Johnson Matthey’s vision is for a world that is cleaner and healthier, today and for future generations. Our contribution to that world is based on the transformative power of platinum group metal (PGM) chemistry, where our 200-year history gives us a unique advantage.
Drawing on that expertise in PGM chemistry, catalysis and process design, we create technologies and processes that help power our customers’ products – principally in the automotive, chemicals and energy markets. It’s this expertise that has helped remove harmful emissions from vehicles for almost 50 years and is now enabling the rapid commercialisation and scale-up of low- and zero carbon technologies – like sustainable fuels and low-carbon hydrogen – to catalyse the world’s transition to net zero.
In June 2021, we publicly committed to achieve net zero by 2040 and, in October 2021, our intermediate targets to reduce Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2030 were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), providing important confirmation that they are in line with the ‘wellbelow 2°C trajectory’ of the UN Paris Agreement. Our Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions come from our manufacturing operations and represent the part of our footprint that we can directly influence by changing the way we use energy in our facilities.
By 2030 we will:
- Reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 33%
- Reduce Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods and services by 20%
- Enable our customers to avoid 50 million tonnes of GHG emissions per year by using technologies enabled by our products and solutions, compared to conventional offerings
Scope 3 GHG emissions represent 90% of our carbon footprint and the biggest single contributor is the platinum group metals that we buy. Therefore, Johnson Matthey is delighted to work with value chain partners that share its net zero ambitions to decarbonise the PGM supply industry.
We want to encourage all of our stakeholders to consider the carbon footprint and circularity of their PGM supply and whilst primary supply of PGMs is essential to support growing uses of these important materials, we aim to have at least 75% of all the PGMs that we use in manufacturing to have come from recycled sources by 2030. As the world’s largest secondary refiner of PGMs the majority of this material will be purified in our own refineries. We are also working closely with the Pt mines to support them as they work to reduce their carbon footprint for our mutual benefit. The result being a lower carbon generation of both primary and secondary PGMs.