- A first in the carbon black industry
- Aligned to The Paris Agreement along with its customers and suppliers' 
  commitments
- 4Rs approach – Research, Reduce, Replace, Repurpose

    Birla Carbon [https://www.birlacarbon.com/], one of the leading 
manufacturers of carbon black globally, has announced its intent to bring down 
its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. The announcement is seen as a natural 
progression in Birla Carbon's leadership in the area of Sustainability and 
circularity. Birla Carbon recently announced the availability of Sustainable 
Carbonaceous Materials (SCM) through the launch of its Continua™ brand.

   Birla Carbon's 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 
[https://sustainabilitydriven.info/] aimed at addressing health and 
environmental impacts associated with the life cycle impact of tires towards a 
sustainable future. Within the Aditya Birla Group, Birla Carbon is 
collaborating with sister companies to develop decarbonization 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. Creating a league of partnerships 
with leading sustainability solution providers, Birla Carbon is exploring new 
and advanced technologies that will be used to achieve its goal. Birla Carbon 
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. 

    Sharing his thoughts on this announcement, Dr. Santrupt B. Misra, Group 
Director, Carbon Black; Director, Chemicals and Director, Group HR, Aditya 
Birla Group, shared, "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." He further added, "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, recognize our 
efforts and partner with us. I wish the entire leadership team the very best as 
they begin this journey." 

    Speaking at the announcement, John Loudermilk, Chief Executive Officer, 
Birla Carbon, said, "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." He further added, "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."

    Commenting on the announcement, Joe Gaynor, Chief Sustainability Officer, 
Birla Carbon, said, "As a responsible industry leader, Birla Carbon is fully 
committed to help mitigate the effects of climate change. 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." He further adds, "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." 

    Birla Carbon will focus on all three scopes in the measurement, reduction, 
and offsetting of carbon emissions. A majority of its carbon footprint 
reduction is expected to 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.

    Birla Carbon's goal of net zero carbon emission by 2050 will be achieved 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 prioritize energy efficiencies 
throughout its operations. To date, 80% of its manufacturing facilities are 
housing co-generation facilities for 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 programs at scale, enabling our customers to develop the next 
generation of sustainable products. For example, Birla Carbon recently 
announced the availability of low-carbon footprint Sustainable Carbonaceous 
Materials (SCM) through the launch of its brand Continua™, a game-changer for 
the industry.

    Birla Carbon 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, to achieve 
the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

    About Birla Carbon
    Birla Carbon [https://www.birlacarbon.com/] is a leading global supplier of 
carbon black. As one of the flagship businesses of the leading Indian 
multinational conglomerate, the Aditya Birla Group 
[http://www.adityabirla.com/], Birla Carbon provides innovative sustainable 
carbon black solutions that enhance the performance of paints and coatings, 
inks and toners, plastics, adhesives, sealants, textile fibers, mechanical 
rubber goods, and tires. The company's footprint extends across 12 countries 
with 16 manufacturing facilities and two state-of-the-art technology centers in 
Marietta (USA) and Taloja (India), providing industry-leading innovation. Its 
Sustainable Operational Excellence [https://sustainability.birlacarbon.com] 
(SOE) strategy focuses on employee safety, environmental stewardship, efficient 
use of carbon sources, and operating in a socially and ethically responsible 
manner.

    Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1593517/Birla_Carbon_Logo.jpg 
    Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1593518/Birla_Carbon_Continua.jpg 


    Source: Birla Carbon