Grade summary

AkzoNobel produces ten SIN List substances, four of which are officially recognised as chemicals of high concern by the EU. The company has a method in place to screen and assess the sustainability of its products and includes intrinsic hazards of ingredients in the screening process. It also has a timed phase-out strategy for hazardous substances. AkzoNobel follows several voluntary standards of good conduct, and has only been involved in one environmental violation over the last ten years, when the company was put under review to clean up cancer-causing pollution from a former production site.

Opportunities for improvement

1. Reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals that the company produces. AkzoNobel has proactively phased out harmful substances in the past, but we would like to see the numbers decrease even further. Furthermore, the claims that hazardous chemicals are needed in order to produce certain environmentally preferable products must be backed up by transparency. How large a volume of those chemicals is needed? How can this volume be minimised? How are the products treated at end-of-life? And so on. These questions need to be answered.
2. AkzoNobel uses its Priority Substance Program to identify and manage hazardous chemicals in order to reduce, restrict, and eventually phase them out. The company refers to phase-out deadlines, but these deadlines should be more clearly defined. Publicly announced phase-out plans with clear deadlines show determination and a serious will to move forward in a sustainable direction with safer alternatives.
3. Market safer alternatives more openly. AkzoNobel develops products that are better in at least one environmental or health criterion than others on the market, and organises environment-focused start-up challenges. With strategies and processes like these already in place, AkzoNobel should be able to market less-toxic alternatives to a broader audience.

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