently joining the influential organizations Climate Group’s RE100 and EP100, we have aligned our commitments with the missions of these organizations, demonstrating our global climate ambitions. We joined the Renewable Thermal Collaborative in July 2022 which provides Ansell with access to leading technologies and market trends that are currently under development or not yet available.