Birla Carbon aiming for net carbon neutrality by 2050

Birla Carbon has announced an intent to reduce its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The carbon black manufacturer considers this goal a “natural progression in Birla Carbon’s leadership in the area of sustainability and circularity.” The company recently announced the availability of sustainable carbonaceous materials through the launch of its Continua brand.

This net-zero announcement aligns with The Paris Agreement, signed as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on climate-change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. It also aligns with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Tire Industry Project SDG Roadmap. The company is working with sister firms within the Aditya Birla Group to develop decarbonisation initiatives through the Aditya Birla Science and Technology Center.

“Over 160 years of extraordinary innovation in the carbon black industry coupled with decades of focus on achieving Sustainability makes this net zero goal not just aspirational, but achievable,” states Birla Carbon. The company reports that it is “creating a league of partnerships with leading sustainability solution providers” and “exploring new and advanced technologies” in order to achieve this goal. It will also reference the Science-Based Target Initiative (SBTi). Over the next 12 months, Birla Carbon will commit to evaluate and release interim targets that are in alignment with the SBTi.

The biggest challenge

Sharing his thoughts on this announcement, Dr Santrupt B. Misra, group director, Carbon Black; director, Chemicals and director, Group HR, Aditya Birla Group, says: “Climate change is the biggest challenge we face today as a human race, and the burden of it will be carried by our future generations, unless we choose differently. By setting its aspiration to be net-zero by 2050, Birla Carbon is making its choice with the rest of the industries that have chosen to step up to the challenge.

“Sustainability has always been a key driver and a symbol of our success. We will focus on Sustainable Operational Excellence (SOE), combined with sustainable materials for our customers, and many more solutions to make our aspiration a reality in the years to come. Birla Carbon is rooted in its purpose to – ‘Share the Strength’, and we hope that our peers and the industry at large, recognise our efforts and partner with us. I wish the entire leadership team the very best as they begin this journey.”

Not if, but when

John Loudermilk, chief executive officer, Birla Carbon, adds: “All businesses have a responsibility to drive improvements for the global environment; however, only by working hand-in-hand with our customers, suppliers, and partners through the supply chain can we truly build a greener and brighter future.

“By the nature of our business, we at Birla Carbon have our own carbon stewardship responsibility and we are choosing to lead through bold commitment and industry-first initiatives for a more sustainable tomorrow. Our aim is to constantly innovate and evolve our capabilities through our purpose, ‘Share the Strength’, to have a positive impact on the ecosystem and society at large.”

“As a responsible industry leader, Birla Carbon is fully committed to help mitigate the effects of climate change,” states Joe Gaynor, Birla Carbon’s chief sustainability officer. “For us, it was never a question of if, but when. We already laid the foundation for this commitment, some of which can be seen through our sustainability and circularity efforts over recent years.

“The launch of Continua 8000, a sustainable carbonaceous material, opened our doors to the possibility of a net-zero world. We are confident we will achieve this goal along with our customers,” adds Gaynor.

Focusing on the 4Rs

Birla Carbon will focus on all three scopes in the measurement, reduction, and offsetting of carbon emissions. It expects that a majority of its carbon footprint reduction will come from Scope 1 and 2 based on its direct and indirect emission reduction initiatives. A smaller portion of its reduction will come from scope 3 based on the operations of upstream and downstream industries in the value chain.

The firm will achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emission by 2050 by focusing on four over-arching segments. These ‘4R’ segments are;

Research – to discover new ways for the capture and conversion of carbons

A significant part of Birla Carbon’s net-zero target will come from future technologies that will capture and convert carbon dioxide into valuable carbon products. Birla Carbon will focus on the investment and development of such technologies and assets.

Reduce – the dependence on traditional processes in manufacturing

Emphasis on process efficiencies that will convert carbon to carbon black. In addition, Birla Carbon will continue to prioritise energy efficiencies throughout its operations. To date, 80 per cent of its manufacturing facilities are housing co-generation facilities for the conversion of waste gases to energy for export to the electrical grid.

Replace – with alternative energy and feedstock

Some Birla Carbon locations have introduced renewable energy sources to power parts of their facilities; the focus moving forward will be on adding renewable energy solutions towards Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Birla Carbon is also pursuing the development of new process technologies that will shift a portion of its production to include alternate feedstocks derived from biomass as a key contributor to net zero.

Repurpose – carbon solutions for Sustainability through circularity

Through its Continua brand, Birla Carbon will lead sustainability and circularity programmes at scale, enabling its customers to develop the next generation of sustainable products.

Birla Carbon says it is in the process of “mapping its existing and future technologies.” The next steps will be the development of partnerships with customers and suppliers, engage experts, and create long-term associations and programs, including its collaboration within the Aditya Birla Group.