Henkel Drives Sustainable Excellence Across Value Chain
Henkel, the global manufacturer behind household names like Persil and Schwarzkopf, is scaling its climate action across production and supply networks.
Recognising that a large proportion of its emissions fall under Scope 3, Henkel is targeting the full manufacturing and supply value chains with several key initiatives and strategic objectives.
These include adopting sustainable sourcing practices, shifting to low-carbon packaging and embedding circular economy models into its operations.
The changes have already yielded significant impact: since 2017 Henkel has reduced CO₂ emissions per ton of product by 64% across its global production network.
As a result of this progress, Henkel has received a Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Award. This recognises achievements in energy reduction, circularity and operational efficiency – core areas for manufacturers looking to reduce emissions.
“Henkel is humbled and honoured to receive this award,” says Pia Oelze, Head of Key Account Management Power & Industrial Automation EMEA at Henkel.
“It represents personal achievement, exceptional teamwork between Henkel and Schneider Electric to explore solutions-oriented sustainability programs and the collective progress we have made to create a better tomorrow.”
Reducing emissions in industrial production
Henkel is pushing toward a climate-positive future by focusing on plant-level improvements and energy transition strategies.
Its target is to become climate positive (removing more carbon that the company emits) by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2045.
Since 2010, Henkel has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 61%. These reductions are largely the result of energy efficiency tools and upgrades across its production sites and the adoption of biofuels and alternative energy, while it also has a strategic focus on greater electrification across its operations.
Henkel has committed to science-based targets both at its own facilities and its upstream operations, where material sourcing and packaging design contribute heavily to environmental impact.
Across production lines, the company is introducing closed-loop systems, energy metering and electrification strategies to reduce both waste and carbon footprint.
“I would like to congratulate Henkel for its outstanding effort in making strides to reach its sustainability goals over the past year,” says Mourad Tamoud, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Schneider Electric.
“Reaching net zero is a collective goal and we need to work together to share the best sustainable practices and support each other in decarbonisation. Henkel has played a noteworthy role in this journey over the past year.”
Supply chain decarbonisation through digital solutions
Henkel's sustainability strategy relies on digital solutions to track energy use and carbon output in real time.
Through Schneider Electric’s services, including Virtual Power Purchase Agreements and the AVEVA energy management system, the company monitors performance across production sites and identifies energy-saving opportunities.
Its supplier engagement programme takes this further, evaluating upstream emissions and working with suppliers to improve their climate metrics.
Henkel also participates in Schneider Electric’s Zero Carbon Project (ZCP), a major global initiative to cut emissions from industrial suppliers. Launched in 2021, the ZCP focuses on helping the top 1,000 suppliers – roughly 70% of Schneider’s carbon footprint – cut their Scope 1 and 2 emissions in half by 2025.
Suppliers in the ZCP gain access to tools and resources including carbon tracking software and 30+ hours of technical training and consulting services from Schneider’s Energy & Sustainability Services team. These training sessions cover decarbonisation techniques, energy efficiency and renewable adoption—all critical for manufacturers transitioning to low-carbon models.
“70% of the 1,000 suppliers who have signed up to The Zero Carbon Project are at the beginning stages of their carbon reduction journey,” notes Mourad.
“These suppliers are leaning on us to provide support as they work to set and achieve their own carbon targets.”
Participants must publicly commit to emissions targets and report their progress. This promotes peer learning and transparency, allowing manufacturers to exchange practical insights on cutting energy use and emissions at scale.
Schneider itself has already reduced operational emissions by more than 50%, setting a baseline for suppliers to follow.
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