Avery Dennison sets ambitious goals in latest sustainability report

Avery Dennison Corporation has plans to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by at least three percent every year between now and 2025. The company revealed its plans in its latest sustainability report, and confirmed that it is on track to meet or exceed all of its original sustainability goals set in 2010.

Said Avery Dennison chairman and CEO, Dean Scarborough, 'Cutting emissions while still growing as a company is the defining business challenge of the 21st century. At the very least, it's a matter of risk mitigation. Climate change threatens our business, our supply chain and the communities where we live and work. By using The 3% Solution, developed by World Wildlife Fund and Carbon Disclosure Project, as the basis of our approach, we expect to reduce emissions by a minimum of 26 percent by 2025.'

Between 2010 and 2015, Avery Dennison cut its emissions indexed to net sales by 15 percent based on a 2005 baseline. The company achieved the reduction mainly by identifying ways to use energy more efficiently. To meet the new goal, said Scarborough, 'We're exploring every option, including renewable energy sources and fuel switching.' Scarborough will discuss climate change with other global business leaders at a gathering coinciding with the United Nations COP21 climate talks in Paris this December.

In addition to its new emissions target, Avery Dennison has set additional goals in the latest sustainability report:

• Developing a paper supply with origins that are 100 percent certified as sustainable, with at least 70 percent bearing certification by the Forest Stewardship Council
• Reducing landfill waste by 95 percent and reducing waste from the company's label products by 70 percent
• Minimizing environmental impacts by ensuring that 70 percent of purchased film and chemicals conform to, or enable end products to conform to, Avery Dennison's environmental and social guiding principles
• Using innovation in sustainability to grow revenues from sustainability-driven products and services  
• Continuing to cultivate a diverse, engaged, safe, productive and healthy workforce