Elevating Transparency: Siegwerk’s 2025 Sustainability Report Sets New Benchmarks for the Packaging Industry

In an era where corporate responsibility is no longer a peripheral concern but a fundamental business imperative, Siegwerk—a global titan in the printing inks and coatings sector—has taken a definitive step forward. With the release of its Sustainability Report 2025, the company has not only quantified its progress over the last half-decade but has fundamentally restructured how it measures its impact on the planet and society. By voluntarily adopting the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), Siegwerk is positioning itself at the vanguard of corporate transparency, well ahead of mandatory regulatory timelines.

The Foundation of Accountability: Main Facts and Strategic Shift

The 2025 report serves as more than a standard year-end review; it acts as the closing chapter for the company’s "HorizonNOW 2025" strategy and the opening manifesto for its successor, "HorizonNOW 2030."

The core achievement highlighted in this report is the rigorous adoption of the ESRS framework. While many global organizations are currently grappling with the complexities of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), Siegwerk has proactively integrated these standards. This move is significant because ESRS requirements demand a high level of granular data, moving beyond simple carbon counting to include deep-dive analyses into human rights, supply chain ethics, and resource circularity.

By aligning with these European standards, Siegwerk is signaling to stakeholders, investors, and customers that it is prepared for a future where non-financial reporting is held to the same scrutiny as financial audits. The report provides a comprehensive, data-backed look at how the company has transformed its operations to meet the dual demands of market competitiveness and ecological preservation.

A Chronological Evolution: From HorizonNOW 2025 to 2030

To understand the weight of the 2025 report, one must examine the timeline of the company’s recent sustainability journey.

The HorizonNOW 2025 Era (2021–2025)

Over the past five years, Siegwerk established a structured roadmap to minimize its environmental footprint. This period was defined by aggressive targets aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fostering a circular economy. The company’s success rate during this period has been remarkable:

• Achieved Targets: Four out of six primary sustainability goals were fully realized by the end of 2025.
• Progressing Targets: The remaining two goals reached over 50% completion, providing a robust foundation for the next cycle.

The Transition to HorizonNOW 2030

As the ink dries on the 2025 results, the company is already pivoting toward its 2030 agenda. This next phase is not merely an extension of previous work; it is an evolution. The company intends to leverage the data infrastructure built during the ESRS implementation to scale its innovations. The transition represents a shift from "reduction-focused" sustainability to "value-creation" sustainability—where the circularity of packaging becomes a core product feature rather than an auxiliary goal.

The Double Materiality Assessment (DMA): A Dual-Lens Perspective

Perhaps the most sophisticated component of the new report is the Double Materiality Assessment. Under the ESRS framework, the DMA is a mandatory exercise that forces a company to look both inward and outward.

The Inside-Out Perspective

Siegwerk scrutinized its own operations to determine the impact it has on the environment and society. This involved a rigorous audit of manufacturing processes, waste generation, and chemical safety. It identified key areas where the company’s footprint is most significant, allowing for targeted mitigation strategies.

The Outside-In Perspective

Conversely, the company examined how external global developments—such as shifting climate regulations, raw material volatility, and evolving social standards—could impact its business longevity.

Identified Priority Areas

The synthesis of this dual analysis resulted in a hierarchy of the most material sustainability topics:

1. Climate Change: Addressing carbon intensity across production and logistics.
2. Circular Economy: Developing ink technologies that do not impede the recyclability of packaging.
3. Pollution Control: Minimizing harmful emissions and waste in chemical production.
4. Workforce Health and Safety: Maintaining the highest standards for employees globally.
5. Human Rights in the Value Chain: Ensuring that the upstream supply chain adheres to strict ethical labor standards.

