Villeroy & Boch receives SBTi validation for its 2050 net-zero target

Villeroy & Boch is one of the few companies in the global ceramics and sanitaryware sector whose long-term climate targets have been officially scientifically validated. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) – a global partnership comprising Carbon Disclosure Project, the UN Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and WWF – has confirmed that the company’s global decarbonisation strategy and the climate targets it contains are demonstrably compatible with the Paris Agreement and, consequently, with limiting global warming to 1.5 °C.

This validation is not merely a seal of approval: it is a commitment. By 2030, Villeroy & Boch will reduce direct CO₂ emissions from its own operations by 45 per cent. These include, for example, emissions from production and energy consumption. Indirect emissions arising throughout the entire supply chain are set to fall by 25 per cent compared with the base year of 2021. By 2050, the company is also aiming for net-zero emissions across the board. This means that no more greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere across the entire value chain.

Progress that can be measured in figures

Between 2021 and 2025, Villeroy & Boch has already reduced its total carbon footprint by 27.2 per cent. Emissions from Scope 1 and 2 fell by 34.5 per cent, driven largely by energy efficiency measures, long-term contracts for the purchase of green electricity (known as Power Purchase Agreements) and the expansion of renewable energy sources, which saw electricity-related emissions fall by as much as 44.7 per cent. Particularly noteworthy: for indirect emissions along the supply chain – which account for over 70 per cent of the total carbon footprint and, based on experience, are the most difficult to reduce – Villeroy & Boch has already achieved a reduction of 24.8 per cent.

Measures implemented internationally

Behind these figures lie concrete technological investments. At the German Dining & Lifestyle plant in Torgau, a new Enervit kiln has been installed, reducing gas consumption in the relevant process area by around 20 per cent – equivalent to an annual saving of 1,181 tonnes of CO₂. The Romanian site in Lugoj has also switched to an Enervit kiln: the renewal of the entire kiln control system and the conversion of the process technology to pulsating burners have enabled a 24 per cent reduction in gas consumption. Looking ahead, the modernisation also opens up the possibility of operating the kiln with a hydrogen content of up to 30 per cent. At the Hungarian site in Hódmezővásárhely, the installed photovoltaic system covers around 15 per cent of local electricity demand.

Beyond energy generation, Villeroy & Boch is also driving forward digitalisation as a lever for greater sustainability: at the Merzig plant, the company relies on AI-supported quality control. Artificial neural networks analyse ceramic parts every second immediately after the first firing process and identify defects before faulty items go through energy- and cost-intensive subsequent processes. The aim is fully automated 100 per cent intermediate sorting process, which can save around half the production costs associated with defective items.

Investments in decarbonisation

By 2045, Villeroy & Boch plans to invest a total of over €140 million, including more than €25 million by 2030 for kiln optimisation and heat recovery alone. At the same time, research is being carried out into the electrification of kilns and the use of green hydrogen.

“For us, SBTi validation is far more than just an accolade. It is scientific proof that climate protection and economic responsibility are not mutually exclusive. With the planned investments in decarbonisation, we are laying an important foundation on which we can build in the coming decades,” said Dr Markus Warncke, Chief Finance Officer at Villeroy & Boch.

You can find more information on this topic in our2025 Sustainability Report.