Environmental Impact
We’re a global company with a global footprint. We’re growing and we’re determined to reduce the impact of our operations on natural capital, pushing our own limits to find innovative ways to protect land, water and air. We’re talking emission reductions, water & resource efficiency, good neighbor policies at all our facilities and understanding the impact of our operations on biodiversity.
The circular business model is at the heart of our business, tackling the growing demand for nature's precious resources. We focus on protecting these resources while creating materials for a better life. This combination makes Umicore a Sustainability Champion.
Reducing diffuse emissions
We are committed to continuously improving our emissions by focusing on maximizing technological and process solutions that minimize our impact. Beyond GHG emissions and our continuous improvement on metal emissions, we are also committing to reducing diffuse emissions (emissions that originate from a non-point source, such as dust when handling raw materials).
Umicore’s target to reduce diffuse emissions by 25% by 2023 (from the 2020 baseline) was achieved in 2022, largely due to operational excellence and state-of-the-art facilities in Hoboken.
Water Stewardship
Minimizing our impact on water is essential to our Zero Harm ambition. To this end, Umicore has set out to implement a water stewardship program for all industrial activities facing water stress. The program focuses on two main objectives: raising global awareness about water sustainability and addressing local water risks where they exist.
We aim to implement water stewardship program for all industrial activities facing water stress.
Biodiversity
In line with our Let's Go for Zero ambition, Umicore values nature's intrinsic benefits to human well-being and the planet's health. Our policies align with ISO 14001 standards, safeguarding biodiversity by preventing negative impacts and implementing mitigation actions when necessary.
We have initiated a process to integrate Zero Harm into our business, focusing on biodiversity. Our global biodiversity impact analysis evaluates potential biodiversity hazards at our sites, recognizes areas where we can make a beneficial contribution to nature, and creates a framework for developing a comprehensive biodiversity action plan.