SBTi Chemicals Sector Scoping Survey

Chemical companies are increasingly orienting toward climate solutions. In a 2015 survey, 85% of chemical companies reported having a sustainability strategy—more than any other industry covered, and a 70% increase from 2009. In the same 2015 survey, 95% of chemical company executives reported that investors were paying closer attention to sustainability performance—yet only 36% said their company had developed a clear value proposition for sustainability.

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) supports private sector efforts in the transition to the low-carbon economy by helping companies set reduction targets that are aligned with reduction pathways for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C or well-below 2°C compared to pre-industrial temperatures.  As of June 2020, twenty-two chemicals companies have committed to setting science-based targets (SBTs) via the SBTi, and 7 of these companies have publicly-approved SBTs. Please visit the project website for more details. 

The aim of this survey is to gain a greater understanding of the practical challenges faced by the global chemicals industry in reducing its scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Respondents will remain anonymous, but a selection of verbatim texts provided in the fields allowing for open answers may be quoted publicly (dissociated from the name of the company providing it). Survey results will be incorporated into a public summary report that will provide recommended options for factoring these challenges into revised tools and guidance for setting SBTs in the industry.

Topics that merit a broader discussion, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage, will not be covered in this survey, however, there will be opportunities for discourse during workshops scheduled later in 2020.  The avoided GHG emissions generated from the use of chemicals are outside the scope of SBTi.

This survey consists of 30 questions. We expect this survey to take you around 45 minutes to 1 hour to fill in. Your answers will be saved upon completion of each page in the survey. If you are taking the survey on the same device, you may return to this survey at any time to change your answers on any page until you complete the survey. You must click the “Done” button to submit your answers.