A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH INTEGRATED IN A GLOBAL STRATEGY

 

As part of the Ceramics Business Unit of Saint-Gobain group, Saint-Gobain Abrasive Grains’ CSR approach has been set up in line with the Group ambitions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The Group’s sustainability commitments are guided by it’s purpose “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME".
 

YOUR ENABLING ABRASIVE GRAINS PERFORMANCE PARTNER 

At Saint-Gobain Abrasive Grains, we are driven by a pioneer spirit.
​We take action to achieve our vision: become the enabling abrasive grains performance partner to transform the industrial world to be sustainable.​

Since the very beginning, we innovate by facing our client’s challenges. ​
Our expertise and products have been evolving to respond to the increasing ​needs in a wide range of markets. ​
net_zero_carbon
Today, new challenges await and the only way to meet them is together. ​The biggest one is taking the path to sustainability. To give a new impulse ​to our industry, change the way we grow and shape a better future.

This ambitious journey has begun and won’t stop until we get there. ​

By joining forces, we will shape tomorrow’s industry.

 

SHAPING 2030
Watch our video summary

Saint-Gobain Abrasive Grains is working hard to achieve its vision: Become the enabling abrasive grains performance partner to transform the industrial world to be sustainable. Learn about the business's CSR roadmap, featuring interviews of team members from around the world, centered around 4 pillars.

1. Giving the impulse ​to lower our environmental footprint

 
CO2
CO2
 

CO2 EMISSIONS : 2030 target: -85% on scope 1 and 2 and -16% on scope 3 (vs.2017)

Main ongoing actions:

  • Assessment of the energy consumption for all our sites 
  • Purchase of  electricity from renewable sources
  • Build infrastructures for low-carbon transport 
water management
 

WATER MANAGEMENT : 2030 target: -70% of water withdraw (vs. 2017)

Main ongoing actions:

  • Recycle the water used in our Huntsville (USA) electrofusion plant 
  • Water saving projects in our DengFeng (China) plant 
waste management
 

WASTE MANAGEMENT : 2030 target: -90% min. ​of non-recovered waste (vs. 2017)

Main ongoing actions:

  • Improve first-pass quality  to reduce the waste generated
  • Find internal or external customer to use our by-products

Explore our initiatives through these examples:   

Advancing Towards Sustainable Operations: Electrification of our Alumina...

Saint-Gobain Abrasive Grains went through the electrification of the MA88® alumina grains heat treatment process at the Deng Feng plant, China.

2. Co-developing performing ​and sustainable ​products​
 
Eco-innovation
 

ECO-INNOVATION
2025 target: integrate sustainability since the ​early stage of every new product  development

Main ongoing actions:

  • Train the entire team to eco-innovation and sustainability
  • Build models to assess the environmental impact of using recycled materials in our products
  • Integration of sustainability assessment in the early stage of key projects
LCA
 

LIFE CYCLE ​ASSESSMENT
2025 target: achieve the life cycle ​assessment on all our products

Main ongoing actions:

  • Implement a LCA approach following ISO 14040/14044
  • Systematic third-party verification of our LCA 
circularity
 

CIRCULARITY
2025 target: reach 30% of secondary raw ​materials in the main fused products without ​any sacrifice on the performance

Main ongoing actions:

  • Enhance the lifetime and the efficiency of our customers’ abrasive product thanks to high performance
  • On-going development of specific range of products to include high amount of recycled raw materials : new Alumina Zirconia grains 
collaboration
Explore our initiatives through these examples: 

Understanding a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of grinding application

Saint-Gobain Abrasive Grains releases its first Environmental Product...

Saint-Gobain Abrasive Grains releases the AZ25 grain Environmental Product Declaration. 

3. Nurturing ethical and trustful partnerships

 
partnership
responsible purchasing
 

RESPONSIBLE ​PURCHASING
Target: collaborate with our suppliers to ​reduce our common footprint in the industry

Main ongoing actions:

  • A team of purchaser trained to sustainability
  • Following all the responsible purchasing policies from Saint-Gobain group (aligned with ISO 20400)
  • Collaborating with our suppliers to quantify the impact of raw materials and logistic on our Scope 3
sustainablility
 

SUSTAINABLE ​PRACTICES
Target: advocate for more ​sustainability in our industry

Main ongoing actions:

  • ISO 14001 for all our plants
  • External review of our Sustainability policy through Ecovadis
product transparency
 

PRODUCT ​TRANSPARENCY
Target: deliver safe products

Main ongoing actions:

  • Delivering Safety data sheet (SDS) for all our products
  • A team trained to the principles of conduct and action of the group and the associated policies
  • Group alert system: SpeakUp@saint-gobain.com available for employees and external stakeholders
Explore our initiatives through these examples:  

Saint-Gobain Ceramic Materials awarded with Ecovadis Platinum rating in...

Saint-Gobain Matériaux Céramiques announces having received the highest Ecovadis rating for Corporate Social Responsibility. 

4. Driving a positive workplace with shared values

 
sustainability awareness
 

SUSTAINABILITY ​AWARENESS
Target: developing a skilled network ​of sustainability champions to, empower ​the site to take ownership

Main ongoing actions:

  •  A network of sustainability ambassadors in every site 
  • 39 small steps actions to promote a mindset shift on sustainability 
  • 100% of the management team trained on Climate change through the Climate Fresk
diversity and inclusion
 

DIVERSITY & ​INCLUSION
Target: 30% of managers are women in 2025​+Diversity index maintained > 90%

Main ongoing actions:

  • Group alert system to prohibit social discriminations and harassment in the workplace: SpeakUp@Saint-Gobain
  • Raising gender equality and increase awareness on diversity and inclusion (training & conferences)
Health and safety
 

HEALTH & SAFETY
Target: maintaining an incident rate ​< 1.5 at the end of 2030

Main ongoing actions:

  • Health & Safety detailed risk assessment performed at every site
  • Regular EHS trainings with standard safety management tools
  • Programs for noise management, ergonomy, mental well-being implemented locally
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