Avery Dennison Corporation, global leader in labeling and packaging materials and solutions, has announced today that it plans to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by at least 3 per cent every year between now and 2025. The company based in Glendale, California, announced the goal in its new sustainability report, according to a press release. “Cutting emissions while still growing as a company is the defining business challenge of the 21st century,” said Avery Dennison chairman and chief executive officer Dean Scarborough. “At the very least, it’s a matter of risk mitigation. Climate change threatens our business, our supply chain and the communities where we live and work. By using ‘The 3% Solution’, developed by World Wildlife Fund and Carbon Disclosure Project, as the basis of our approach, we expect to reduce emissions by a minimum of 26 percent by 2025.” Between 2010 and 2015, Avery Dennison cut its emissions indexed to net sales by 15 per cent based on a 2005 baseline. The company achieved the reduction mainly by identifying ways to use energy more efficiently. To meet the new goal, “We’re exploring every option, including renewable energy sources and fuel switching,” said Scarborough, who will discuss climate change with other global business leaders at a gathering coinciding with the United Nations’ COP21 climate talks in Paris this December. In addition to its new emissions target, Avery Dennison announced additional goals in its sustainability report that includes developing a paper supply with origins that are 100 per cent certified as sustainable, with at least 70 per cent bearing certification by the Forest Stewardship Council, the gold standard in sustainable forestry. It also includes reducing landfill waste by 95 per cent and reducing waste from the company’s label products by 70 per cent. The company reported that it is on track to meet or exceed all of its original sustainability goals, set in 2010.
