UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Challenge:

Despite all the progress made in reducing poverty since the turn of the millennium, around 719 million people, or 9.2 percent of the world's population, were still living in extreme poverty in 2020. Extreme poverty means surviving on less than $2.15 a day.
Businesses are a major driver of economic growth and can help reduce poverty by creating jobs or purchasing locally. A positive contribution to this goal is made, for example, by companies that pay attention to compliance with social standards, especially in the economic sectors in which most of the world's poor operate.

Examples of our contribution:

• Our HR tools worldwide are designed to ensure our employees receive market- and performance-based remuneration aligned with their responsibilities, capabilities, and track records—irrespective of gender, age, or other personal characteristics. We pay our employees—including trainees and student interns—the statutory minimum wage in the respective country. In countries with no statutory minimum wage, the figure defined in the lowest pay group of the collective agreements is used as the basis. If there is neither a statutory minimum wage nor a collective agreement, the living wage is used as the benchmark. This is the minimum income required for a worker to cover their basic needs. We refer to the databases of the Fair Wage Network and WageIndicator Foundation to determine the relevant amount. Rounded 0.0 percent of our employees receive below the adequate wage.

End hunger, achieve food security and better nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Challenge:

Malnutrition and hunger prevent sustainable global development. Hungry people are also more likely to suffer from disease and thus cannot support and feed their families. According to Welthungerhilfe, more than 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger, the vast majority of them in developing countries.
In order to combat hunger worldwide and feed the world's population, which will continue to grow by 2050 – from 8 billion to 9.7 billion people today – a changed, more efficient and more sustainable management of the available resources on land, in the seas and rivers is necessary, in addition to the eradication of poverty.

Examples of our contribution:

Animal Nutrition 

The greatest global challenge is to ensure food security. Eight billion human lives depend on it. However, it matters how we source animal protein. We need to increase food safety and security, while improving animal health and welfare and reducing the ecological footprint of animal farming. There is only one way to do it right: using science. Only well thought-through, evidence-based solutions can establish a truly sustainable and secure food supply.

• Website Animal Nutrition

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

Challenge:

Living in good health and promoting well-being for all people of all ages is important for building prosperous societies. However, despite great progress in improving people's health and well-being in recent years, inequalities in access to healthcare persist.
Companies can help by respecting and promoting the health and well-being of their own employees, and by driving medical technology progress globally through products and solutions.

Examples of our contribution:

• Global management of health protection and promotion at Evonik takes a long-term, 360-degreee approach, covering employees, the working situation, and the general working environment. Our approach to occupational health protection encompasses high-grade medical care as required, ergonomic, health-efficient workplace design as well as an emergency management system at plant level. We aim to meet all statutory requirements regarding occupational health and safety, maintain and enhance workforce employability and wellbeing, and thus avoid high rates of sickness-related absence. In addition, Evonik offers employees a range of voluntary actions to foster their health. These are pooled under the group-wide Well@Work initiative. This is how we help promote a healthy lifestyle. Of equal importance to Evonik is a family-friendly human resources policy that takes account of different phases in employees’ lives and supports a good work-life balance. Appropriate offerings are designed to counter any inadequate work-life balance as well as stem the rise in mental health problems and stress-related illnesses. Our health protection and promotion actions are available to all employees, including personnel covered by the German Act  on Temporary Agency Work and agency staff at our international sites.

• The occupational health performance index is calculated from six key inputs that are crucial to effective emergency medical management, occupational medicine, and occupational health promotion. The index contains one qualitative and one quantitative input for each of these areas. Each input is given a score between 0 and 1 point; the maximum possible score is 6. The index shows the extent to which internal requirements have been implemented and targets achieved, with both the quality and the scope of the actions taken into account.

Our Targets:

• Occupational Health Performance-Index ≥ 5,0. Target achieved: In 2025 the OHPI was 5,6.

• Accident frequency ≤ 0.26 Lost shift accidents per 200,000 hours worked. Target achieved: In 2025, the accident frequency was 0.18.