Supporting Data: Quantitative Milestones

The efficacy of Siegwerk’s sustainability strategy is best evidenced by its hard numbers. The report details significant reductions in emissions that underscore the company’s operational efficiency:

• Scope 1 Emissions: Since the 2020 baseline, Siegwerk has achieved a 26.5% reduction in direct greenhouse gas emissions.
• Scope 2 Emissions: The company has reached a 100% reduction in market-based Scope 2 emissions. This achievement is a direct result of a global initiative to transition all manufacturing facilities to 100% renewable electricity sources.
• Supply Chain Recognition: The launch of the "SustainUP" program marks a turning point in how Siegwerk manages its vendors. By actively engaging with suppliers to improve their sustainability performance, the company has managed to reduce the "Scope 3" impact of its upstream partners. This program earned the EcoVadis Best Newcomer Award, validating the company’s collaborative approach.
• EcoVadis Gold Status: Achieving EcoVadis Gold status in 2025 places Siegwerk in the top tier of all companies assessed globally, confirming that its efforts are not just internal ambitions but are externally recognized by independent audit bodies.

Official Responses and Strategic Vision

Alina Marm, Head of Global Sustainability at Siegwerk, emphasizes that the report is a testament to the company’s commitment to integrity. "The DMA gave us the opportunity to take a structured look at the sustainability topics that matter most to our business and stakeholders," Marm stated. She notes that the process was an affirmation of the company’s long-standing direction, confirming that current efforts are correctly aligned with the most pressing global challenges.

Marm further highlights the necessity of the new reporting format: "Transparency and accountability are key factors for sustainable business success. With our new report, we not only provide our stakeholders with detailed insights into our performance and progress over the past year but also demonstrate how sustainability continues to be embedded in our long-term business strategy."

The leadership at Siegwerk views this transparency as a competitive advantage. In a market where brand owners are increasingly under pressure to provide "green" packaging, a supplier that can provide transparent, verified data regarding its own carbon footprint and ethical sourcing is a more attractive partner.

Implications for the Packaging Industry

The implications of Siegwerk’s latest report extend far beyond the company’s own boardroom. As a key player in the packaging ink and coatings market, Siegwerk’s adoption of ESRS sets a new "Gold Standard" for its peers.

1. The Normalization of ESRS

By voluntarily adopting these rigorous standards, Siegwerk is effectively "raising the bar" for competitors. Industry peers will likely find themselves under increased pressure from clients and investors to provide similar, high-quality, audit-ready sustainability disclosures.

2. Deepening Value Chain Collaboration

The success of the SustainUP program suggests that the future of the packaging industry is collaborative. No single company can achieve a truly circular economy on its own. By incentivizing suppliers to improve their own sustainability profiles, Siegwerk is creating a "ripple effect" that cleans up the entire supply chain, from raw chemical extraction to final consumer disposal.

3. Data-Driven Innovation

The shift toward HorizonNOW 2030 implies that the next five years will be defined by data-driven product development. With the reporting framework now in place, Siegwerk is better positioned to track the environmental impact of new ink formulations in real-time, leading to faster innovation cycles for sustainable, bio-based, and recyclable coatings.

Conclusion: A Blueprint for the Future

Siegwerk’s 2025 Sustainability Report is a document of maturity. It marks the end of an era where sustainability was a separate department or a marketing add-on. Instead, it frames sustainability as the bedrock of the company’s future existence. By choosing to align with the strictest available reporting standards, the company has insulated itself against regulatory risk while providing its stakeholders with the clarity they demand.

As the industry moves toward 2030, the challenges of climate change and waste management will only intensify. However, with a proven track record of hitting 2025 targets and a clear, data-informed strategy for the next five years, Siegwerk has demonstrated that it is not just observing the shift toward a circular economy—it is actively printing the future of it.

For stakeholders looking to understand the intersection of industrial chemistry, global supply chain management, and corporate environmental responsibility, Siegwerk’s 2025 report serves as an essential, high-transparency roadmap. It is a bold assertion that in the modern industrial landscape, to be sustainable is to be viable, and to be transparent is to be resilient.