Covestro Completes Digitalization of product-specific life cycle assessments

Annual update of environmental data for approximately 50,000 finished products available within the second half of 2025; Methodology for calculation certified by TÜV Rheinland

“Digitalization enables us to gather and process larger data sets automated, while reflecting timely changes at our production sites. No more manual Excel lists and manual calculations. This increases efficiency and makes annual data updates easier. Only through digitalization we can access and analyze real data efficiently enough.” Dr. Torsten Heinemann, Global Head of Group Innovation and Sustainability, Covestro

Digitalization is a major driver to improve sustainability and achieve full circularity. Covestro is focusing on more data-centric business management to achieve digital transformation and to offer its customers transparency for its products.
The climate impact of Covestro in the manufacture of its products can be assessed using the product carbon footprint from cradle to gate, which can now be calculated automatically for about 50,000 finished products. The methodology for the automated calculation of life cycle assessment (LCA) of Covestro including the product carbon footprint (PCF) is certified by TÜV Rheinland. It complies with relevant ISO standards and Together for Sustainability (TfS).
“Digitalization enables us to gather and process larger data sets automated, while reflecting timely changes at our production sites. No more manual Excel lists and manual calculations. This increases efficiency and makes annual data updates easier. Only through digitalization we can access and analyze real data efficiently enough,” said Dr. Torsten Heinemann, Global Head of Group Innovation and Sustainability. Digitalization is also the basis for data sharing along the value chain. For example, the data from Covestro tool may be integrated into exchange platforms like Catena-X or SiGreen to enable a harmonized data exchange with partners up- and downstream.

Covestro calculated LCA data for products: Covestro determines the specific product carbon footprint and further environmental impact categories for its products. Covestro will provide its customers with LCA data on the products in sale, thereby contributing to emissions assessments and potential subsequent emissions reductions on the customers’ side.
With this milestone achieved, Covestro demonstrates its willingness to walk towards full circularity and climate neutrality by improving data accuracy.
Raw material impact data are collected directly from suppliers or are taken from external databases, while other input data, such as energy consumption and waste, are sourced from company Enterprise Resource Planning systems, such as SAP. In addition to the carbon footprint, Covestro offers five other environmental impact categories that the company considers to be key, amongst others the acidification- or photochemical ozone creation potential.
“We announced in Summer 2023 that we started the process. Within this year, we will have data for the around 50,000 products, based on our present product portfolio. They will be updated annually from now on. This means we are going beyond the current market standard and demonstrating our leadership in driving this topic forward,” said Dr. Heinemann.

Partnership essential to boost Circular Economy: Across the entire value chain, collaboration and partnerships are crucial to achieve meaningful progress, especially in the exchange of vital data. Covestro relies on its suppliers to provide detailed information on the environmental impact of their products, while customers depend on Covestro to deliver accurate data for their own LCA calculations. Beyond individual exchanges, partnerships with industry initiatives such as TfS are essential to establish standardized methods in chemical industry, enabling this data becomes more comparable across companies.
Covestro is sharing data to drive the entire value chain towards a circular economy. By calculating LCAs and increasing transparency, all stakeholders can collaborate more effectively to identify opportunities for reducing environmental impact—especially greenhouse gas emissions—and advancing sustainability goals.
Transparency is key to fostering these partnerships. A seamless exchange along the value chain enables access to more detailed and reliable data, supporting informed decision-making and sustainable progress.

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