MANAGEMENT
CONCEPTION
Jun 18, 2024

Dulux Taiwan joins hands with industry, government and academia to promote green building and organize “Paint The Future Sustainability Forum”.

Lily Chang|Commercial Times by CHEN,YAN-WEI

 

 

AkzoNobel, the global leader in paints, and Dulux, a subsidiary of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, organized the “Paint The Future Sustainability Forum” yesterday (17th), at which Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel's Global Director of Sustainability, presented the company's sustainability goals, AkzoNobel's Global Director of Sustainability, presented the company's sustainability goals, carbon reduction process, innovative technologies and green building case studies, demonstrating AkzoNobel and Deloitte Coatings' commitment and strength to sustainability. The forum also invited experts from industry, government and academia, such as Mr. Wang Rongjin, Director of the Architecture Research Institute of the Ministry of the Interior, Prof. Huang Zhihong from the Institute of Architecture and Urban Design of the National Taipei University of Science and Technology, and Ms. Lily Chang, President of the Fiabci Taiwan and President of Treasure Dragon Corp, to share their views on the policies, trends and examples of low-carbon buildings and building materials in Taiwan.

 

Climate change intensifies as Akzo Nobel makes three major ESG commitments

According to the National Climate Change Science Report 2024 released by the National Science Council and the Ministry of the Environment, as the frequency and intensity of extreme weather phenomena increase significantly, by the end of this century, Taiwan's summers will continue to grow longer, exceeding 210 days, while winters will continue to shorten, with less than one month left, indicating that sustainable action to protect the environment is also an urgent issue for Taiwan.

 

Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel's Global Director of Sustainability.

 

As a sustainability pioneer in the coatings industry, Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel's Global Sustainability Director, shared the Group's three key ESG focuses during the forum : making more durable products with more sustainable processes, building more sustainable value chains, and empowering local communities, residents and employees to gain more abundant skills. In terms of sustainable manufacturing, AkzoNobel has now achieved its carbon reduction process targets in stages, reducing carbon emissions from its own processes by 38% compared to 2018 (with a target of 50% by 2030) and recycling 55% of its manufacturing raw materials (with a target of 100% by 2030). In the value chain, AkzoNobel promotes and utilizes the “Sustainable Product Portfolio Assessment (SPPA)” developed in cooperation with the World Business Council of Sustainable Development. Through the promotion and utilization of the Sustainable Product Portfolio Assessment (SPPA) developed by AkzoNobel in cooperation with the World Business Council of Sustainable Development, sustainable solutions now account for 39% of the Group's revenues, with steady progress towards the target of 50% by 2030.

 

Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel's Global Sustainability Director, also shared that AkzoNobel is the only company in the coatings industry to be recognized by Sustainalytics as an “ESG Industry Top Rated” company. In addition, it is estimated that the solar power plant at Chungli, Taiwan, which will be officially opened this year, will be able to generate 1,170,900 kWh of electricity annually, reducing carbon emissions by 578,425KG/CO2, which is equivalent to 1,5 Daan Forest Park. It is estimated that the plant will generate 1,170,900 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, reducing carbon emissions by 578,425 kilowatt-hours per year, which is equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed by 1.5 Daan Forest Parks in a year.

 

We are honored to have the Group's Global Sustainability Director, as well as many experts from industry, government and academia to participate in AkzoNobel's 'Paint The Future Sustainability Forum',” said Ms. Kitty Ho, General Manager of AkzoNobel Coatings Taiwan. Sustainability has always been an important commitment and mission for us, and we will continue to follow the global guidelines to provide more environmentally friendly and healthy paints in Taiwan, and work with our suppliers, customers and consumers to create a more sustainable construction industry.

 

Nearly 40% of the world's carbon emissions come from buildings, and Noble Akzo is committed to green building.

According to the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), 39% of the world's energy-related carbon emissions come from buildings, 28% of which come from operational emissions, including energy used for heating, cooling and electricity, and the remaining 11% from building materials and construction. In response to the growing interest in net-zero construction, AkzoNobel and Deloitte Coatings are ahead of the curve in deploying a three-pronged approach to green building, which includes supplying low-carbon building materials and solutions, reducing energy consumption during the use and future maintenance phases of buildings, and promoting better air quality in the home, covering all aspects of construction, from building materials, through construction, to the operational use of the building.

 

Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel's Global Director of Sustainability, explains: “Green building is not only about reducing the burden on the environment, but also about improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of buildings. It not only reduces operating costs, but also creates a healthier and more comfortable living and working environment, in which coatings can play a key role. In addition to the significant reduction in carbon emissions that coatings can provide compared to other building materials, we are able to offer innovative technologies that can help cool a space while saving energy, increase the durability of building materials and reduce the frequency of replacement, and we have patented technologies that can help protect indoor air quality, creating a livable space that is healthy for the consumer,” says AkzoNobel's President and Chief Executive Officer. AkzoNobel's group headquarters in the Netherlands and offices around the world, including Poland and Singapore, are certified green buildings.

 

Air Conditioners Top the List of Household Electricity Consumption Deli Coatings Protects the Home Inside and Outside with Professional Innovation

According to the “2022 Encyclopedia of Household Electricity Consumption Information” published by Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in 2023, “air conditioner” (27.64%) is the most popular appliance in Taiwan's residential households in terms of annual electricity consumption, and the proportion of electricity consumption is much higher than that of “refrigerator” (12.49%) and “lighting” (10.43%). With the number of high-temperature days continuing to increase, it becomes a key consideration of product innovation for building materials to assist in cooling down the building and achieve energy-saving effect. As the number of hot days continues to increase, how building materials can help buildings cool down and achieve energy-saving effects will become a key consideration for product innovation.

 

Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel's Global Sustainability Director, cited examples from Singapore and Taiwan during the forum. The innovative “KeepCool” coating technology reflects infrared heat to minimize heat transfer to the interior space, lowering the temperature of building surfaces by at least 5°C. This not only reduces the temperature of the room, but also reduces the amount of energy needed to cool the space.The technology has also been applied to Tak Lee Coatings' “Weather Resistant Rain and Shine Paint for Exterior Walls” series and “Waterborne Thermal Insulation Wave Panel Paint”, the former of which has been applied to a number of Taiwan's public buildings, such as the National Palace Museum.

 

In addition, in response to green building's concern for indoor air quality, DEET Coatings insists on promoting water-based paints in Taiwan to minimize possible environmental hazards caused by solvents in oil-based paints. DEET Coatings also insists on selecting top-notch environmentally friendly raw materials and obtaining low (or no) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), such as the CNS4940 and UL GREENGUARD certifications, to protect wall surfaces and maintain indoor environmental health; the products of DEET Coatings have been applied in many public buildings in Taiwan, such as the National Palace Museum. Deli Paint's interior paint products have also been used in famous architectural cases such as Tao Zhu Hidden Park, Taoyuan Aerospace City, and many factories and offices.

 

In order to plan for the future of sustainable construction and building materials, AkzoNobel and Deloitte Coatings will continue to focus on three major areas, including the development of constant color technology to enhance product durability, and the continuous provision of water-based healthy coating products to reduce the impact on the environment, in order to build a more sustainable, friendly and healthier future for the industry, the community, and the residents.