Member Article

The Vita Group to host webinar on how Science Based Targets can tackle the climate crisis

The Vita Group - one of Europe’s leading providers of flexible polyurethane (PU) foam - is to host a webinar exploring how its innovative and collaborative approach to sustainability has resulted in it being one of only 1,800 companies globally to be validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The SBTi was established in 2015 to help companies set emission reduction targets in line with climate science.

Earlier this year, Vita became the first flexible PU foam manufacturer to have its climate targets approved by the SBTi, making it the only flexible PU foam manufacturer to set science-based emissions reduction targets in line with the level of decarbonisation required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement - to limit global warming to well-below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.

The SBTi’s Target Validation Team classified Vita’s scope 1 and 2 targets 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 reducing absolute Scope 3 emissions by 13.5% by 2030 from a 2019 base year.

Now, Vita’s senior leadership team members are to share details of the company’s environmental roadmap during their first webinar. The webinar – The Power of SBTi to Drive Sustainability - will be hosted by Natalie Watson and Mike Murray – Vita’s head of sustainability and chief technical officer, respectively.

In the one-hour session – which takes place at 10 am (GMT) on Thursday, 24th November - Natalie and Mike will:

• Put forward the case for partner collaboration to meet SBTi targets

• Explore ’ ‘Vita’s sustainability journey to date

• Describe the role of flexible PU foam in this journey and how it is uniquely placed to outperform other products during the net-zero transition

• Why Vita is encouraging others to sign up for SBTi

Natalie Watson said, “This webinar will demonstrate how it is only through collaboration with our industry partners we can hope to reduce the effects of climate change.

“By setting ambitious, company-wide emissions reduction targets, we are the first flexible PU manufacturer globally to be validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). We want to share the story of how we achieved this meaningful milestone.

“Our webinar will be of interest not only to those working in the foam industry or manufacturing, but anyone interested in how their business can utilise collaboration and innovation to address the climate crisis while achieving business objectives.”

To sign up for the webinar, please visit: The Power of SBTi to Drive Sustainability (thevitagroup.com).

The SBTi accreditation built upon the launch of Vita’s first sustainability report in early 2022, which detailed how the business has balanced commercial objectives with morally and ethically sound business practices.

Over the last two years the company 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 has manufactured, tested and launched its first foam range made from raw materials extracted from end-of-life products.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Robson .