On April 14, 2026, the global chemical and consumer goods giant Henkel announced its latest medium-term sustainability targets for 2030. Building on the company’s 150-year heritage, the group announced a holistic strategic shift that includes accelerating climate protection, deepening the circular economy, establishing global equal opportunity, and implementing stricter controls over supply chains. This new direction is not just a theoretical guideline but a system of hard, quantified quotas that transparently measure the improvement of the company’s ecological and social footprint.
Strategic Foundations: Purposeful Growth and Value Chain Transformation
Henkel’s official press release highlights that the new sustainability targets are the result of a comprehensive strategic decision. The goal is to maximize positive environmental and social impacts across the company’s entire value chain. This integrated approach is a core element of Henkel’s “purposeful growth agenda.” According to management, by setting these new, ambitious, yet tangible goals, the company is launching a new cycle focusing on three main priority areas: accelerating the path to net-zero emissions and the circular economy, globally promoting employee equal opportunity, and fostering industry cooperation for more sustainable supply chains.
Climate Protection and Circular Economy Figures: On the Path to Net-Zero
In the fight against climate change, Henkel has charted a firm emission reduction path for the period leading up to 2030. The company has committed to the following:
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Reducing its absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 (direct emissions, and indirect emissions related to purchased energy) greenhouse gas emissions by 42 percent compared to the 2021 base year.
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In parallel, reducing its absolute Scope 3 (other indirect emissions within the value chain) emissions by 30 percent.
Regarding the energy transition, the company has already achieved significant results: 89 percent of its globally consumed electricity currently comes from certified renewable sources.
Regarding the strengthening of the Circular Economy, packaging goals have also become significantly stricter. By 2030, Henkel plans to increase the proportion of recycled plastic used in its consumer packaging to at least 35 percent. The report reveals that this proportion currently stands at 28 percent, meaning an intensive growth of 7 percentage points must be achieved in the coming years. Furthermore, the company stated that by the end of the decade, 100 percent of its packaging must be designed and manufactured based on the “designed for recycling” principle; in this critical design area, Henkel’s indicator has already reached an exceptionally high level of 88 percent.
Equal Opportunity in Management: Standardized Gender Ratios and Eradicating the Wage Gap
Alongside environmental protection, the company’s social responsibility has also been given a prominent and quantified role. In the spirit of global gender equity, Henkel aims to achieve a fully balanced gender ratio within its leadership. By the 2030 deadline, the company strives to ensure that the representation of both genders (men and women) at every single level of management is at least 45 percent.
This ambitious quota is realistic, as according to the company’s official data, the proportion of women in management had already exceeded 43 percent by the end of 2025. This represents a major milestone and proves the tangible impact of previous corporate measures. In addition to equal management representation, eliminating the global wage gap has also entered Henkel’s crosshairs: the company has an explicit commitment to ensuring global pay equity for all its employees worldwide.
Sustainable Supply Chains: A Strict Set of Criteria for Suppliers
The third strategic pillar is guaranteeing the sustainability of the global supplier network. Henkel is intensifying cooperation with its partners while systematically evaluating their performance in the areas of safety, health, environment, social standards, and fair business practices.
According to the 2030 target, Henkel expects 85 percent of its suppliers to fully comply with the specific sustainability criteria and standards set by the company. Achieving this significant proportion is enabled by cross-sector industry collaborations and certification initiatives such as “Together for Sustainability” (TfS). Additionally, the large corporation is launching targeted support and educational programs for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) suppliers, recognizing that their integration and upskilling are crucial for greening the entire corporate value chain.
Reference Links and Official Sources:
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Original corporate press release: Henkel announces new sustainability targets for 2030 (April 14, 2026)
