BASF, Akzo Nobel, and Arkema Partner to Drive Carbon Footprint Reduction in Architectural Powder Coatings
Innovative collaboration achieves up to 40% lower emissions using bio-attributed materials and precision product carbon footprint data
In a landmark move for the global coatings and chemical industries, BASF, Akzo Nobel, and Arkema have announced a strategic collaboration aimed at drastically reducing the carbon footprint of superdurable architectural powder coatings. The partnership marks a new chapter in sustainable material innovation, leveraging bio-attributed raw materials and supplier-specific carbon data to lower embedded emissions across the construction value chain.
The initiative focuses on Akzo Nobel’s Interpon D range, which is now reported to achieve up to 40% lower emissions compared to conventional coatings. This milestone is the result of an end-to-end approach integrating advanced raw materials from BASF and Arkema’s low-emission resins with Akzo Nobel’s formulation expertise.
Together, the three industry leaders are proving that collaboration across the value chain is not only possible but essential in meeting the coatings sector’s climate neutrality targets.
Reimagining Coatings for a Sustainable Future
The construction and architecture sectors are under increasing pressure to reduce embodied carbon — the emissions associated with producing, transporting, and applying building materials. Architectural powder coatings, used for finishing aluminum facades, window frames, and other exterior structures, represent a significant opportunity for climate impact reduction.
By redesigning the chemistry behind these coatings, BASF, Arkema, and Akzo Nobel are tackling a traditionally emission-intensive segment. Their collective innovation ensures that the final products are not only high-performing and durable but also aligned with the global transition to low-carbon building materials.
According to the announcement, the partners have moved away from industry-average emission data and adopted supplier-specific Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) values — a shift that enhances transparency, traceability, and accuracy. This enables architects, developers, and manufacturers to make informed sustainability choices based on real, verified carbon data.
“Accurate carbon data is the backbone of responsible innovation,” the companies jointly stated. “By combining renewable feedstocks with verified PCF data, we are enabling our customers to design with confidence and contribute meaningfully to climate goals.”
Bio-Attributed Materials: The Core of Carbon Reduction
At the core of this collaboration lies the use of bio-attributed neopentyl glycol (NPG), supplied by BASF, which carries a product carbon footprint of zero. Derived from renewable, bio-based sources, this NPG replaces fossil-based materials without compromising performance or stability.
Arkema then utilizes BASF’s bio-attributed NPG to produce polyester resins — the primary ingredient in Akzo Nobel’s Interpon D powder coatings. These resins form the foundation of durable coatings that protect buildings against harsh environmental conditions while significantly lowering the embedded carbon associated with production.
This bio-attributed chain — from BASF’s renewable feedstock to Arkema’s sustainable resins and Akzo Nobel’s coatings — reflects a circular, low-impact innovation model that other industrial sectors can emulate.
“This is a perfect example of how upstream and downstream players can collaborate for measurable climate impact,” noted sustainability experts within the coatings industry. “It moves beyond claims and focuses on verifiable, data-driven carbon reduction.”
40% Lower Emissions: Measurable Progress Toward Climate Goals
According to Akzo Nobel, the revamped Interpon D range achieves up to 40% lower CO₂ emissions, depending on formulation and application. The achievement was validated through a detailed industry case study that outlined the methodology and results of the new production process.
The coatings are now being produced in Europe using bio-attributed raw materials, with the company planning to expand this approach globally. In addition to the existing Interpon D color collections, Akzo Nobel has also incorporated the innovation into its Low-E (low-embedded carbon) architectural powder coatings, aligning its product lines with both EU Green Deal objectives and the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
The initiative’s results go beyond reducing carbon emissions. The improved coatings help enhance building lifecycle sustainability, reduce waste, and support green certification frameworks such as LEED and BREEAM, making them ideal for developers seeking eco-friendly construction solutions.
Precision Through Product Carbon Footprint Data
One of the most notable aspects of this partnership is the use of supplier-specific Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) data. Traditionally, companies relied on industry-average figures to estimate emissions, which often obscured the real environmental impact of production processes.
By introducing PCF data directly from material suppliers like BASF and Arkema, Akzo Nobel can calculate emissions with far greater accuracy. This transparency reflects process efficiencies, renewable energy use, and region-specific variations, allowing for tailored sustainability reporting and accountability.
Such precision is crucial as regulatory frameworks and green procurement standards increasingly demand verified carbon disclosures. With this data-driven model, the three partners are setting a new industry benchmark for transparency in carbon accounting.
Driving the Industry Toward Climate Neutrality
The collaboration between BASF, Akzo Nobel, and Arkema represents more than a single innovation — it signals a broader transformation of how industrial materials are produced and valued. The companies plan to extend this methodology to additional coatings and resins, encouraging other manufacturers to adopt bio-attributed raw materials and data-driven emissions monitoring.
This initiative also aligns with global climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and Goal 13 (Climate Action).
By pioneering new low-carbon pathways, the three partners are showing that collaborative innovation can accelerate entire industries toward climate neutrality without sacrificing quality, aesthetics, or performance.
“Reducing the carbon footprint of coatings is not just a technical challenge — it’s an opportunity to rethink the value chain,” said an Akzo Nobel spokesperson. “Through partnerships like this, we’re turning sustainability into a shared business advantage.”
A Blueprint for the Future of Sustainable Manufacturing
The partnership also sets an example of how data transparency, renewable materials, and cross-industry collaboration can drive measurable change. By sharing their case study publicly, BASF, Akzo Nobel, and Arkema are encouraging open innovation and helping competitors and policymakers alike to understand what scalable carbon reduction looks like.
As sustainability becomes a core expectation in every sector, this model may soon extend to other domains such as automotive coatings, industrial manufacturing, and consumer goods.
With the building and construction industries responsible for nearly 40% of global CO₂ emissions, innovations like the Interpon D range could become critical levers for net-zero transformation worldwide.
Collaboration as the Catalyst for Carbon Footprint Reduction
The alliance between BASF, Akzo Nobel, and Arkema illustrates a simple but powerful truth: the path to carbon neutrality is collaborative, data-driven, and innovation-led.
By combining bio-attributed materials with supplier-specific carbon data, these industry leaders are redefining what responsible manufacturing looks like. The result — a 40% reduction in emissions for one of the world’s most widely used coating ranges — is a tangible step forward in building a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future.
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