Our progress
Reducing global CO₂ emissions is essential to limit global warming and its impacts. In this context, companies can contribute by systematically measuring their relevant emissions, taking steps to reduce them and transparently reporting their progress.
In line with Evonik’s company-wide commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), we at the Smart Effects Business Line report the following progress:
| Indicator | 2025 result compared with the 2021 baseline |
|---|---|
| Combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions | 30% reduction |
| Scope 3 emissions | 10% reduction |
| Electricity from low-carbon* sources | > 90% of electricity consumption |
* low carbon means renewable and nuclear
For more information on Evonik’s company-wide climate targets, actions and progress, see the Evonik Sustainability Report, Chapter 10.1, “Mitigating climate change.”
Actions to achieve our progress
We work on incorporating bio-circular and renewable energy-based feedstocks, to adress emissions associated with raw material use.
For example, ULTRASIL® eCO is produced at Evonik’s ISCC PLUS-certified site in Adapazarı, Türkiye, using the ISCC PLUS mass-balance system. This enables customers to attribute verified circular content to their value chains. Find out more about ISCC PLUS-certified ULTRASIL® eCO and about the mass-balance approach.
Another approach is the recovery and reuse of tetraethoxysilan (TEOS) byproducts from semiconductor production. Our TEOS recycling program recovers and refines TEOS byproducts from participating electronics customers and reuses the recovered material in silane production. In participating production processes, the TEOS recycling program is intended to reduce the amount of TEOS sent for disposal and the use of virgin raw materials. The effect depends on the recovered input material, recovery rate and process conditions. Find out more about the TEOS recycling program.
We are working on increasing raw material efficiency and lowering carbon intensity through intensified collaboration with both existing and new suppliers. As a proud founding member of the Together for Sustainability (TfS) initiative, we actively engage our suppliers in driving transparency across the supply chain. Our Supplier Engagement Program invites all suppliers to join us in disclosing the carbon footprints of procured raw materials, logistics, packaging, and other goods and services. Together, we co-develop specific measures for carbon footprint reduction and the implementation of circular feedstocks.
As of mid-2026, all but one of Evonik Smart Effects’ sites source 100% of their externally purchased electricity from low-carbon sources.* One element for this development are long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with various energy providers – contracts that offer high planning and supply security for electricity from renewable sources due to fixed terms and conditions.
*excluding Taoyuan; low carbon means renewable and nuclear
Our relevant sites operate an ISO 50001-certified energy-management system. The system supports the monitoring and systematic management of energy-related processes. In 2026, 90% of relevant sites are covered. In addition, we are implementing energy efficiency measures as part of Evonik’s EAGER project (Next Generation Technologies).
We continuously evaluate alternative packaging solutions. For example, we eliminated the PE coating of our AEROSIL® and AEROXIDE® bags and reduced the packaging from three to two layers. This helps to save resources and to simplify recycling, as the new bag can be recycled as pure paper (PAP 22) according to EU recycling standards.
Decarbonizing transportation requires a multidisciplinary approach over the coming years. We are taking steps by optimizing transport planning, tracking CO₂ emissions and working with carriers on new solutions. Examples include reducing the use of air freight, using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) instead of diesel, and introducing dual-fuel hydrogen trucks for selected silica transport.