H.B. Fuller Co. recently released its 2021 Sustainability Report and highlighted the continuous progress it has achieved in building a solid foundation of sustainability. According to the company, it is showing strong performance toward its targets for 2025.
“We view sustainability as a fundamental responsibility and a strategic priority that touches every aspect of our business,” said Jim Owens, president and CEO. “Our commitment to developing adhesive technologies that help customers achieve their sustainability goals and to operating H.B. Fuller to reach ours are building momentum in all of our key global metrics. These efforts are driving positive change not only across our company but in the industries and communities where we operate.”
Highlights from this year’s report include:
- Added one additional reporting framework, The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), while continuing to align 2021 disclosures with GRI Standards, the Carbon Disclosure Project, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Created a new sustainability technical subcommittee of multidisciplinary experts to better coordinate ESG (environmental, social, governance) initiatives at the operations level
- Advanced three H.B. Fuller Employee Networking Groups (ENGs) to help connect employees, build community, and support skill development underpinned by the principles of diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity
- Reported on numerous commercialized products, which enabled sustainable customer innovations in solar energy, electric vehicles, packaging, and energy-efficient buildings
- Donated nearly $1.3 million and increased employee volunteerism, organization partnerships, and corporate social responsibility programs to positively influence vulnerable communities in 25 countries
By 2025, H.B. Fuller expects to reduce energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity by 20% and waste and water intensity by 10% compared to the base year of 2014. At the end of 2021, the company reportedly continues to report steady progress against its four primary targets and is ahead of schedule in delivering its water withdrawal and waste metrics.
According to H.B. Fuller, the most substantial contributions it makes in the realm of sustainability are through product innovation, reducing the environmental impact of production processes, and improving the sustainable performance of manufactured products through its adhesive solutions. H.B. Fuller focuses on solving manufacturers’ challenges with formulations for bonding and sealing a variety of materials, such as solutions that help packaging producers reduce downstream waste, building and construction experts increase energy efficiency, and disposable goods designers create eco-conscious consumer products.
“We believe our responsibility to improve is never finished and always look for new ways to embed our environmental, social and governance principles into everything we do,” Owens said. “Across our company and around the world, H.B. Fuller is connecting what matters to create a better world for generations to come. We are driving sustainable practices in our internal operations and approach to R&D. We are building strong employee networks to strengthen our high-performance, diverse culture. We are investing in nonprofit programs that help young people grow into tomorrow’s leaders, provide opportunities to improve racial equity, and improve the economic standing of marginalized populations in developing countries.”
Additional information is available at www.hbfuller.com.
