Emissions
We are focused on reducing all emissions.
The composition of our air emissions is unique to each PPG facility due to the varying products produced and manufacturing processes used. For all emissions, we are focused on reduction through improved operating practices, product reformulations and, where necessary, emissions control equipment.
We are reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions primarily by lowering our energy consumption (see the Energy section).
Activities and investments we are undertaking to reduce our GHG emissions are related to replacing equipment, such as boilers, chillers and air compressors, in all of our operations. We are undertaking these replacements over time to optimize the impact, focusing on priority sites based on improvement opportunities and resources required to achieve those reductions.
Our goal is to reduce our GHG emissions intensity by 15% measured in total tons discharged by 2025 from a 2017 baseline. We achieved a 4.3% reduction through 2019.
We emitted 870,000 metric tons of direct (Scope 1) and indirect (Scope 2) GHGs in 2019, which is a 7.4% reduction from prior year. We also achieved reductions in all of our other key emissions during 2019.
While we do not report hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) on a global level, we do track those emissions at our U.S. facilities. In 2019, our U.S. operations emitted 104.9 metric tons of HAPs.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions IntensityMetric tons of emissions per metric ton of production |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total |
Direct |
Indirect |
|
|
2015 |
0.43 |
0.22 |
0.21 |
|
2016 |
0.37 |
0.18 |
0.19 |
|
2017 |
0.23 |
0.09 |
0.14 |
|
2018 |
0.22 |
0.10 |
0.13 |
|
2019 |
0.22 |
0.10 |
0.13 |
Total intensity data includes 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 EmissionsMillion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total |
Direct |
Indirect |
|
|
2015 |
2.02 |
1.04 |
0.98 |
|
2016 |
1.85 |
0.91 |
0.94 |
|
2017 |
0.94 |
0.38 |
0.56 |
|
2018 |
0.94 |
0.40 |
0.54 |
|
2019 |
0.87 |
0.38 |
0.50 |
Our plants are not significantly impacted by emission-limiting and/or emissions reporting-based programs or regulations. In 2019, we had zero direct emissions that were covered under an emissions-limiting regulation or program.
Air Emissions IntensityMetric tons of emissions per 1,000 metric tons of production |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Particulates |
Volatile Organic Compounds |
Nitrogen Oxides |
Sulfur Dioxide |
|
|
2015 |
0.36 |
0.48 |
1.45 |
0.26 |
|
2016 |
0.26 |
0.45 |
1.08 |
0.17 |
|
2017 |
0.08 |
0.51 |
0.27 |
0.02 |
|
2018 |
0.09 |
0.54 |
0.27 |
0.02 |
|
2019 |
0.08 |
0.55 |
0.23 |
0.02 |
Data changes from prior reporting reflect updated data and adjustments for acquired and divested locations from the 2017 baseline onward.
Air EmissionsMetric tons |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Particulates |
Volatile Organic Compounds |
Nitrogen Oxides |
Sulfur Dioxide |
|
|
2015 |
1,696 |
2,272 |
6,861 |
1,248 |
|
2016 |
1,300.34 |
2,255.66 |
5,424.09 |
867.55 |
|
2017 |
350.71 |
2,106.89 |
1,102.42 |
78.71 |
|
2018 |
363.56 |
2,231.32 |
1,131.23 |
87.06 |
|
2019 |
320.37 |
2,140.45 |
902.00 |
85.42 |
Data to two decimal points is not available for 2015. Data changes from prior reporting reflect updated data and adjustments for acquired and divested locations from the 2017 baseline onward.
Management of Climate-related Risks
Severe weather events resulting from climate change and long-term climate trends could affect our operations and supply chain.
To address these risks, we maintain systematic business continuity and planning and crisis management processes. Through these processes, we coordinate the efforts of our local emergency management teams maintained at each location with our regional and global crisis management teams.
Global, regional and local plans take into account the risk of natural disaster, infectious disease, supply chain interruptions, employee safety, asset protection, customer impacts and other business continuity requirements.
Each year, the local emergency management team at each of our facilities globally must review and update its emergency response plan to reflect current conditions and changes in risk. Each site also performs a tabletop or actual emergency response exercise, and we monitor conformance with this requirement through our internal corporate auditing program. In addition, our regional and global crisis management teams conduct a tabletop or actual crisis response exercise annually.
Beyond physical risks, we also evaluate the impact of climate change risks on regulatory, legal, technology, market and reputational issues.
Pollution controlled
Installation of new pollution-control systems at two of our locations in Suzhou, China, are clearing the air of VOC emissions.
Our Packaging Coatings facility eliminated 1.6 metric tons of VOC emissions in 2019, while our Aerospace Service Center reduced its annual VOC emissions by 0.8 metric tons.