With the impact of climate change becoming increasingly evident, it is clear that we need to take action. The responsibility for tackling climate-based action falls on everyone – from individuals and communities through to Governments and industry. In fact, industry has a major responsibility, with research indicating that the industrial sector was responsible for consuming 37% of global energy in 20221 , while contributing to 23% of greenhouse gas emissions in 20212.
Long-term positive action[AG1] [NH2]
These are critical issues and, as a world leader in industrial process fluids, Quaker Houghton takes its responsibilities seriously. We are fully invested in reviewing our products and practices, and taking positive, long-term action for the sake of our customers, our industry, and the world beyond. And that is precisely the driver behind our holistic See BeyondTM strategy.
Strong and steady progress
Quaker Houghton’s commitment to sustainability is long-established and delivered through four key pillars: Innovating Together For A Better Tomorrow, Protecting Our Planet, Empowering Our Colleagues And Communities, and Sourcing Our Materials Responsibly. Each is given full support at the Executive and Board Levels, ensuring steady and incremental progress toward our targets as we evolve and strengthen our focus. Embedded within our corporate enterprise, this strategy informs our choices and the targets we set - not least the overarching objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050. Closely aligned with key UN Sustainable Development Goals, we are steadily transitioning our business model to support a low-carbon economy.
Across our business, we are taking positive and measurable steps to minimise our environmental impact. Recent milestones include eliminating CMR hazards from 97.8% of our fluids portfolio – with a 100% target by 2030. At our US sites, we are also sourcing 52% of our electricity from renewable energy, accelerating the achievement of our greenhouse gas emissions targets. Moreover, 7% of our raw materials are currently re-refined and 25% are renewable which have been known to reduce product carbon footprint.
Going beyond environmental targets
We recognise however that sustainability goes beyond environmental targets. Among many global work streams, we are improving the workplace by incrementally lowering our total recordable incident rate (TRIR) and increasing diversity, equity and inclusivity across our business, including minority ethnic and female representation. We also encourage employee volunteering on local community projects. Last but not least, we are working with our supply chain to promote more sustainable sourcing and best practices in their operations. Today for example, 50% of our palm oil is fully segregated through the RSPO and we are actively leveraging the EcoVadis platform to audit the sustainability performance of our suppliers.
This multi-faceted strategy demonstrates how we are committed to seeing beyond the usual environmental parameters of sustainability to have a wider reaching impact. It has also contributed to Quaker Houghton appearing on Newsweek's 2023 List of America's Most Responsible Companies for the second consecutive year.
An absolute commitment
Our commitment to this journey is absolute, and our work has and will continue to have, a far broader impact beyond our operations and our customers’ performance. As we rise to the new challenges ahead, we want to go above and beyond in our work and positively impact the lives and organizations we touch - socially, economically, and environmentally. We are serious about making a real, ongoing, and long-term difference in each area, and have recognised the need for a clear and unifying vision to focus our work. The result is ‘See BeyondTM’, a new overarching strategy which brings together all of our existing sustainability initiatives under one roof and acts as a roadmap for how we will think, act, and evolve as a business. [SB3] [NH4]
At a corporate level, this means strengthening business practices by embedding sustainability into every aspect of operations and decision-making. Commercially, it focuses on enabling our customers to achieve their own sustainable growth ambitions. One of the main ways we do this is by developing innovative solutions which help customers reduce their product[JS5] , water and energy consumption, reduce their waste output and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reduce human health hazards across value chains.
The bigger picture
See BeyondTM works on many different levels. As its name suggests, it is a mindset firmly focused on tomorrow, not today, in achieving long-term gains, not just short-term impact. It is about taking care of the small details while also being able to see the bigger picture. It is about looking beyond our own sector and seeing the broader needs of communities and the planet. It is about going further, doing more, and continually looking to improve. Equally, it is a rallying call for everyone on this journey to think bigger.
