Environment

Climate Change

Our plan

INEOS supports the Paris Agreement to keep global warming well below 2°C—and ideally below 1.5°C—and we aim to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 through collaboration with governments and other stakeholders.

We are implementing climate roadmaps at our sites, reducing scope 1 and 2 emissions,  compared to 2019 levels. Our roadmaps are built around emission reductions such as energy switching, process optimisation, and carbon capture. 

We are not just acting to reduce our own emissions, though. We play a key role in enabling climate transition across society too. Our coatings and resins improve the efficiency of solar panels and make large wind turbines possible; our solvents and electrolytes facilitate carbon capture and green hydrogen production; and our light-weight plastics and insulation materials save energy in vehicles and buildings. We are also Europe’s largest co-producer of low-carbon hydrogen and offer an extensive range of recycled and bio-attributed products with a low carbon footprint.

Our contribution to climate transition is not limited to our products. As the leading partner in Project Greensand, we are now preparing for commercial scale storage of CO₂ in the geology deep below the Danish North Sea. The Greensand plan is to scale up storage to 8 million tonnes a year by 2030, helping deliver national as well as European climate goals. We are also building a €4 billion facility in Antwerp—Project ONE—that will be the most energy-efficient ethane cracker in Europe. By investing in cutting-edge facilities like Project ONE, we can displace older technologies with higher emissions.

Our progress

As of 2024, INEOS’ emissions are 23% lower than 2019 and our energy consumption has fallen by 16%. While this is partly due to lower production levels, it also reflects the progress made with climate roadmaps across our sites.

In terms of progress with site roadmaps in 2024, we started work on a 310 MW solar power plant in Texas that is projected to reduce the emissions of our O&P US business by approximately 290,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year. We also signed a new Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to source wind power for our Zwijndrecht site, adding to our existing PPAs that should reduce our emissions by millions of tonnes over their lifetime. At our Feluy and Jemeppe sites we opened solar farms, and in Eagle Ford we started to connect our wells to the grid. In parallel, we optimised steam systems, reactors, and distillation columns at several sites and advanced with a new salt plant in Tavaux that uses mechanical vapour recompression technology.

In addition to advancing with site roadmaps, Project Greensand passed a major milestone in 2024, completing its pilot phase and receiving a final investment decision. The project is now ready to store CO2 on a commercial scale. A CO2 terminal is being built in Port Esbjerg and we are putting in place commercial agreements. We have also launched a CO2 vessel and aim to start storing CO2 on a commercial scale by the end of 2025 or early 2026.

Circular Economy

Our plan

When we produce waste we ensure it is correctly classified when sent for treatment or disposal and that hazardous waste is disposed of responsibly in accordance with regulations. 

To support the transition to a circular and bio-based economy, we are incorporating recycled and renewable content into our products at a number of locations. We have an extensive range of certified polymers and chemicals made with mechanically recycled material and sustainably sourced biomass. We are also exploring opportunities to use recycled monomers and feedstocks in our processes to make virgin-quality products from hard-to-recycle plastic waste. Our sustainable products reduce reliance on fossil materials and offer significant GHG savings–in some cases reducing emissions by over 100% when accounting for removals and emissions across the lifecycle.

To help tackle end-of-life plastic waste, we are investing in advanced recycling and collaborating with partners across the value chain. This has included piloting dissolution technologies to recycle hard-to-recycle PVC composites and PVC that contains legacy additives. We are also the principal contributor to VinylPlus—a voluntary European scheme that has recycled over 8 million tonnes of PVC since 2008 and aims to reach 1 million tonnes per year by 2030. In addition, we work with customers through our Design for Recycling initiative to enhance the recyclability of plastic applications, supporting higher downstream recycling rates.

Our progress

INEOS has launched over 30 new mechanically recycled polymer ranges, and our portfolio of bio-attributed products now extends to PVC, styrenics, epichlorohydrin, phenol, acetone, alphamethylstyrene, cumene, polyolefins, and ethylene oxide. In 2024, we secured a source of recycled styrene monomer for our Antwerp plant that will enable us to produce fully circular, virgin-quality polystyrene. We also made our first sales of bio-attributed acrylonitrile and our sustainable plastics were chosen for use in many new applications, such as toys, headphones, printers, pipelines, and stadium seating. In addition, we set up a groundbreaking pilot line at our R&D centre in Brussels to work with customers on developing recyclable, single-material, flexible packaging using Machine Direction Orientation technology.

Water

Our plan

INEOS is committed to using water sustainably in its operations in the interests of communities and the natural environment and we recognise the human right to clean water and sanitation.

