Sustainability

We are deeply committed to advancing sustainable practices in the production of chemical esters, ensuring minimal environmental impact in all aspects of our operations while delivering consistently high-quality solutions for our valued customers. Our dedication to sustainability is integral to our mission, as we strive to innovate and improve our processes continuously.

Solar

At Esterchem, we are dedicated to sustainability and are integrating renewable energy into our operations. Installing solar panels at our facilities is a key step in reducing our carbon footprint and improving our environmental responsibility. By using solar energy, we want to decrease reliance on fossil fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

In late 2024 the installation of a solar project at our production facility was completed with 145 of the latest solar PV panels delivering a system size of 75.6kWp. This means we will be capable of saving up to an estimated 18 tonnes of CO2e emissions per year (scope 2 and 3), with a projected lifespan of 25+ years and return on investment in less than 5 years.

These panels will provide clean energy for our daily activities and help us achieve carbon neutrality in the long run as there is the potential for expansion of the system in the future. This effort supports our vision of promoting sustainable practices across our supply chain, positively impacting the environment and communities.

We believe sustainability is a shared duty, and our investment in solar energy shows our commitment to innovative solutions for future generations. As we adopt eco-friendly technologies, we invite our partners to join us on the path to a more sustainable future. Together, we can make a real difference.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction

We calculate and record our scope 1 and 2 emissions in accordance with the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, and our scope 3 emissions in accordance with the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard. In addition to this we maintain a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Inventory Management Plan which is reviewed on an annual basis.

Accurate accounting of our GHG emissions is essential to our ambitious emissions reduction targets, it means we can effectively identify which areas within our operations have high emissions intensity or high total emissions. This helps inform our emissions reduction strategy as directing primary efforts to these parts of our operations can have the most effective impact.

In September 2024 we had our emissions reduction targets validated by the SBTi, and have committed to reduce our scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 42% by 2030 from a 2021 baseline, and reduce our scope 3 emissions.

Over the next ten years we plan to implement several measures to continue to drive down our emissions, as part of this plan the following environmental management measures and projects have already been completed or implemented:

·         Solar installation.

·         Environmental Management System (ISO 14001:2015) in place and certified.

·         Condensate recovery from steam boiler.

·         Cooling tower fans changed to variable speed.

·         Changed boilers on site to more efficient models.

·         LED lighting phased in.

·         Rainwater recovery.

Product Carbon Footprint

A Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused directly and indirectly by a product. Calculating a PCF for our products helps us understand a product's impact on the environment and provides valuable insight into working towards our verified targets with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

We are committed to calculating PCFs for all our manufactured products by Q3 2025 which will support us on our decarbonisation journey and provide our customers with primary data to support their carbon accounting efforts.

We calculate the PCF of our products in accordance with ‘The Product Carbon Footprint Guideline for the Chemical Industry’ published by Together for Sustainability (TfS).

The system boundary for our PCF calculations is Cradle-to-Gate and the following are included in all Esterchem PCFs:

·         Production and processing of related raw materials (including catalysts and ancillary materials that are consumed)

·         Transportation of raw materials

·         Energy consumption

·         Utilities consumed

·         Treatment or disposal of process wastes and wastewater treatment

All PCF calculations use primary data when possible and high-quality secondary data from sources like LCA databases, literature, and reports. The quality of the data is crucial and must be accurate in terms of technology, time, geography, and reliability. To improve the accuracy of our PCFs, we update them as more primary and supplier-specific data becomes available.

People

People are key to the ongoing success of the company, and we believe in the simple concept of treating everyone fairly and ethically, both within the company and across our value chain. We have several policies in place to ensure that we treat people responsibly and engage and empower them.

Health, Wellbeing and Safety – we prioritise all health and safety practices and ensure we go beyond the minimums set out by legislation. We maintain a positive safety culture and ensure employees can speak up both for themselves and others. In addition to this all employees are provided with private health insurance as part of their employment. This gives access to high standards of healthcare with shorter waiting times for treatment and generally more accessible hours

Learning and Development – we recognise that effective staff development is not only vital to meeting future goals and ambitions but also makes an essential contribution to the development of a responsive and well-managed company where employees feel valued in an atmosphere of mutual trust, support, and respect.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion – we are committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best.

Human Rights and Ethical Conduct – we respect recognised international standards on human and labour rights and seek to conduct all operations with honesty, integrity, respect, transparency and to the highest ethical standards. We recognise our responsibility to understand the risks within our own business and our wider value chain and ensure ongoing management and mitigation of those risks.