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Challenge:

Quality education is one of the most important keys to breaking the vicious cycle of poverty. Education helps to eliminate inequalities and create gender equality. At the same time, quality education supports the achievement of the other SDGs.
The respective state is responsible for the implementation of the human right to education. Companies can support the state in this, for example by enabling vocational education and training and developing teaching materials to attract well-trained junior staff.

Examples of our contribution:

• In 2025, Evonik trained 1,270 young people in Germany itself. In addition, there are 371 trainees through cooperation with external companies.

• Target: Digital learning time in Workday Learning of > 3 hours per employee per year by 2026. Status 2025: 2.1 hours per year.

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Challenge:

Half of the world's population is female, and therefore half of human potential. However, gender inequality prevents the use of this potential and thus also social progress. Discrimination against women often begins with access to the education system and continues in professional life.

Examples of our contribution:

We integrate diversity into our HR processes—especially by way of gender-balanced recruiting—and measure the progress we make with regard to implementing diversity in the workplace using, for example, target KPIs for the proportion of women and the intercultural mix. Fostering diversity is a central management task and we provide our executives with the means and knowledge they need for this. At the same time, we work to overcome unconscious bias by raising awareness through our corporate media or training on diversity and equal opportunity. This enables us to create a supportive environment that includes childcare, #SmartWork, job sharing, and the groW network for women. We benefit from our long-standing partnerships with student networks such as UNITECH and FEMTEC. The latter fosters young female employees and talents in STEM professions. To attract candidates with professional experience, we collaborate with alumni organizations. These partnerships add currency to our diversity strategy by specifically addressing the recruitment of women and international staff.

Our goals:

• Proportion of women at senior management level should be 30 percent by 2026. Current status: 21 %.

• Proportion of women at middle management level should be 25 percent by 2026. Current status: 22 %.

• Proportion of women at other management levels should be 33 percent by 2026. Current status: 32 %.

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Challenge:

Access to water and sanitation is a human right that has not yet been realized for billions of people. Furthermore, around two billion people worldwide do not have regular access to clean water. About 771 million people do not even have a basic supply of drinking water.

According to a 2021 study by UNICEF, more than 1.42 billion people worldwide live in areas with overall high or extremely high levels of water insecurity, including 450 million children.

48 percent of wastewater flows untreated into rivers and oceans.

Examples of our contribution:

• In agriculture, our amino acids in animal nutrition help to reduce water consumption.

• Environmentally friendly detergents, cleaning agents, and disinfectants from Evonik are completely biodegradable and have a very good ecological profile.

• Hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid are playing an increasingly important role in the fight against germs in wastewater as environmentally friendly alternatives. During use, only water and biodegradable acetic acid are produced as by-products.

Our Target:

In the period from 2021 to 2030, reduce the specific freshwater abstraction in relation to the production volume by 3 percent.

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

Challenge:

Nowadays, the availability of electrical energy is indispensable for almost all areas of daily life. These include, for example, industry, medicine, education, agriculture, infrastructure, communications and high technology. Participation in social life is also becoming increasingly dependent on electricity (smartphone, internet, social media...).

To this day, fossil fuels such as coal, oil or gas are important sources of electricity generation worldwide, but their combustion produces large amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute greatly to global warming and pollution.

Since the Paris Agreement (global climate agreement) at the latest, many countries have been in the process of increasing the share of renewable energies in their electricity mix.

Examples of our contribution:

• Around 48 percent of Evonik's externally purchased electricity worldwide already comes from renewable sources. By 2030, we want to convert our external electricity procurement to 100 percent green electricity.

• The 960 megawatt (MW) He Dreiht offshore wind farm already started feeding green electricity into the grid in 2025. Since September 2025, Evonik has been sourcing green electricity from Vattenfall through the Silberstedt photovoltaic site. A second photovoltaic site in Schleswig-Holstein is expected to go into operation in 2026. Following the scheduled start of commercial operations in 2026, we are expecting the first deliveries of green electricity under the PPAs agreed with EnBW in 2022 for a total of 150 MW to begin. In addition, RWE will supply us with around 37.5 GWh of green electricity annually from the Kaskasi offshore wind farm starting in 2028. Evonik Methionine Southeast Asia (EMSEA) also entered into a long-term PPA with energy utility Engie in the reporting period. A photovoltaic plant is under construction at our methionine production site in Singapore. Starting from the first quarter of 2026, this plant is expected to deliver around 2.7 GWh of sustainable energy per year for the site’s own needs.

