In light of the growing interest and preference among industry stakeholders for climate-conscious offerings, Lenzing’s sustainability journey continues to adapt through collaborative innovations [1]. We sit down with Lenzing’s own Florian Heubrandner, Executive Vice President Commercial Textiles, and Krishna Manda, Vice President Corporate Sustainability, to unpack what this shift means for the company and its customers.

Q: What do the changing industry sentiments mean for Lenzing’s climate action strategy and commitment to transparency?

Heubrandner: As regulations and perceptions around carbon offsetting evolve, there has been a growing interest from the value chain partners and customers in how the industry is adjusting. Adapting to these shifts is a natural step forward for us at Lenzing. Simply put, we are reinforcing our commitment and introducing new means for greater transparency around our climate action communications.

Our strong partnership with ClimatePartner has been instrumental in helping us achieve significant sustainability milestones. It is imperative that we continue this collaboration, and as of July 2024, a significant part of our fiber portfolio now comes with the “ClimatePartner certified label”.

For example, TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fibers are ClimatePartner certified as part of a bespoke climate action plan that assesses the carbon footprint of our products, sets targets and implements measures to reduce emissions, supports verified climate projects, and fosters transparency along our supply chain. [2]

Q: What does Lenzing’s renewed partnership with ClimatePartner look like?

Krishna: ClimatePartner’s certification follows a comprehensive 5-step action plan that provides transparent disclosure of our entire climate action strategy, including carbon footprints, emissions reduction targets, implemented reductions, and financial contribution towards climate projects worldwide. This holistic approach allows us to demonstrate our dedication to sustainability across our operations.

First and foremost, Lenzing reduces its own and supply chain’s greenhouse gas emissions in line with its ambitious 1.5℃ aligned science-based targets. In addition, a key aspect of this certification is our investment in climate projects, which are crucial in counterbalancing the as yet unavoidable carbon emissions from fiber production. The projects are regularly audited by independent third parties and contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This approach helps Lenzing to go beyond its operations in its endeavor to minimize the environmental impact across its product portfolio [2].

As such, the ClimatePartner certified label provides our customers and partners with another layer of reassurance that our sustainability claim are bona fide, holding us to a consistent standard and allowing us to maintain more transparent communication of our climate actions.

Q: How will this drive positive change for a more transparent future?

Heubrandner: Our evolved partnership with ClimatePartner will allow us to adapt our related current marketing claims and brand guidelines, as well as our hang tags, leveraging the full weight of the ClimatePartner certified label. For our customers, this transition not only highlights our ongoing commitment to sustainability but also empowers them to communicate more transparently about the environmental impact [3] of our products. We also provide our partners throughout the value chain with the tools and information to engage in a more open and honest dialogue about sustainability [4]. By doing so, we aim to encourage a more transparent and eco-conscious textile industry that aligns with the growing interest in climate-friendly solutions.

Q: What milestones has Lenzing celebrated in its mission to reduce emissions?

Manda: At Lenzing, our commitment to sustainability and reducing our environmental impact has always been at the core of our operations. Our latest sustainability report titled “Ready to Join?” disclosed that the company invested more than EUR 200 million in recent years towards upgrading its capacity for ecologically responsible specialty fibers while simultaneously reducing specific emissions significantly. The report also highlighted that Lenzing was able to reduce scope 1, 2 and 3 absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 19 percent since 2021 and specific sulfur emissions to air by 58 percent since 2014. These achievements are a testament to our unwavering quest to drive sustainability in the textile industry.

As the first producer of regenerated cellulosic fibers with a verified science-based net-zero target, by 2030 Lenzing aims to reduce absolute direct emissions from the production of its fiber and pulp plants and its emissions from purchased energy by 42 percent, as well as its absolute indirect emissions along the value chain by 25 percent, from baseline 2021. This corresponds to an absolute reduction of 1,100,000 tons, which is higher than the earlier target ambition reduction of 700,000 tons [5], showcasing our ever-growing commitment to achieving greater heights in our journey to reduce our carbon footprint.

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[1] To foster a sustainable global textile and nonwovens industry, Lenzing follows three strategic principles within the context of its “Naturally Positive” sustainability strategy, which focuses on greening the value chain, advancing the circular economy, and collaborating for systemic change with key industry stakeholders, such as Textile Exchange, Cascale, Canopy, Together for Sustainability, Renewable Carbon Initiative, and UN Global Compact.

[2] Details of ClimatePartner certification, please refer to https://climate-id.com/de/XYLKGW (for TENCEL™ Lyocell); https://climate-id.com/de/76XPMV (for TENCEL™ Modal).

[3] TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal fiber production processes are continuously improved to maximize resource efficiency and minimize environmental impact. Consequently, carbon emissions and water consumption of TENCEL™ fibers are at least 50% lower compared to generic lyocell and modal fibers, according to Higg MSI. The results were calculated according to LCA standards (ISO 14040/44) and are made available via the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) v3.7 by Cascale (formerly Sustainable Apparel Coalition).

[4] With a process in place that factors in rapidly evolving regulatory requirements when developing and updating claims, TENCEL™ provides QR-coded claims and a Claims webpage that offers value chain partners and conscious consumers more clarity on what its fibers offer.

[5] The climate targets of the Lenzing Group approved by SBTi are absolute reduction targets starting from the base year 2021; in contrast to the previous intensity-based climate targets starting from the base year 2017.