Going beyond with fluid innovation
It is also about pushing the boundaries of fluid innovation, investing in R&D to develop our product range, and transition, over time, to high-performance, sustainable solutions. This has already begun, with initiatives including the introduction of our Green Chemistry guidelines, the adoption of renewable and re-refined lubricants and reclassifying our portfolio according to environmental impact. We’re also moving steadily towards formulating with increased renewable raw materials.
Importantly, we believe that sustainability goes beyond just the chemistry of the product.
Through our FLUID INTELLIGENCE™ ecosystem of process fluids, application expertise, equipment, and software or example, Quaker Houghton is enabling customers – and the wider industry – to reduce the consumption of process fluids, water, energy, and GHG emissions. Correctly deployed, this approach can in turn help reduce scrappage and waste and protect equipment from unplanned downtime, extending service life and productivity. Carrying a reduced health risk also contributes to human well-being and supports improvements to safety and social outcomes.
These are not simply long-term objectives. Measurable improvements are already being delivered at customer locations worldwide. In 2022, for example, we combined Quaker Houghton insight and technologies to save some 21,000 metric tonnes of waste at QH FLUIDCARE™ partner locations. At the plant of a transportation industry customer, the conversion of 65 machines helped reduce water consumption by 50%. In 2022, we also reduced consumption of Methylenebismorpholine F[NH6] (MBM) across[JS7] EMEA by 44% (compared to 2021), reducing human health hazards.
See BeyondTM then means looking at both the products' chemistry and their broader capacity in application to deliver sustainable improvements.
Going beyond short-term financial benefit
While Quaker Houghton’s solutions can deliver immediate financial gains for business, See BeyondTM is also about understanding how improving operational performance can help create sustainable growth and long-term economic value for customers, as well as local and global economies – while making the whole industrial landscape fairer, safer and more sustainable. Equally, while our solutions contribute to reducing GHG emissions and minimizing our customers’ carbon footprint, these benefits reach far beyond their factory walls and contribute, in small incremental steps, to protecting the wider environment for generations to come.
Going beyond transactional relationships
Finally, in line with Quaker Houghton’s strategy of ‘customer intimacy,’ See BeyondTM refers to building relationships which go well beyond a simple transactional exchange. Instead, by establishing solid partnerships, understanding each challenge, and using expertise and experience, Quaker Houghton can work closely with customers to drive ongoing improvements into their businesses and the well-being of communities and the planet. We aim to become the trusted partner to the world’s leading manufacturers, helping advance the world safely and sustainably.
For years, Quaker Houghton has had a clear sustainability strategy. With See BeyondTM, we now have a powerful framework which underpins all our work and demonstrates how we act tangibly and measurably to become a global leader in sustainable process fluid solutions. It positions our agenda not just as a business imperative but as a creator of social change, strong economic growth, and positive environmental benefit – for our customers, investors, communities, and, most of all, our planet.
To learn more about See BeyondTM and how Quaker Houghton’s sustainability initiatives can drive improvements into and beyond your operations, please visit our website or contact us directly
About Quaker Houghton
Quaker Houghton is the global leader in industrial process fluids. With a presence around the world, including operations in over 25 countries, our customers include thousands of the world's most advanced and specialized steel, aluminum, automotive, aerospace, offshore, can, mining, and metalworking companies. Our high-performing, innovative and sustainable solutions are backed by best-in-class technology, deep process knowledge and customized services. With approximately 4,700 employees, including chemists, engineers and industry experts, we partner with our customers to improve their operations so they can run even more efficiently, even more effectively, whatever comes next. Quaker Houghton is headquartered in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, located near Philadelphia in the United States. Visit quakerhoughton.com to learn more.
[AG1]Stylistically, I prefer titles to have caps, but I defer to you (i.e. Long-Term Positive Action; Strong and Steady Progress).
[NH2]I believe sentence case is the QH standard
[SB3]How is this new for our external audience?
[NH4]I have added the words 'new overarching' to make it clear that this is a new initiative.
[JS5]I have tried to make this sentence work better but it still doesn't quite work for me - we need to get over the reduce, reduce etc at each point
[NH6]This 'F' has appeared in the text, but I couldn't find a reference to it. Is it required?
[JS7]Need to say what MBM is
