Sherwin-Williams committed to global sustainability, innovation

Sherwin-Williams, an innovator in paint and coatings in the world for more than 155 years, embraces an enterprise-wide approach to sustainability by striving to integrate it into every part of its business, including its product innovation and development processes and in product delivery to its valued customers worldwide.

"Our company's sustainability strategies include 2030 Global Environmental Footprint goals which were designed to complement the sustainability timelines of China. More importantly, we have been making continued progress in this journey," said Jason Wu, regional president of Sherwin-Williams Asia.

Sherwin-Williams Global Environmental Footprint goals include reducing absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent, increasing electricity from renewable sources to 50 percent of total electricity usage, increasing operational energy efficiency by 20 percent and reducing waste disposal intensity by 25 percent, compared with a 2019 baseline.

China has set forth a dual carbon national goal of reaching peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.

"In addition to embracing an enterprise-wide approach to sustainability strategies and initiatives, Sherwin-Williams has the necessary know-how, scale, well-oiled business systems and determination to continue its progress globally, including in China," Wu said.

Founded in 1866, Sherwin-Williams has developed into an innovative player in the coatings and paints sector.

With 132 manufacturing and distribution facilities and 61,000-plus employees in more than 120 countries and regions, it recorded a revenue of $19.9 billion in 2021.

The company tapped into Asia in 1930 with its regional headquarters established in Shanghai.

It has been contributing efforts to China and the industry to raise standards applicable to the paint and coatings industry, rapidly expanding its presence in China with six plants and five research and development facilities built and established in the region.

"Since our inception in the China market, we have been striving to build our entire business ecosystem there — from manufacturing, R&D, service and quality assurance to sales and marketing — to better enable Sherwin-Williams to integrate the company vision in China in full swing," Wu said.

Currently, Sherwin-Williams offers a portfolio of products and solutions designed to meet the varying needs of the construction, consumer, industrial, packaging and transportation sectors in China.

The company has been actively contributing to efforts in China and the industry to raise standards applicable to the paint and coatings industry.

The Huarun Coating Test Center of Sherwin-Williams in Guangdong province was certified by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment for its quality control system and high-profile tech innovation.

In addition, the company partnered with approximately 20 industry associations and players to prepare a national standard named Odor Evaluation of Wood Coatings and Finishing Products, which was officially released in April and implemented on July 20.

"We are fully aware that sustainability is important to the future of the China market and have been working on this for quite some time. We have made significant investments in R&D locally in line with meeting our customer needs. For instance, in Asia, we strive to increase the proportion of products with VOCs lower than 420g/L to more than 90 percent," said Wu.

Sherwin-Williams takes a continuous improvement approach to reducing its carbon emissions, energy use and waste, while expanding its sourcing of renewable energy and recycling methods.

Through Sherwin-Williams Sustainability by Design program, the company considers sustainability attributes in innovation and product development processes within its five-stage Stage-Gate process.

"We have established strong business fundamentals, and the setting of the company's 2030 Global Environmental Footprint goals reflects an acceleration of our sustainability journey. We are committed to progressing toward these goals and driving our other sustainability strategies and initiatives," Wu concluded.