• Since July 2025, Evonik’s Coating & Adhesive Resins business line has been using green electricity for its polybutadiene production in Marl. Likewise in the reporting period, the Crosslinkers business line fully switched its epoxy hardener production to electricity generated from renewable sources. This has led to an annual reduction in this business line’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions of around one-third.

Our Targets:

• Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 25 percent between 2021 and 2030.
  

• Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions by 11.07 percent between 2021 and 2030.

• Achieve total savings of 1,200 GWh of energy from implemented energy efficiency projects by 2030 (reference year 2021).

• Switch in externally purchased or acquired electricity to 100 percent green electricity by 2030.

Roadmap Reduction Sconpe 1 & 2 Emissions:

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.

Challenge:

Paid work is the central driver of material prosperity, economic security, equal opportunities and human development. To this day, however, a majority of employees are excluded from this, because employment does not always guarantee a life without poverty. The eradication of poverty is only possible through permanent and well-paid work. The achievement of this objective is closely linked to other objectives such as education, equality between men and women and equal opportunities.

Examples of our contribution:

Through its activities, Evonik contributes to economic growth and offers secure, decent work. 

• Our Code of Conduct summarizes Evonik's most important principles and standards with which all employees must be familiar. It applies throughout the Group and is part of the employment relationship between the employee and Evonik. 

• We have set up our own Code of Conduct for suppliers, which bindingly regulates our requirements for them.

• In the Declaration of Human Rights Principles, Evonik commits itself to respecting human rights and also formulates its expectations of employees, supervisors, suppliers, and other business partners.

• In its Global Social Policy, Evonik formulates the principles of social and ethical responsibility towards its employees.

• As part of our membership of the UN Global Compact, we actively advocate for respecting and promoting human and labour rights within our sphere of influence, avoiding discrimination, protecting people and the environment, and fighting corruption.

• In Germany, 100 percent of our employees and around 69 percent worldwide are covered by collective bargaining agreements on remuneration.

Our Targets:

• Proportion of women at senior management level should be 30 percent by 2026. Status 2025: 21 %.

• Proportion of women at middle management level should be 25 percent by 2026. Status 2025: 22 %.

• Proportion of women at other management levels should be 33 percent by 2026. Status 2025: 32 %.

• Intercultural mix at senior management level should be 25 percent by 2026. Status 2025: 19 %.

• Intercultural mix at middle management level should be 35 percent by 2026. Status 2025: 29 %.

• Learning time per employee and year in Workday Learning > 3 hours by 2026. Status 2024: 2,1 hours.

• Accident frequency of max. 0.26 per 200,000 working hours. Target achieved: 0.18 .

• Occurrence frequency of max. 0.40 per 200,000 working hours. Target missed: 0.44.

• Occupational Health Performance Index of min. 5. Target achieved: 5.6.

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.

Challenge:

Economic growth, social development and adaptation to climate change are largely dependent on infrastructure investments, sustainable industry and technological progress.

Innovations play a crucial role in Evonik's consistent focus on sustainability and profitable growth. At the same time, we support our customers in achieving their own goals in terms of climate protection, circularity or biodiversity.

Examples of our contribution:

RD&I has more than 40 locations worldwide and around 2,500 R&D employees. R&D expenses totaled €418 million in 2025. The ratio of R&D expenses to sales was 3.0 percent.

Sustainable Innovations

Innovations play a key role in our systematic alignment with sustainability and profitable growth. At the same time, our sustainable innovations help our customers achieve their goals in the areas of climate protection, biodiversity, and circularity. Our Skin Institute, which pools our competence in skin science and the efficacy of cosmetics and complements the skin microbiome expertise of our Biotech Hub, is a further example of sustainable innovation, as is our Innovation Satellite in Cambridge (Massachusetts, USA). One focus of the work there is developing novel formulations and transport systems for nucleic acidbased medicines.

