• Lenzing continues to march purposefully towards Group-wide climate neutrality

• Lenzing recognized as “sustainability champion” several times worldwide – one of only 14 companies awarded “AAA” rating by CDP

• New, innovative reporting methods – Lenzing presents its Online Sustainability Report for the first time

• Sustainability Report 2021 based on the results of the updated materiality analysis

“Our innovations in relation to the circular economy and biodegradability stem from a deep sense of responsibility to our planet and a desire to act in ways that future generations can be proud of. We hope that you will discover and share this sense of responsibility when you read the Lenzing Sustainability Report 2021,” notes Robert van de Kerkhof, Member of the Managing Board of Lenzing Group.

Aiming for a carbon-neutral future

With the implementation of the two key projects in Brazil and Thailand, as well as with the investments at the existing Asian sites in China and Indonesia amounting to EUR 200 mn, Lenzing continues to march purposefully towards Group-wide climate neutrality. In 2019, Lenzing became the first fiber manufacturer to set a target to reduce its carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and to be net-zero by 2050. This carbon reduction target has been verified and approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative.

The partnership with Swedish pulp producer Södra marks a further milestone in Lenzing’s efforts to realize its ambitious climate and sustainability goals. These two global market leaders, which have been proactively promoting the circular economy in the fashion industry for many years, are joining forces to give the issue a further boost and to make a decisive contribution to resolving the global textile waste problem. An expansion of capacities for pulp recovery from waste textiles is also planned. The goal is to be able to recycle 25,000 tonnes of used textiles per year by 2025.

Sustainability is not only a very important element of strategy at Lenzing, but also a guiding principle for innovation and product development. Lenzing continued to expand its product offering for the textile and nonwovens sectors in 2021. The third quarter saw the presentation of the first TENCEL™ lyocell fibers made from wood- and orange-based fiber pulp. The upcycling of orange peels as part of the TENCEL™ Limited Edition initiative represents a further successful step by Lenzing to develop new closed loop solutions together with partners along the value chain. The introduction of the first carbon-neutral fibers on the global nonwovens market under the VEOCEL™ brand comprises a further product innovation from the reporting year that exemplifies Lenzing’s ambitious path in climate protection.

Solution to plastic pollution

With its wood-based, biodegradable VEOCEL™ fibers, Lenzing’s nonwoven business also benefits from new regulations such as the Single-Use Plastics Directive (EU) 2019/904.[1] The EU Commission published its implementation guidelines in the second quarter, specifying which products fall within the directive’s scope. Lenzing welcomes the measures taken by the EU in the joint fight by member states against plastic waste pollution.

In a study published in October 2021,[2] scientists from the renowned academic research institute Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California, San Diego, confirmed that wood-based cellulosic fibers biodegrade in the ocean within a short time frame at the end of their life cycle, making them a significantly better alternative to fossil-based synthetic fibers.