The Lenzing Group, a leading provider of regenerated cellulose fibres for the textile and nonwoven industries, has published its 2024 annual and sustainability report, once again setting a strong example of ecological, social and economic success.
Entitled ‘Activate Transformation Here’, this combined report, available digitally at reports.lenzing.com, is not only a review but also a call to action and entry point to positively transform the textile and nonwoven industry together.
The consolidated non-financial statement of the 2024 annual and sustainability report complies in all material respects with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the legal requirements of the EU Taxonomy Regulation, and was also prepared for the first time in accordance with the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The report was audited by KPMG Austria GmbH.
As part of a double materiality analysis, Lenzing identified the key issues related to its business model in a multi-stage approach in 2024. Together with Lenzing’s stakeholders, the following topics were defined as material: climate & energy, water & pollution, biodiversity & ecosystems, circular economy & resources, responsible wood procurement, sustainable innovations & products, human rights & fair labour practices, business ethics, and transparency.
Lenzing has set ambitious, group-wide sustainability goals for the key challenges in each of its strategic focus areas. The goals also contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In 2024, Lenzing updated its climate targets to align its commitment to climate protection with the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the leading organization in climate-related target setting, reviewed and confirmed this target upgrade. Lenzing is one of the first producers of regenerated cellulose fibers with a verified science-based net-zero target.
To achieve both near-term and long-term science-based targets, Lenzing is currently implementing a climate action plan that is part of the corporate strategy and has been approved by the managing board.
In recent years, the company has invested in a photovoltaic system and a biomass power plant for its Austrian sites. Lenzing also invested more than €200 million to modernise its production sites in China and Indonesia.
The conversion measures, which included upgrading to specialty fibre capacities and reducing specific emissions, were implemented in 2023. With the commissioning of two gas turbines at the Chinese site, Lenzing achieved another milestone in the transition of its energy supply from coal to natural gas in the reporting year.
Investments in state-of-the-art technologies and manufacturing processes with low CO2 emissions have helped increase energy efficiency and reduce the company’s overall greenhouse gas emissions.
The non-profit organization CDP confirmed Lenzing’s performance and leadership in this area by placing the company on the prestigious A-List in the ‘Climate’ category for the fourth consecutive year.
Lenzing has reduced its specific greenhouse gas emissions by 42% since 2017 and is on track to meet its science-based targets.[1]
Look out for our upcoming podcast on Wednesday to hear Krishna Manda, Lenzing’s VP corporate sustainability, and Thomas Matiz, Lenzing’s global product sustainability lead, discuss GHG emissions reporting, progress and challenges, what is needed to achieve net-zero, and how Lenzing supports its customers and partners in achieving its climate goals, from improvements at corporate level to product level footprint reduction.
[1] Scope 1, 2 and 3; reported per unit of production (i.e. pulp and fibre production volumes).; index based on t CO2 eq./t, 2017 = 100 %