In 2024, we laid the foundations for three new innovation growth areas, with which we aim to generate additional sales of € 1.5 billion by 2032 (reference base 2023). These innovation growth areas relate to three major challenges of our time:

• Advance Precision Biosolutions: We are using biotechnology to develop biosurfactants and cosmetic and pharmaceutical solutions that improve people’s quality of life and, at the same time, protect our ecosystems.

• Accelerate Energy Transition: To become genuinely climate-neutral, we need to avoid emissions, capture more CO₂, and build a hydrogen economy.

• Enable Circular Economy: We pool our focal areas of research for a modern circular economy, help close material cycles, and pave the way for a circular future for our customers.

Through our innovation growth areas, we are concentrating on solutions for a bio-based, energy-saving, circular economy and society.

Our R&D activities are managed by the RD&I function, which comprises the R&D teams of the segments, innovation management, 

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Our strategic innovation unit, Creavis, serves as a business incubator for mid- and long-term projects outside the product and market focus of the Evonik Group’s operational business. Creavis currently bundles its activities in three incubation clusters:

• The Defossilation cluster helps industries become less dependent on fossil raw materials by developing high-growth solutions that make a contribution to the transition to a circular, climate-neutral economy.

• The Life Sciences cluster focuses on novel concepts for resource-efficient and sustainable food production for the world’s  continuously growing population. Another focal area is preventing and curing diseases, especially as many people are living to an advanced age.

• Solutions Beyond Chemistry fosters traceable, safe, and circular value chains based on special application know-how and databased solutions. These increase the transparency, effectiveness, and sustainability of industrial systems.

Creavis focuses on businesses that drive forward at least one of the three innovation growth areas.

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Our venture capital activities facilitate early insight into innovative technologies and business models. By collaborating with start-ups and technology funds around the world, Evonik gains more rapid access to attractive future technologies and markets. The Evonik Group has made more than 55 investments since the establishment of Evonik Venture Capital in 2012. One important instrument is the Sustainability Tech Fund, which was set up in 2022 and has a total investment volume of € 150 million. It invests in start-ups which complement our innovation growth areas.

The Evonik Biotech Hub develops custom-tailored, competitive solutions for its internal and external customers. For this it uses its extensive understanding of complex biological systems, microbial strain development, and biotechnological production processes up to and including large-scale production facilities, with a focus on all of Evonik’s business lines. We place our trust in industrial biotechnology for the production of biomolecules and functional micro-organisms, such as

• highly soluble, ultra-pure collagen of non-animal origin for use in pharmaceutical and medical applications as well as in cell culture and tissue engineering;
• biosurfactants for household and cosmetic applications;
• omega-3 fatty acids, such as EPA and DHA produced from natural microalgae for animal nutrition;
• amino acids for low-protein diet formulations as a global standard for animal nutrition;
• probiotics and other feed additives to reduce the use of antibiotics in livestock farming;
• microbial ferments that are used as microbiome-friendly cosmetic active ingredients; and
• microbial surface cleaners for long-lasting cleaning effects in households and industrial facilities.

Our Targets:

Circular economy:

• Generate at least €1 billion in additional sales with circular products and technologies by 2030.

• Reduce specific production waste volume by 10 percent relative to production volume between 2021 and 2030.

Product stewardship:

• Include and evaluate substances/products from acquisitions in CMS/CMS^PLUS by the end of 2029.

Reduce inequality within and among countries.

Challenge:

There are still inequalities in every country based on income, gender, age, origin, religion and inequality of opportunity. This applies both within and between states. These inequalities hinder social and economic progress in the long run.

Examples of our contribution:

Under the heading "Equal Opportunities and Diversity," the Evonik Global Social Policy states: "We demand equal opportunities and equal treatment for each of our employees, regardless of ethnic origin, skin color, gender, age, disability, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, social origin, or political affiliation to the extent based on democratic principles and tolerance vis-à-vis those of other opinions."

In the "Wages and Benefits" section, Evonik is committed to fair wages: "We pay compensation and provide benefits that at least meet the respective minimum legal standards or the minimum standards of the respective national economic sectors with regard to an adequate livelihood."

