Our approach to the environment
Our sustainability ambition is simple: leave a positive impact on people and planet in everything we do. That’s why through our operations, we actively work on mitigating our climate impact and protecting nature and biodiversity.
Operationally, we are committed to ambitious actions to improve our climate footprint across Scopes 1, 2 and 3. We are decarbonizing our operations and supply chain in line with a science-based pathway to reach net zero GHG emissions by 2050.
reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions achieved, surpassing our 2025 target of a 65% reduction from a 2018 baseline.
renewable electricity sourced in 2025.
This milestone was externally validated by RE100, a global initiative led by the Climate Group to accelerate the green transition.
Building on this success, we now commit to maintaining 100% renewable electricity through 2030, a target already validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Businesses, governments and people everywhere are working hard to adapt to a changing climate. From shifting weather patterns and surging energy demands to the need to produce more with Earth’s limited resources. Read more about how we support a more resilient future.
The companies taking bold climate action today aren't just preparing for the future – they're actively shaping it. At Novonesis, this is core to who we are. The question isn't 'should we', but how to do it faster.
Ester Baiget
President & CEO, Novonesis
Our water stewardship approach is based on science, and our ambition is to manage water in balance with local conditions. We’re committed to achieving overall water security by preserving water as a resource, addressing water challenges through biosolutions, and collaborating with communities to take collective action.
liters of water* restored, meeting our target to restore 10 billion liters by 2025 from a 2021 baseline.
water saved or recycled, meeting our target to save or recycle 8% of water by 2025 compared to a 2021 baseline, improving freshwater withdrawal.
We conduct water risk assessments annually to identify sites situated in areas with a high – or extremely high – risk of water stress. Our assessments examine water stress–related issues across availability, quality, and accessibility, alongside site-level operational risks to capture local conditions and contexts. We also evaluate physical risks, including droughts and flooding, as well as potential reputational risks. To understand future impacts, we assess both business-as-usual and pessimistic climate scenarios.
Our water targets are based on a comprehensive site-level risk assessment conducted with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2021, which informs our long-term approach to managing water in balance with local conditions. For our most relevant sites, we developed site-specific water management plans with external water experts. These plans address local risks and opportunities and define actions toto enhance the balance of nearby water bodies while responding to challenges related to water scarcity, quality, and evolving regulations.
Our water management approach involves driving collective action with local communities and organizations in areas facing significant water, sanitation and hygiene challenges
To increase groundwater levels at one of our sites in India, we’ve built gabion bunds, check dams and recharge trenches. Over three thousand locals now have access to clean drinking water. This initiative supports our target to restore billions of liters of water in areas where water, sanitation and hygiene are a challenge.
Our biosolutions are based on nature’s own microorganisms. As a business based on biology, we interact with nature and biodiversity in various stages and activities across innovation, operations and product application.
We’re committed to upholding the principles of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Biodiversity Framework. Our actions align with the principles of Access and Benefit Sharing to prevent biopiracy and promote fair and equitable sharing of benefits, in alignment with the Nagoya Protocol Agreement.
We acknowledge the importance of fighting deforestation and biodiversity loss across the value chain. We are a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and are working towards ensuring that all sourced palm oil-derived products are RSPO certified.
We aim to respect local biodiversity by ensuring no negative impact on biodiversity-sensitive areas near our sites. We will develop a roadmap for conducting risk-based and site-specific biodiversity assessments and mitigation plans as needed.
Our suppliers must adhere to our Business partner code of conduct. This outlines our requirements to ensure no deforestation or land conversion takes place in their operation or value chain, when relevant. We require our suppliers to complete questionnaires upon request and to accommodate visits and audits as necessary to confirm compliance.
We’re committed to managing resources and waste in a circular manner throughout our organization. We implement site-specific waste management initiatives, make our packaging more circular, and return nutrient-rich material back into environment.
of our biomass was managed circularly,
meeting our 2025 target.
Most waste generated during the biosolution production is nutrient-rich biomass. We use ours as a raw material in other applications, such as for biogas production or as fertilizer. In the latter, it returns nutrients to the soil, enhancing soil fertility, promoting biodiversity and supporting resilient crop production.
Our packaging specialists identify projects for our target to improve circularity or reduce plastic content in our packaging materials. We strive to use less virgin plastic. We also have processes to assess new materials on specific recyclability and reusability criteria before they’re approved for biosolutions’ packaging.
99.6% of all our waste is already reused, recycled, or recovered. We work with our regional partners to explore opportunities to manage waste locally. By implementing zero-waste plans at all material sites, we minimize resource loss and environmental impact.
At Kalundborg Symbiosis, companies share excess energy, water and materials to reduce waste. As they’re physically linked, one company's resource surplus adds value to another. We produce enzymes in a fermentation process based on raw agricultural materials. When it’s complete, we’re left with a nutrient-rich biomass that Kalundborg Bioenergy converts into biogas and fertilizer.
Explore our commitments, actions and targets to ensure a positive impact on people in our workplace and in our supply chain.
* In areas near our operations where water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are a challenge.