Product scorecard

Sustainability is about much more than Carbon Footprint. Our Sustainability Product Scorecard covers a range of additional impacts and benefits of a product or a coating system, giving you a full overview of sustainability performance.

Developed in collaboration with the global sustainability consultancy, Anthesis, our Sustainability Product Scorecard is based on recognised international standards. It provides a complete overview of a product’s environmental impact, material circularity and chemical metrics, so you can make better-informed decisions in line with your sustainability priorities.

Interested in learning more? The section below provides detailed insights into the Hempel Sustainability Product Scorecard, including the individual metrics and their calculation methods.

Product Carbon Footprint measures the greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout a product's lifecycle, from raw material extraction and transportation through to manufacturing and product use. Carbon Footprint data is increasingly important in product selection, as it enables companies to make strategic product choices to lower carbon footprint throughout their supply chain.

In addition, as fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource, water consumption is now a key measure in sustainability performance.

CO₂e, Embodied
Embodied CO₂-equivalent emissions (CO₂e) include all carbon emissions from Hempel’s side. We show combined CO₂ data from raw materials, in-bound transport and product manufacturing for each product.
- Unit: g CO₂e/m² (grams of emitted CO₂e per m² of product per year, when applied at the specified Dry film thickness). The lower the number, the better.
- Calculation method: Using a lifecycle assessment methodology and Global Warming Potential indicator (ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint H) characterization factors.
  
  Primary company-specific data is used for manufacturing processes
  
  Secondary data from the Raw Materials LCI Database for the European Coatings and Printing Ink Industries (CEPE v3.0) is used for raw materials
  
  Secondary data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (formerly DEFRA) is used for in-bound transportation
Water, Embodied
Fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource. As a result, water consumption is now a key measure in sustainability performance. For each product, we show combined water consumption data from raw material extraction/production and product manufacturing.
- Unit: l/m²/year (litres of water consumed per m² of product per year, when applied at the specified dry film thickness). The lower the number, the better.
- Calculation method: Using a lifecycle assessment methodology.
  
  Primary company-specific data is used for manufacturing processes
  
  Secondary data from EcoInvent (v3.7) database is used for raw materials
CO₂e, Downstream
Downstream CO₂-equivalent emissions (CO₂e) include carbon emissions related to the energy used during surface preparation and application as well as any volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted during and after application of product.
- Unit: g CO₂e/m²/year (grams of emitted CO₂e per m² of product per year, when applied at the specified dry film thickness). The lower the number, the better.
- Calculation method: Using a lifecycle assessment methodology.
  
  Secondary data from literature for industry average emissions from preparation and application processes is used
  
  Emissions from VOC evaporation calculated using the carbon content of xylene as representative average of all VOCs in a product

*The value our customers get from our solutions is X square meter of asset protected and beautified for X number of years, that is why we normalize the Environment metrics to per square meter and per year to see the full sustainability impacts and benefits.

As the global population increases, competition for resources is intensifying. This is putting pressure on companies to do more with less. When designing products, we aim to provide the highest possible durability at the lowest possible dry film thickness, so your assets last longer and you use less paint.

Paint consumption
Choosing products with a low paint consumption improves your sustainability performance as fewer resources are required, leading to reduced emissions during production and application. We display paint consumption data as the amount of paint required for the system to achieve the required performance.
- Unit: ml/m²/year (litres of paint required per m² of product per year, when applied at the specified dry film thickness). The lower the number, the better.
Durability
For a coating system, durability is key. High durability extends asset lifetime and reduces maintenance, leading to significant cost savings and emission reductions over the asset’s entire lifecycle. Put simply, the longer the asset lasts – with limited or no maintenance – the fewer resources are needed. We show durability data as the length of a time a painted asset should remain in service with the correct maintenance.
- Unit: Years. The higher the number, the better.

As our products contain chemicals, it is relevant to compare the hazard profile of different solutions, so you can make better-informed product choices. We constantly strive to reduce the use of potentially hazardous chemicals in our products.

Due to growing regulations and awareness, customers increasingly demand lower volatile organic compound (VOC) and biocide levels. We have made VOC and biocide reduction a key priority and therefore showcase the quantity of these in our solutions.

Product hazard

We assess the chemicals in our products using hazard classifications according to the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
Chemical safety

The chemical safety score is based on the product hazard combined with the applicator type (consumer/professional), application location and method (spray/brush & roller).
VOC content
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can negatively impact air quality and human health. Many countries have clear guidelines and/or regulations for the amount of VOC allowed in paint products. If this is unavailable, we use the EU legislative VOC for the relevant product (except products applied in North America).
- Unit: g/m² (grams of VOC per m² of product, when applied at the specified dry film thickness). The lower the number, the better.
Biocides content
Biocides can negatively impact the environment, but they are a tool for protecting ships and marine structures from biofouling. Many countries regulate biocidal products to minimize environmental risks and all Hempel antifouling coatings comply with any relevant national or regional regulation. Our solutions can provide improved performance with a minimal biocidal content.
- Unit: g/m² (grams of biocides present per m2 of product, when applied at the specified dry film thickness). The lower the number, the better.

Whether you need a quick overview of a product’s carbon footprint or a detailed sustainability report, we’ve got you covered.

Our online Coating System Selector tool makes it simple for you to choose the ideal coating system for your project based on your requirements.

The tool includes four key sustainability metrics (Carbon Footprint, paint consumption, durability and VOC content), so you can include sustainability in your product search, right from the start.

Try it now