AkzoNobel Teams Up with BASF to Cut Paint Carbon Footprint by Over 5 Percent Starting Q2

AkzoNobel is taking aggressive action to reduce Scope 3 emissions, revealing a new collaboration with BASF that enables the use of bio-based raw materials in decorative paints across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. By integrating BASF’s Biomass Balance (BMB) feedstocks, AkzoNobel can lower the carbon footprint of select coatings by at least 5%, without changing any formulas or production methods.

This move sends a clear signal that low-carbon alternatives are moving into the mainstream. The BMB approach, which substitutes fossil-based inputs with renewable materials like bio-naphtha and biomethane, is certified by independent auditors. It allows BASF to supply acrylic binders—a core ingredient in paint—with significantly reduced environmental impact.

Wijnand Bruinsma, AkzoNobel’s Sustainability Director, emphasized that this partnership represents a scalable model for reducing emissions in high-volume markets. “Any paint made with this method has a minimum 5% smaller footprint compared to the same product made from 100% fossil resources,” he noted.

Dr. Jörg Niebergall, BASF’s SVP of European Operations, stated, “Our role is to empower partners like AkzoNobel with not just materials, but tools and data to guide smarter sustainability decisions. This partnership shows our shared resolve toward a more climate-resilient future.”

AkzoNobel plans to launch an upgraded Dulux Easycare line in the UK in Q2 2025, marking its first use of BMB-certified acrylic binders. The move also supports AkzoNobel’s broader ambition to secure RedCert2 certification across all relevant European sites—a recognized standard for mass balance in the chemical sector.

Bruinsma concluded, “We cannot tackle Scope 3 alone. Collaboration like this is how we accelerate real, system-wide change.”