Eastman launches sustainability review

Eastman Chemical Company has released a review of its sustainable practices and products. ‘Our Sustainability Journey’ highlights recent accomplishments and establishes clear short- and mid-term goals to help the company evaluate the success of its sustainability program – economic growth, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.  

‘At Eastman, our goal is to consistently demonstrate we are an outperforming chemical company by delivering value-creating growth,’ said Jim Rogers, Eastman president and CEO. ‘We believe that sustainability in particular provides a tailwind for us in achieving this growth.’ 

According to the report, Eastman expects that two-thirds of the revenues from new product launches will offer sustainability benefits compared with the prevailing alternatives in the market. Annual 2.5 percent energy-efficiency improvements, and a 25 percent reduction in energy intensity and 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity over the next 10 years, are among the targets included in the report. 

The report also outlines ongoing objectives aimed at maintaining Eastman’s commitment to health, safety, employee well-being and employee training, and expanding the company’s sustainability work with academia and value chain influencers like industrial designers, global trade associations, government and non-government organizations. In addition, the report details Eastman’s recent strides in GHG, VOC, and energy intensity reductions, global community outreach programs, and a host of product and technology innovations – ranging from BPA-free plastics and phthalate-free plasticizers to bio-based, renewable performance additives.  

‘We believe sustainability is foundational to Eastman’s continued successful innovation efforts and is, in fact, the key to solving future problems for our customers and our world,’ said Mark Costa, executive vice president with responsibility for the company’s sustainability initiatives. ‘We’re excited to launch our first sustainability review which captures the progress we’ve made on our journey so far.’   

In 2009, Eastman received the EPA’s Presidential Green Challenge Award for its green biocatalytic process and was ranked by Newsweek magazine as one of the ‘Top 100 Greenest Companies in America’. 

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