Emissions
Our emissions highlights in 2022
In 2022, we achieved a 6% reduction in GHG emissions intensity and a 17% reduction in absolute direct (scope 1) and indirect (scope 2) GHG emissions from the 2017 baseline. Emissions intensity measures the amount of greenhouse gases relative to production levels or economic output, which was adversely impacted in 2022 due to our product mix. Absolute emissions refers to the total quantity of GHG emissions. For more information on energy related projects that have contributed to GHG emissions reduction, see the Energy section.
In early 2022, we committed to setting near-term company-wide emission reductions targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The SBTi is a partnership between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature that defines and promotes best practice in emissions reductions in line with climate science. The SBTi provides companies with independent assessment and validation of GHG emissions reduction targets. Our SBTi-approved targets, which cover our direct (scope 1), indirect (scope 2) and value chain (scope 3) emissions, formed the basis for our new 2030 energy and emissions goals. Moving forward, we will focus on reducing emissions in these categories:
- Direct emissions (scope 1)
- Indirect emissions (scope 2)
- Purchased goods and services, including raw materials and packaging (upstream)
- Customer processing of sold products (downstream)
- End-of-life treatment of sold products
While we do not report hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) on a global level, we do track those emissions at our U.S. facilities. In 2022, our U.S. operations emitted 223 metric tons of HAPs. As we reformulate products to make them more sustainable, our use and therefore the emissions of hazardous air pollutants should decrease.
Increasing efficiency at Quattordio, Italy
We are committed to identifying and implementing new processes that increase our energy efficiency and decrease related emissions. We recently installed a high-efficiency power generation facility at our automotive paint and coatings manufacturing site in Quattordio, Italy. We partnered with Grastim, a developer of high-efficiency energy-generation solutions that include trigeneration and cogeneration, to install and operate the power generation facility. Trigeneration is a process that increases energy efficiency by combining cooling, heating and power generation.
We will purchase energy through a power purchase agreement, which helps lower our energy costs over the next seven years, in addition to reducing our scope 2 emissions. The trigeneration system is expected to contribute to a 13% reduction in total energy costs and a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions related to power generation. Although the system is powered primarily by natural gas, it is designed to be powered with a mix of natural gas and clean hydrogen fuel. With future investment, the system can be adapted to use anywhere from 20% to 60% hydrogen.
Reducing scope 2 emissions in Tianjin, China
Our coatings manufacturing facility in Tianjin, China, uses a chilled-water cooling system in some of their production processes. The facility installed an automatic control system in 2022, which can adjust temperatures at the optimal time to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and product variation caused by unstable cooling temperatures.
Historically, the system was manually controlled, meaning that employees had to start and stop a large number of equipment and valves at various stages of the process to maintain the optimal temperature. The automatic control system removes manual work at this phase and ensures a stable, cool water supply in our production process. The upgrade is estimated to save more than 2.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity each year, which in turn helps reduce our scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that this will also lead to more than $275,000 in annual energy cost savings for PPG.
Multi-year data highlights
Greenhouse gas emissions intensity
Metric tons of emissions per metric ton of production
Total | Direct (scope 1) | Indirect (scope 2) | |
2017 | 0.22 | 0.09 | 0.13 |
2018 | 0.21 | 0.09 | 0.13 |
2019 | 0.21 | 0.09 | 0.12 |
2020 | 0.19 | 0.08 | 0.11 |
2021 | 0.20 | 0.09 | 0.11 |
2022 | 0.21 | 0.09 | 0.11 |
Total intensity data include direct and indirect emissions. We report greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide equivalents for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Data changes from prior reporting reflect updated data and adjustments for acquired and divested locations from the 2017 baseline onward. Total may not equal the sum of direct and indirect due to rounding.
Greenhouse gas emissions
Million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents
Total | Direct | Indirect | |
2017 | 1.05 | 0.41 | 0.64 |
2018 | 1.03 | 0.42 | 0.61 |
2019 | 0.96 | 0.40 | 0.56 |
2020 | 0.80 | 0.32 | 0.48 |
2021 | 0.87 | 0.40 | 0.47 |
2022 | 0.87 | 0.39 | 0.48 |
Our plants are not significantly impacted by emission-limiting and/or emissions reporting-based programs or regulations. In 2022, we had zero direct emissions that were covered under an emissions-limiting regulation or program. Data changes from prior reporting reflect updated data and adjustments for acquired and divested locations from the 2017 baseline onward.
Air emissions
Metric tons
Particulates | Volatile organic compounds | Nitrogen oxides | Sulphur dioxide | |
2017 | 372.84 | 2,014.33 | 1,117.43 | 68.91 |
2018 | 415.75 | 2,260.34 | 1,291.67 | 74.62 |
2019 | 364.93 | 2,555.83 | 1,057.52 | 74.14 |
2020 | 274.86 | 1,855.33 | 613.16 | 47.07 |
2021 | 339.79 | 1,910.81 | 821.61 | 35.35 |
2022 | 299.10 | 1,797.15 | 840.84 | 38.76 |
Data changes from prior reporting reflect updated data and adjustments for acquired and divested locations from the 2017 baseline onward.
Air emissions intensity
Metric tons of emissions per 1,000 metric tons of production
Particulates | Volatile organic compounds | Nitrogen oxide | Sulfur dioxide | |
2017 | 0.08 | 0.42 | 0.23 | 0.01 |
2018 | 0.09 | 0.47 | 0.27 | 0.02 |
2019 | 0.08 | 0.56 | 0.23 | 0.02 |
2020 | 0.06 | 0.43 | 0.14 | 0.01 |
2021 | 0.08 | 0.43 | 0.19 | 0.01 |
2022 | 0.07 | 0.43 | 0.20 | 0.01 |
Data changes from prior reporting reflect updated data and adjustments for acquired and divested locations from the 2017 baseline onward.
Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance provided limited assurance on our Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG data. View the assurance report.
Our approach to reducing our emissions
We reduce air emissions globally through improved operating practices, product reformulations and, where necessary, emissions control equipment.
Greenhouse gas emissions
The sources of our emissions vary by facility due to the different types of energy used used across our operations. We take a facility-level approach to reducing our direct emissions, focused on the sites that release the most greenhouse gasses (GHGs).
Our approach to reducing scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions is closely tied to our energy management efforts, which focus on improving our energy efficiency and sourcing more renewable energy. Beyond improved environmental outcomes, improving energy efficiency also reduces our operations costs. Learn more in the Energy section.
Scope 3 emissions come from sources that PPG does not own or control, including the extraction or production of raw materials, use of sold products, and product end-of-life. We work with our suppliers and customers to evaluate and reduce these emissions in our value chain. Learn more about how we improve environmental performance across our value chain in the Supplier Sustainability section.
Other air emissions
We work to reduce the air pollutants released by our operations, particularly those that are regulated by government agencies, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter. In the United States, we measure and report U.S. EPA hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) from our facilities.
We use a range of solutions to reduce our air emissions, including technological and process improvements in our facilities. We also reformulate our products to reduce harmful compounds, including those designated as HAPs and VOCs. Learn more in our Product Stewardship section.