Vidrala
We worked with this major glass manufacturer to understand their emissions and to support them on their journey to setting credible carbon reduction targets.
Vidrala uses our Six Dimensions Framework to confirm their climate ambition for the Group
Vidrala’s Sustainability Journey
Vidrala is one of the Europe’s largest glass manufacturers with a UK subsidiary, Encirc.
The overarching aim of the project was to build the framework for a Group-wide Sustainability Strategy and create a cohesive vision that would drive ambition and impact. This began with establishing an understanding of their current emissions for the last financial year and reviewing all sustainability-related information and policies. A review of the position of Vidrala’s peers and customers fed into this positioning.
Ambition meets reality
A key challenge was addressing the level of ambition between countries. With different sustainability landscapes in operating countries, it was key to balance ambition with the level of understanding on how targets could be achieved. The outcome was to continue to build momentum and transition into market leaders.
Although Vidrala has high ambitions to become a sustainable business, 75% of the Group’s GHG footprint comes from the fossil fuel burning furnaces which run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is now crystal clear to Vidrala that there will be challenges to achieve this ambition and considering more sustainable fuel sources will be part of this.
Setting targets with confidence
Our team is continuing to guide and work collaboratively with Vidrala to model target trajectories and milestones. By setting long-term targets, this allows Vidrala to think strategically about future plans through a climate lens.
We are working with the organisation to map out a roadmap of all the opportunities to reduce emissions, which will be achieved through a combination of operational emissions reductions initiatives as well as technological advances.
Process
The process began with a Six Dimensions Strategy Diagnostic with the core stakeholders across Vidrala to understand where the organisation currently stands in regard to Sustainability (e.g. energy, waste, water, travel etc.) across the Six Dimensions of Direction, Governance, Data, Engagement, Performance and Reporting.
The Carbon Intelligence team extensively reviewed existing information, undertook a peer review, and held interviews and a workshop. Through this process, we were able to uncover the direction the Group wanted to head in with its Sustainability Strategy, helping us to determine key strategic recommendations.
Alongside this we calculated a Scope 1 & 2 footprint and conducted a Scope 3 assessment to provide an initial baseline calculation of the Group’s value chain emissions and an analysis of key emission hotspots. This gave us an accurate and credible baseline from which we could begin to model different target trajectories and emission scenarios.
Key Benefits
A highly engaged senior leadership team
An accurate and reliable baseline was calculated
Competitive advantage
Takeaways
Communication is key
This project has enabled Vidrala to align sustainability initiatives across its different markets and build a vision which the organisation is able to get behind. Climate initiatives have happened reactively to customer requests in the past, but now the organisation is able to proactively take their position and Sustainability Strategy to their customers and the wider market.
This programme has unlocked the conversation around sustainability, encouraging communication between stakeholders and uniting them towards taking action and increasing Vidrala’s climate ambition to be market leading.
The Six Dimensions of Carbon Intelligence
Carbon Intelligence has developed its six dimensions framework to help companies define and implement long-term sustainability programmes. Created in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the framework provides a measurable, integrated approach to setting and delivering targets, using a full suite of diagnostic tools.
Now, to give companies an overview of the framework, CI has launched a digital tool: the Six Dimensions Sustainability Assessment. Available for free, it offers a simplified view of the full 6D framework, providing users with a snapshot of their organisation’s current sustainability position, prior to undertaking any full 6D diagnostic exercise.
Take the 5 minute assessment to see how your company is performing and discover the areas you should focus on to improve sustainability performance: Six Dimensions Assessment tool