Johnson Matthey announces new sustainability goals and targets

• 17 new sustainability targets for 2030 strengthen JM’s positive societal impact
• Over 95% of company sales and R&D spend to contribute to four priority UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030
• Net zero emissions goal supported by emissions reduction targets across business and broader value chain

Johnson Matthey (JM), a global leader in sustainable technologies, today announces a new sustainability strategy framework. Ramping up activity across three pillars of activity – JM’s products and services, its operations and people – the strategy enables JM to significantly increase the positive contribution it is making in accelerating progress towards a cleaner and healthier world.

JM’s focus on sustainable technologies means its biggest sustainability impact is how its products can enable others to decarbonise transport, energy and industrial systems, while also strengthening circularity across a wide range of chemicals production processes. JM’s strategic growth plans focus on its current and future technologies supporting a net zero future.

JM recently made a commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 and became a signatory to the Business Ambition for 1.5C, making it a member of the UNFCCC’s “Race to Zero” campaign ahead of COP26. Today’s announcement provides key details on the process the company is putting in place in working towards this target, while also setting out broader sustainability goals.

The 11 goals are set out across the three pillars of the sustainability strategy:

 Products and services 

Goal: Produce and innovate products for a cleaner, healthier world
Goal: Drive lower global greenhouse emissions
Goal: Enable less harmful air pollution globally
Goal: Conserve scarce resource

 Operations 

Goal: Achieve net zero by 2040
Goal: Reduce water consumption and waste
Goal: Minimise environmental footprint

 People 

Goal: Create a diverse, inclusive and engaged company
Goal: Keep people safe
Goal: Uphold human rights in our value chain
Goal: Invest in our local communities

These goals are all supported by 17 interim targets to 2030 to maintain focus.

Robert MacLeod, Chief Executive, comments:

“We have a two-hundred-year history of innovating and using metals chemistry to solve complex problems and this knowhow has never been more relevant. For the last forty years, our catalytic converters have enabled hundreds of millions of cars to avoid emitting noxious gases, and they will continue to do so for many years to come.

“Our purpose is to accelerate a cleaner, healthier world through our groundbreaking technologies, for example in EV batteries, hydrogen and fuel cells.

“JM’s new sustainability strategy codifies our relevance to the world around us. I genuinely believe that JM’s new sustainability strategy will help us to transform the company, whilst strengthening the positive contribution we already make to wider society and reduce our impact on the environment.”

Delivery of the sustainability strategy will be directly linked to JM’s long-term incentive plan remuneration incentives for the company’s most senior leaders.