First PU manufacturer signs up to Science Based Targets initiative

Manchester, UK – The Vita Group has committed to set company-wide emissions reduction targets in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). A global body set up in the wake of the Paris Agreement on climate change, SBTi helps businesses set ambitious emissions reduction targets in line with the latest climate science.

SBTi – a collaboration between World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), World Resources Institute, United Nations Global Compact and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) – aims to help companies across the world halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050. Previous signatories to the initiative include Pepsico, Sony, Dell and Pfizer.

The Vita Group says it is the first PU foam manufacturer to sign up to the initiative but, as Kingspan is an existing signatory, ‘first flexible PU foam manufacturer’ might be a more accurate description.

The SBTi’s target validation team classified Vita’s scope 1 and 2 target and has determined that it is in line with a 1.5°C trajectory, currently the most ambitious designation available through the SBTi process. Vita has also further committed to reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions by 13.5% by 2030 from a 2019 base year. 

The announcement follows Vita’s first sustainability report, released earlier this year, which detailed how the business has balanced commercial objectives with morally and ethically sound business practices. Vita claims that over the last two years it has reduced its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, with other successes including reducing waste sent to landfill to just 2.01% and launching its first foam range made from raw materials extracted from end-of-life products. 
Ian Robb, CEO of The Vita Group, said: ‘Having our climate targets validated by the SBTi is the latest milestone on our sustainability journey, and is a very proud moment for our business. 

‘Rapid and deep emission cuts are pivotal if we are to halve global emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero before 2050. Over the coming months I look forward to speaking to our supply chain and customers about why they should join us in aligning with climate science by committing to science-based 1.5°C and net-zero targets too.’