• In 2025, the global unadjusted gender pay gap—the difference between the average gross hourly earnings of women and men—was 8.3 percent. In Germany, where around 60 percent of all Evonik employees work, the gender pay gap was 3.4 percent. This means that, measured worldwide, women earn 8.3 percent less than men whereas women in Germany earn 3.4 percent less than men.

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Challenge:

Urbanization is a global phenomenon: while 30 percent of people lived in the world's urban centers in the middle of the 20th century, this figure has now risen to 57 percent, and by 2030 the number of city dwellers is expected to rise to around 60 percent. There are already more than 34 metropolitan regions ("megacities"), each with more than 10 million inhabitants.

Companies have a very important role to play in the design of livable and sustainable cities in order to build energy- and climate-efficient structures that can be used in the long term.

Examples of our contribution:

From roofs to foundations, as well as for the protection of international cultural assets and the urban development of the future: Evonik offers solutions for almost all areas of the construction industry.

As one of the most innovative specialty chemicals companies in the world, we stand out for our creativity, energy and passion for our products and our customers. Whether it's solving our customers' current problems, improving their existing products for the future, or finding new, innovative solutions to difficult challenges. We want to be your partner for specialty chemicals in the construction industry. Let's create a better world together.

Road construction

• Evonik offers a wide range of technologies for the road construction industry. The products VESTENAMER^® and TEGO^® Addibit offer solutions for today's requirements such as durability, reduction of emissions and energy consumption, thus supporting sustainable road construction and maintenance.

Protectosil^® for protection of structures

• The protection of new and renovated concrete surfaces is the key to ensuring protection against environmental influences.

Fire‑resistant glass

• The leading technologies for the production of refractory insulating glass are based on glass plates separated by intumescent layers consisting of a highly viscous solution of alkali silicates and suitable organic additives. The key to producing glass using this technology in a simple process is AERODISP® W 1244, a ready-to-use formulation based on proprietary silicate technology.

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Challenge:

The steadily growing world population and the associated pressure on natural resources as well as the imminent climate change are increasingly endangering the livelihoods of many people.

Only through the necessary change in our lifestyles and economies can we counteract this. Consumption and production must take place within the planetary ecological boundaries. To achieve this, consumption and production activities must be largely decoupled from resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to redesigning the value creation patterns that underpin production, this also includes the expansion of a circular economy and sustainable supply chains.

Examples of our contribution:

Next Generation Evonik

We have comprehensively integrated sustainability into our Group strategy – from research and development to portfolio management and corporate culture. The core process is the sustainability analysis of our businesses. Research and development play a key role in the ongoing portfolio transformation. In 2025, Evonik generated 91 percent of its sales with products and solutions that are at least at market level in terms of their sustainability performance (categories "Leader", "Driver" and "Performer").

Forty-eight percent of Evonik’s sales came from Next Generation Solutions. These are products and solutions with a positive sustainability profile that is above—or even well above—the market reference level (leader and driver categories).

Green Energy

More than 50 sites in Europe, Asia as well as North and South America currently source or generate sustainable energy. We additionally see opportunities for saving energy through new technologies and efficient processes (Next Generation Technologies: EAGER), such as digitally controlled energy systems. Evonik is working to mitigate climate change by saving energy, thereby contributing to reducing the impact of adverse climate effects on people and the environment.

Evonik is using long-term green power purchase agreements (PPAs) with various energy utilities to switch to green energy. This will make us significantly less dependent on fossil fuels at our sites in the future.

Currently, 48 percent of our externally sourced electricity is green electricity.

Water

Evonik saves water wherever possible and is working to further reduce emissions to water. Looking ahead, we intend to contribute to improving water use both in our own operations and along the upstream and downstream value chain. To achieve this, we are working on ways to optimize the reuse, recovery, reduction, and treatment of the water used in our operations. Water quality is improved through wastewater treatment plants. We harness advanced technologies for water treatment and reuse as well as for wastewater recovery. In this way, Evonik reduces its reliance on freshwater and lessens its environmental impact. We ensure that our approach to wastewater discharge meets the relevant legal requirements on the preservation and protection of the aquatic environment. Evonik has published a water policy on its website.

