Uponor

Relentlessly working on reducing our emissions

Our goal is clear: At Uponor, we comprehensively track and cut our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions  to achieve carbon neutral operations. As a milestone on the way there, we strive to reduce GHG emissions from our own operations by 70%, (Scope 1 and 2) and 20% from our supply chain (Scope 3) by 2027, compared to the baseline year 2019. With our actions and commitments, we not only want to indicate our ambition level, but also to encourage others to act.

We use Science Based Targets on our path to reduce carbon emissions

As advocates of the UN’s Global Compact Business Ambition’s commitment to limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, we use science-based emission reduction targets on our journey to net-zero emissions. In early 2021, we were the first company from our industry to receive a verified approval from the Science Based Targets initiative for our 1.5°C reduction targets.

Said targets are 46% on Scopes 1 and 2, and 14% on Scope 3 by 2030. Encouraged by our results over the past years, we have set even more ambitious targets, and we are in progress to get external validations also for these targets.
More about Science Based Targets initiative

Reductions of GHG emissions that equal driving a new car over 80 million kilometers

Throughout 2021, we continued our mission to meet our ambitious targets and reduced our scope 1 and 2 CO2e emissions by almost 10,000 tons – or over 45% compared to the year before. The amount is comparable to driving a new (<2019) car in the EU for 80 million kilometers.

A fair part of the reductions originates to our commitment to use certified green electricity across our operations, but we have made significant progress on many areas to achieve where we are today.
More details on the calculation method
Greenhouse gas emissions GHG

We have taken an active role on various areas to reduce our impact on the environment

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We run on green electricity

As the world’s energy choices evolve, Uponor seeks to be a model for the industry, embracing renewable energy sources across our global operation to reduce greenhouse gases.
 
  • In 2021, we developed an energy management system for our production process to enable further optimizations
  • Our global share of certified green electricity is 93% and we will reach 100% latest by 2025
  • We operate a network of solar panels to generate electricity for our Nastola, Finland manufacturing facilities
  • We have set strict energy-efficiency criteria for all manufacturing machinery investments
Solar panels on Nastola factory

We continue expanding local jobsite waste recycling opportunities

The waste from our manufacturing facilities mainly consists of plastic and metal. We are able to recycle both to a high degree, except PEX waste which remains as a critical initiative across our industry.
 
  • In 2021 we successfully conducted first tests with chemical recycling to close the loop for PEX-a waste
  • We have established a mechanical recycling process for PEX-a waste where production scrap is milled and used in our Weholite pipes
  • We continue expanding local jobsite waste recycling opportunities
  • To ensure that even the smallest amounts of plastic are handled responsibly, we signed a pledge in 2020 with Operation Clean Sweep to safeguard and improve potential spill-risk areas, and to keep resin residue out of our drains and waterways.

We Handle Plastic Responsibly

Plastic, our major raw material, is emission-intensive and it must be handled accordingly. We acknowledge our responsibility and continuously measure and fine-tune our production and operations.
 
  • We are actively looking for ways to increase the use of recycled plastic in our production – where the law allows us to
  • We participate in various R&D projects where we, for example, research alternatives to oil-based resins
  • To ensure responsible on-site collection, separation and recycling of our packaging materials we have various partnerships across our markets, For example in Germany, our collaboration with Interseroh handled 206 tons of primary resources in 2021 - equivalent to 29 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
     
raw material focus

We safeguard water at every step

Water means everything to us, and our goal is to safeguard water resources by creating a water-resilient value chain. We further reduce our water footprint and through our innovations enable our customers to join the cause.
 
  • We repurpose rainwater and greywater to provide water needed in our manufacturing process, irrigate the property and flush toilets
  • Our European factories have closed-loop cooling systems for all manufacturing lines
  • We design solutions to meet the highest drinking water standards and promote sustainable water management
  • Our rewarded AI based monitoring system measures drinking water quality in water production and distribution – from the source to the end user
water management

What are greenhouse gas emissions scopes?

Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and ozone, are typically categorized into three groups, so-called “scopes”.
 
  • Scope 1 covers a company’s direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (e.g.emissions from energy used in operational facilities)
  • Scope 2 includes indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, and consumed heating and cooling
  • Scope 3 covers all other indirect emissions that occur along a company’s value chain, like purchased goods and services, transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, employee commuting, fuel and energy-related activities, or business travel
Emissions scopes model

How we lead the way to a more sustainable future

Our journey towards carbon neutrality

We track and systematically cut our greenhouse gas emissions along our value chain and have defined a clear path and milestones forward.

Sustainable development goals

We are committed to the UNs development goals and have identified four for a meaningful impact.
Our UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Solutions

We offer solutions that help our customers to reach their environmental targets.
Our Sustainable Solutions