AkzoNobel joins COP24 on addressing ecological challenges

Pamela Phua, general director of AkzoNobel Vietnam

The UN Climate Change Conference global summit held annually to create a forum in which action for climate change is discussed and negotiated. In December 2018, the climate summit was held in Katowice with the attendance of about 20,000 delegates from 190 countries, including politicians, representatives of non-governmental organisations, the scientific community, and the business sector.

As an instrumental expert with more than 20 years of experience in RD&I in the coatings industry, Pamela Phua took part in a series of United Nations Climate Change Conferences, the last being COP23 in Bonn, Germany in 2017 where she shared innovative solutions to combat challenges around climate change and contributing to developing smart cities for a better tomorrow.

At COP24, the representative of AkzoNobel shared about innovative coating solutions to help depollute India where 10 of the most polluted cities are located (according to statistics of WHO). Similarly, to assist China’s over-consumption of energy mostly due to buildings, AkzoNobel offers Thermal Insulation Decorative Board system which suppresses heat outflow in the winter and KeepCool technology with high solar energy reflection to reduce heat gain. These inventions can help maintain suitable temperature within the buildings to contribute greatly to the country’s energy efficiency.

Not only India and China, numerous other developing countries are encountering similar environmental problems originating from urbanisation, which means that AkzoNobel’s solutions can be applied to numerous cases to partly address these challenges.

“Considering sustainability is business, AkzoNobel needs to tackle the most challenging problem of securing energy supply. By investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy with partners and building a robust energy portfolio, we are securing profitability in the long term,” shared Pamela about the company’s renewable energy strategy. The company already uses 40 per cent renewable energy and targets becoming carbon neutral and use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050.

As a global leader in paints and coatings, AkzoNobel is also a pioneer in sustainable business with numerous contributions and achievements. The company was No.1 on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index five times in the six years leading up to 2017 and has committed to achieving its zero incidents safety ambition. Decorative paints accounted for 27 per cent of its 2017 revenue from eco-premium solutions, while performance coatings contributed 17 per cent.

AkzoNobel also supports the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development established by the United Nations, which has clearly shown the company’s sustainability strategy.