Circular Economy

Evonik regards circular economy as a fundamental transformation to achieve a climate-neutral, resource-efficient economy in which products and materials are used for as long as possible and raw materials are recycled after use. This means economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption. Better use of resources is a top priority for Evonik. Likewise, the circular economy is becoming increasingly important to Evonik in view of our planet’s limitations. Growing scarcity of raw materials may lead to inadequate resource availability in the supply chain. Activities such as the diversification of raw materials enable us to enhance the reliability of supply for production, helping reduce our reliance on finite fossil-based and other non-circular resources. Evonik is an integral part of various value chains and has expertise in the processes, technologies, opportunities, and risks of upstream and downstream players. Circular economy thus opens up new business opportunities and attractive growth potential for Evonik.

Waste and resource management

Our approach to waste management follows a clear principle: The first priority is to avoid waste; otherwise, waste should be recycled or used to generate energy. If this is not possible, and then only as a third option, it should be disposed of safely.

Together for Sustainability (TfS)

In 2011, the chemical industry founded the TfS initiative, of which Evonik is one of the six founding members. As of July 2025, TfS encompasses 57 international chemical companies and pursues the goal of implementing a global assessment and audit program for the responsible procurement of goods and services.

Our Targets:

• Expansion of the share of sales with Next Generation Solutions to over 50 percent by 2030.

• Overall savings of 1,200 GWh a of energy from implemented energy efficiency projects between 2021 and 2030.

• Switch in externally purchased or acquired electricity to 100 percent green electricity by 2030.

• Reduction of specific freshwater abstraction by 3 percent in relation to production volume in the period 2021 – 2030.

• Reduction of the specific production waste volume by 10 percent in relation to the production volume in the period 2021 – 2030.

• > 90 percent of significant raw material suppliers examined by TfS assessments by 2030.

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Challenge: 

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges humanity is facing today. Its connection with the emission of greenhouse gases from human activities has been proven by scientific observations and calculations. Rising average temperatures, higher sea levels, an increase in extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, droughts or extreme heat are signs of changes in the climate.
In addition to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, we need to adapt to the changes.

With the Paris Climate Agreement in December 2015, the signatory states committed themselves to countering climate change and its associated consequences. The agreement includes a global action plan to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels in order to reduce the risks of climate change. Global greenhouse gas emissions are expected to peak as soon as possible, with less developed countries being given more time and international support for climate adaptation being pledged. 

Examples of our contribution: 

Next Generation Solutions (Handprint)

We already generate 48 percent of our sales with products and solutions that are characterized by a distinctive, positive sustainability profile. By 2030, we want to increase the share of sales generated by these next-generation solutions to over 50 percent.

Next Generation Technologies (Footprint)

Evonik is committed to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. We underline this with our commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Between 2021 and 2030, we aim to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25 percent. We have committed to an 11.07 percent reduction in our Scope 3 emissions. 

In the year under review, SBTi successfully validated the emission reduction targets submitted by Evonik. SBTi confirmed that the level of ambition of the Scope 1 and Scope 2 targets is suitable for helping to reduce global warming to well below 2°C.

Evonik is using long-term green power purchase agreements (PPAs) with various energy utilities to switch to green energy. This will make us significantly less dependent on fossil fuels at our sites in the future. Such long-term agreements ensure the financial viability and realization of the relevant projects and help advance the energy transition. Evonik compensates for fluctuations in the wind energy and solar power feed-in through its own management of balance zones in Germany. Alongside green electricity, biomethane is becoming increasingly important for Evonik as a substitute for fossil-based natural gas. In addition, we are implementing actions to increase energy efficiency on the basis of our EAGER project.

Currently, 48 percent of our externally sourced electricity is green electricity.

