Climate positive business operations
It is the vision of MATSEN CHEMIE AG to offer its customers all products and services carbon-neutral by 2030 at the latest. Since 2019, we have been offsetting all of the CO₂ emissions listed in our greenhouse gas balance by purchasing i.e. withdrawing carbon credits. This year we're going one step further:
We have offset twice the amount of our 2020 greenhouse gas balance. Therefore, the business operations of MATSEN CHEMIE AG are climate-positive for the first time since this year!
At the moment, the accounting of our greenhouse gas emissions is limited to direct CO₂ emissions, i.e. the own generation and the purchase of energy (Scope 1 and 2 according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol), as well as the following upstream and downstream stages of our value chain (Scope 3): already today all business trips, our employees' commuting, the office equipment, the transport of goods and any materials used when repacking products are included. You can find the entire scope of our greenhouse gas balance including all sources and emission factors used here>.
Since 2021, we are able to show the production-related GHG emissions for some of our products as well and we will gradually include these values in our accounting in the future. You can find out more about the calculation of product-related CO₂ emissions and the option of purchasing our raw materials 100% climate-neutral on the following page.
Climate-friendly sea transport
Our goal is to offset our entire carbon footprint within our own value chain. A first step in this direction is the new cooperation with „GoodShipping“.
The Dutch company has developed "Good Fuel", a marine fuel made from used vegetable oils from the catering and food industries. Therefore, these bio-fuels neither compete with food production for raw materials, nor do they contribute to the deforestation of forests. The CO2 savings compared to operating freight ships with common fossil fuels (marine diesel and heavy oil) are around 85 percent. No changes are required to the ship's engines themselves, the previous fuel can simply be replaced by "Good Fuel".
MATSEN CHEMIE AG pays the difference between the costs of conventional marine fuels of fossil origin and the more expensive biofuel. In this way, we support GoodShipping in being able to offer shipping companies competitive prices for their sustainable bio-fuels.
In 2020, we will offset approx. 12.5% of our shipping-related emissions by means of the "subsidized" amount of recycled fuels. We want to gradually increase this share every year in order to be able to handle all sea ship transports entirely with sustainable fuels by 2030.
Offsetting with CDM Gold Standard projects
Most of our 2020 carbon footprint we offset with a CDM Gold Standard project in India.
In addition to a transparent and proven reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the climate protection projects we choose for offsetting our emissions need to contribute to social, ecological and economic development in the project region as well.
In order to ensure these criteria, we only choose projects that are both CDM and Gold Standard certified. Today, this combination offers the most strict existing standard for climate protection projects.
The Gold Standard was developed in 2003 by WWF together with other environmental associations. In addition to the mandatory emission reduction, Gold Standard projects also identify social and environmental aspects. This is to ensure that climate protection projects go beyond the reduction of greenhouse gases, also contributing to sustainable development in the respective project region (e.g. improvement of infrastructures, creation of jobs, reduction of health risks, etc.).
Why India? Our products HCO (hydrogenated castor oil) and 12-HSA (12-hydroxystearic acid) are manufactured there and they are based, just like our sebacic acid, on castor oil. More than three quarters of the world’s supply of castor seed is produced in the northern Indian state of Gujarat. Therefore, we offset our carbon footprint with the project "Solar Water Heater Program in India".
Solar Water Heater Program in India
Nuetech Solar manufactures and installs solar thermal systems for hot water, so-called solar water heaters. The users of these systems are private households, small and medium-sized companies, as well as universities, schools or authorities. The urban population of India mostly uses electrically operated flow heaters to generate hot water, which accounts for between 20% and 30% of their electricity consumption. Electricity generation in India is still largely based on fossil fuels, in particular coal. In India, solar hot water heating can save an average of almost 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide per household and system every year.
You can find more about the project here >
Concept of climate neutrality
Companies, services or products are considered to be climate-neutral if reductions of an equivalent amount of greenhouse gas emissions are guaranteed elsewhere. This compensation is achieved by investing in a certified climate protection project. Since greenhouse gases are evenly distributed in the atmosphere, it does not matter where carbon emissions are reduced. In this way, emissions that are caused i.e. in Europe, can be offset by authorized climate protection projects somewhere else in the world. Further information on the subject of voluntary carbon offsetting can be found here >.
