PPG has a steadfast commitment to sustainability, guided by our purpose: We Protect and Beautify the World®.
Michael McGarry
Chairman and CEO
From furthering the equity of communities where we live and work, to operating safe, healthy facilities, to developing paints, coatings and specialty materials that help to extend the life of our customers’ most valued assets, our commitment to sustainability shined bright last year. Our more than 50,000 employees globally made it happen, and helped to deliver against our progress.
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Diane Kappas
VICE PRESIDENT, GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY
Last year, we identified new partners to further our use of renewable energy, launched products that provide an added layer of protection against the virus that causes COVID-19, found new ways to contribute to the circular economy, and continued on our journey to further the diversity, equity and inclusion of our workforce and our communities. We will continue focusing on the roadmap to accomplish our near-term 2025 goals, and we plan to establish more ambitious carbon emissions reduction goals for 2030 to do our part in protecting the planet from warming.
Watch VideoA Snapshot of our Sustainability Journey
This timeline is a snapshot of our sustainability and ESG accomplishments throughout the years.
2002
- Set our first GHG emission reduction goal, targeting an 18% reduction by 2012.
2007
- Formed our Energy Security and Climate Change Subcommittee.
- Met initial greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) goal. Set a new GHG goal of 10% reduction from 2006 to 2011.
2008
- Released the first PPG sustainability report.
2010
- Formed our Corporate Sustainability Committee.
2012
- Initiated the PPG Sustainability Award program to recognize internal projects and personnel for contributing to Sustainability goals.
- Developed our first criteria for defining sustainably advantaged products.
2013
- Announced new sustainability vision, values and 2020 goals.
2014
- Began reporting against Global Reporting Index (GRI).
2015
- Launched our 10-year, $10 million COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® initiative to bring color and energy to the communities where we operate around the world.
2017
- Co-founded the RESPONSIBLE MICA INITIATIVE®. Began reporting our impact against the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
2018
- Announced new 2025 sustainability goals.
2019
- Earned Gold Rating from ECOVADIS™.
2020
- Appointed our first global head of diversity, equity and inclusion.
2021
- Fully aligned to SASB disclosures. Added COVID-19 response and cybersecurity disclosures to report. Appointed a vice president of global sustainability.
2022
- Realigned and expanded the Board's governance over ESG topics.
- Launched first-ever diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) report.
- Built out a dedicated sustainability team.
- Listed for the first time on the Corporate Knights Clean 200 list as the top coatings manufacturer. Noted as having "significant positive impact" in ISS SDG Impact Report.
2021 Highlights
At PPG, we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for nearly 140 years. Our sustainability goals focus on our key challenges and guide our actions, doing better today than yesterday.
We've highlighted a few of our stories from 2021 below.
Product Innovation
ERGOLUXE® coatings give new life to recycled plastic while protecting and beautifying office furniture
ErgoLuxe Eco powder coatings provide a protective and luxurious finish for office furniture, including a unique formulation containing up to 14% post-industrial recycled plastic (rPET). Environmental benefits include lower VOC emissions compared to traditional liquid coatings, higher first-pass transfer efficiency rates up to 85% and overspray reclaim and reuse.
Environmental
Switching to solar in Carrollton
In 2021, our Architectural Coatings plant in Carrollton, Texas, entered an agreement with Constellation, a leading energy and energy solutions provider, to power the facility through 100% renewable solar power. The switch is expected to avoid more than 3,200 metric tons of carbon emissions annually, the equivalent of taking more than 700 cars off the road, according to U.S. EPA estimates.
Social: Our People
Diversifying talent and enhancing a sense of belonging
In 2021, we partnered with diversity-focused organizations, including the National Association of Asian American Professionals and the National Society of Black Engineers to increase the diversity of our talent pool, provide opportunities for career development and leverage leading practices to enhance a sense of belonging across the enterprise. We've also committed to invest $20 million by 2025 to advance racial equity in the U.S. by funding educational pathways for Black communities and people of color.
Social: Our Communities
Beautifying classrooms and providing effective learning environments and educational experiences for students
In 2021, our signature Colorful Communities program sought to beautify classrooms and provide effective learning environments and educational experiences for students despite the lingering pandemic. Employees came together across the globe, from, for example, Tianjin, China, to Cairo, Egypt, to Santa Ana, California, to Las Piedras, Uruguay, to provide effective learning environments and educational experiences for students.
Governance
Strengthening our governance practices
In 2021, we strengthened our governance practices, revising our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters of each committee to more clearly specify the ESG programs and practices overseen by the Board and each of its committees. We also appointed our first vice president of global sustainability to ensure executive-level oversight and visibility of PPG's ESG efforts.
Recognition and Awards
As a leader in ESG, we've earned several recognitions and awards, reinforcing and encouraging our efforts.
Learn More
We are committed to transparent reporting on our ESG performance. Keep reading to learn more about how we are helping protect and beautify the world.
2021 ESG Report | 2021 ESG Report Executive Summary | 2021 DEI Report