The 960 megawatt (MW) He Dreiht offshore wind farm already started feeding green electricity into the grid in 2025. Since September 2025, Evonik has been sourcing green electricity from Vattenfall through the Silberstedt photovoltaic site. A second photovoltaic site in Schleswig-Holstein is expected to go into operation in 2026. Following the scheduled start of commercial operations in 2026, we are expecting the first deliveries of green electricity under the PPAs agreed with EnBW in 2022 for a total of 150 MW to begin. In addition, RWE will supply us with around 37.5 GWh of green electricity annually from the Kaskasi offshore wind farm starting in 2028. Evonik Methionine Southeast Asia (EMSEA) also entered into a long-term PPA with energy utility Engie in the reporting period. A photovoltaic plant is under construction at our methionine production site in Singapore. Starting from the first quarter of 2026, this plant is expected to deliver around 2.7 GWh of sustainable energy per year for the site’s own needs.

Since July 2025, Evonik’s Coating & Adhesive Resins business line has been using green electricity for its polybutadiene production in Marl. Likewise in the reporting period, the Crosslinkers business line fully switched its epoxy hardener production to electricity generated from renewable sources. This has led to an annual reduction in this business line’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions of around one-third.

Our Targets:

• Reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 25 percent between 2021 and 2030.

• Reduce absolute Scope 3 emissions by 11.07 percent between 2021 and 2030.

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

We humans inhabit only a small part of the Earth, and it is no coincidence that our planet is also called the Blue Planet — the world’s oceans cover more than two‑thirds of its surface. They form the largest ecosystem on Earth. When this system is disturbed, it affects all of us. Without the oceans, life on land would stand no chance. The oceans provide us with food and oxygen, and they regulate the climate by absorbing around one quarter of the CO₂ emissions we produce. However, because CO₂ emissions have risen for decades, the marine ecosystem has fallen out of balance. Climate change is causing ocean acidification, which threatens the survival of marine life. Overfishing and pollution are also destroying this unique habitat.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Challenge:

Forests, mountains, soils, rivers – they are the basis of our lives and a scarce commodity. They provide us with food, clean water, clean air. Humanity should operate in such a way that these vital goods are preserved for future generations.

In 2020, 337 million tons of meat would be produced worldwide. The ECD and FAO forecast global meat production to grow by almost 13% over the ten-year period from 2019 to 2029. In the past decade, the figure was just over 12%. This means more animal husbandry, more fodder, more agricultural land, water and energy consumption. In the long term, therefore, there is no way around agriculture that improves its productivity while reducing land and resource consumption.

Ecosystem services – understood to mean all the effects of ecological systems that benefit humans – can only be provided by nature in the long term if the functioning of ecosystems is maintained. Their ability to function is closely linked to biodiversity. Due to deforestation, resource extraction and climate change, large areas, such as the rainforest in the Amazon region, are threatened in terms of their biodiversity, even their existence.

Examples of our contribution:

Biodiversity:

We are aware that our business involves opportunities and risks related to biodiversity. This includes the loss or preservation of terrestrial and marine biodiversity, including microbial organisms. Disruptions to supply chains and the standstill of our production due to the loss of biodiversity and damaged ecosystems must be avoided. The starting point for our engagement with biodiversity are classic environmental issues – such as emissions into water and air as well as responsible water and waste management.

In our business sustainability analysis, we address the following aspects of biodiversity: water, eutrophication, acidification, land use, use of renewable resources, emissions of critical and persistent chemicals, and microplastics. We bundle our contributions to the conservation of biodiversity in the Sustainability Focus Area (SFA) Safeguard Ecosystems.

Products and solutions from Evonik:

Dwindling biodiversity is having an adverse effect on Evonik's business activities. At the same time, our business activities can have a negative impact on biodiversity. Products and solutions from Evonik also contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and enable the preservation of habitats.

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and peracetic acid are two compounds that fall under the category of "active oxygens". With considerable potential to meet current and future challenges, these oxidizing agents are highly sought-after peroxides in industry and agriculture—especially when clean, effective, sustainable solutions are needed.

Because these active oxygens break down into only biodegradable substances, they are considered to have a green “handprint”. That means they enable companies and farmers to reduce their own environmental impact. 

The secret lies in their composition: Hydrogen peroxide, for example, consists of hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂). After use, only water (H₂O) and oxygen (O₂) remain—nothing else. That is partly what makes this naturally occurring chemical so attractive. Peracetic acid is no different. It decomposes into water and oxygen as well as acetic acid, otherwise known as the acid in vinegar. Acetic acid is easily biodegradable.