Our sites closely monitor their water withdrawals, discharges, and consumption in accordance with permit conditions, and many have environmental management systems in place in line with ISO 14001. We screen our sites to identify those in areas of high water stress and those facing high water-related risks. We seek to implement best available techniques to reuse and recycle water, especially in areas where water is scarce. The Project ONE cracker that INEOS is constructing in Antwerp has been designed to minimise water consumption by using demineralised water in the cooling circuits, collecting and reusing rainwater, and treating different effluent sources.

Our progress

In 2024, our sites recycled or reused 221.6 Mm3 of water through closed-loop water systems, rainwater harvesting, and other efficient practices. This is equivalent to 19% of our water withdrawal. Throughout the year, we implemented various measures to further optimise water consumption in high water stress areas. In Geel, we started to reuse purified condensate in our dehydration towers, reducing freshwater consumption by over 30 m3 per hour. In Zwijndrecht, we advanced with plans to invest in a treatment plant that will purify wastewater for reuse, with the potential to reduce freshwater consumption by up to 1.8 Mm3 a year. And in Antwerp, we joined 11 other chemical companies in launching the CHERISH2O project to develop innovative solutions for wastewater purification and reuse in the port area.

Emissions

Our plan

Our manufacturing plants are regulated by licences to operate that require us to adhere to emissions limits in all jurisdictions where we operate. We promote sustainable chemistry in our operations and value chains in the interest of communities and ecosystems. As a signatory to the Responsible Care Global Charter and Operation Clean Sweep initiative, we have pledged to manage chemicals safely throughout their lifecycle and stop plastic pellet loss through effective product stewardship.

We have strict procedures in place to prevent accidental leaks at our sites and provide emergency response in the rare event of a serious incident. Sites are audited regularly and results are reported to INEOS’ shareholders, with performance-related incentives to drive improvement. INEOS sites monitor and control emissions to air, soil, and water in keeping with strict permit conditions. They seek to implement best practices to reduce air emissions, such as low NOx burners and Regenerative Thermal Oxidisers. They ensure wastewater is appropriately treated in line with local regulations before discharge.

INEOS carries out effective product stewardship and product innovation to lower impacts. We have a company-wide network in place to deliver excellence in product stewardship across our businesses. This includes publishing Safety Data Sheets for all our products and ensuring they are correctly labelled, so customers know how to handle and use our chemicals safely in full compliance with regulations such as REACH and the CLP Regulation. We also work to replace substances of concern and substances of very high concern, where feasible, with sustainable alternatives.

INEOS is determined to keep plastic in the economy and out of the environment. We strive to achieve zero loss of pellets, flakes, and powders in our operations and value chains. Our polymer sites have installed containment technologies, such as filters, extractors, air blowers, and rumble strips, and we train our employees and hauliers on best practices. We require our suppliers to manage plastic pellets responsibly through our Supplier Code of Conduct in keeping with Operation Clean Sweep.

Our progress

Through effective management, INEOS has reduced the number of leaks involving at least one-tenth of the US CERCLA reportable quantity by more than 50% over the past decade. In 2024, we also took further steps to strengthen emissions management. We commissioned a new waste treatment plant at our Porsgrunn site and progressed with a similar facility in Jemeppe to safely discharge wastewater from PVC manufacturing. At our Geel site, we advanced with plans to invest in physicochemical treatment and ultrafiltration to reduce cobalt levels in wastewater discharged to the river Grote Nete. Additionally, in 2024 11 INEOS sites were independently audited and certified under Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) for their plastic pellet loss prevention systems.

Biodiversity

Our plan

INEOS recognises the importance of protecting biodiversity and ecosystems that support life on Earth and welcomes the COP15 global biodiversity framework.

Our sites manage local impacts on nature in line with regulations, permit conditions, and environmental impact assessments. This includes putting in place buffer zones, controlling emissions of pollutants, establishing robust emergency response plans, undertaking forest compensation schemes, and managing light and noise so as not to disturb wildlife during migration and breeding periods.

Beyond local measures, we seek to manage our impacts on nature by reducing our GHG emissions, facilitating climate transition in society, and delivering excellence in product stewardship. We also seek to make a positive contribution to nature by undertaking conservation projects that prevent biodiversity loss and restore ecosystems.

Our progress

INEOS is the principal supporter of the Six Rivers Project that aims to reverse the decline of North Atlantic Salmon through riverside reforestation, upstream egg planting, fishing controls, and smolt tagging. We are also supporting community enterprise schemes in Zambia that help restore forestry in a 120,000 hectare region threatened by illegal charcoal production, logging, mining, and poaching. In Tanzania, INEOS is partnering with Asilia Africa on an ecotourism initiative that generates funding to protect the Selous Game Reserve and Ruaha National Park—home to 10% of the world’s lion population.