In the healthcare sector, Evonik offers products that are an alternative to animal-based substances for pharmaceutical applications and thus make a positive contribution to circularity and biodiversity: PhytoChol^®, for example, is a plant-based cholesterol. This is an essential component for the production of lipid nanoparticles and an important technology in the field of drug delivery. PhytoSquene^® is a squalene made from amaranth oil. In this way, we offer an alternative to the traditional production from shark liver oil and thus contribute to the preservation of biodiversity, as many shark species are currently endangered.

Sustainable palm oil production: Collaboration with WWF and Beiersdorf

Evonik is working with WWF Germany and Beiersdorf to promote sustainable palm oil cultivation in Malaysia and Indonesia. In the Tabin region (Borneo), some 15,000 hectares are to be RSPO-certified by 2026, with ecological corridors created to protect endangered species such as orangutans and Borneo elephants. In parallel with this, Evonik supported a further project in West Kalimantan (Indonesia) in the reporting period, which aims for 200 smallholders farming 300 hectares to be certified and included in the supply chain. Plans are to give these smallholders direct market access to a palm oil mill.

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Challenge:

Peace, justice and sustainability are mutually dependent – without peace and justice, sustainable development cannot take place, without sustainable development there will be no peace and justice. Strong accountable institutions are guarantors of peace and justice. Bribery and corruption not only undermine the rule of law and human rights, they hinder economic growth, prevent investment in education and health, make it harder to create jobs, and ultimately lead to social injustice. Strong institutions are of great importance, especially for companies and their employees. They ensure legal certainty, protect the property of companies and guarantee the rights of employees.

Examples of our contribution:

• Evonik takes its corporate responsibility very seriously and has extensive internal rules and regulations, such as the "Code of Conduct", the "Code of Conduct for Suppliers", the "Global Social Policy", the "Declaration of Human Rights Principles" and "Values for the Environment, Health, Safety and Quality". These Group-wide fundamentals make Evonik a reliable business partner in international trade.

• Evonik is a member of the UN Global Compact and is committed to respecting and supporting the ten principles laid down therein on human rights, labor standards, environmental protection, and anti-corruption.

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

Challenge:

In order to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations by 2030, the committed cooperation of all political and social forces is required.

The achievement of the SDGs far exceeds the capabilities of individual actors. As a specialty chemicals company, Evonik is at the center of numerous value chains and thus assumes the role of an "enabler" that enables its customers to develop new products and solutions to achieve their goals. Therefore, we are aware of the special importance and creative potential that lies in strategic partnerships and close cooperation with customers, suppliers, science and industry initiatives.

Examples of our contribution:

Future-oriented solutions often arise through the interaction of different skills and abilities in dialogue. That's why we, as a company, regularly seek dialogue with our stakeholders in different formats. We want to better understand other perspectives, identify forward-looking trends and developments at an early stage and integrate them into business processes.

• Together with HP Inc., Evonik is working on sustainable solutions for additive manufacturing (3D printing). The collaboration has evolved from prototype production to industrial applications and demonstrates the enormous potential of additive manufacturing in key industries such as automotive, robotics, and aerospace technology.

• ARCUS Greencycling Technologies GmbH has developed a process that makes it possible to chemically recycle complex and heavily contaminated plastic waste. Evonik supports ARCUS with application expertise and flow improvers.

• Together with Siemens Energy, we are researching and testing innovative hydrogen technology in an industrial environment at our site in Herne. Green electricity is to be used to produce green hydrogen, which is an important raw material for wind turbine rotor blades.

• We use our cooperation with EnBW to show how we obtain green electricity from wind turbines for our sites and thus at the same time contribute to the expansion of renewable energies.

• We are collaborating with BMW on the Future Sustainable Car Materials consortium project. Together, we have the goal of closing plastic cycles and thus contributing to the circular economy.

• Portfolio transformations for our clients and for us can only succeed on the basis of a cooperative partnership. Together with Beiersdorf and on their way to more sustainable personal care products, we show how we tackle challenges together and develop viable solutions.