Summary
Details
- Global
Mandatory obligations include:
compliance with AkzoNobel's responsible sourcing expectations.
compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
ethical business conduct.
environmental and health, and safety controls.
chemical compliance documentation.
product stewardship information where relevant.
cooperation with procurement due diligence.
Functionally mandatory obligations include:
PCF data for strategic raw-material suppliers.
supplier decarbonization plans.
emissions and energy data for high-impact suppliers.
TfS-aligned methodology where PCF data is requested.
EcoVadis or equivalent sustainability assessment participation.
restricted-substance and chemical safety documentation.
logistics emissions data.
packaging material and recyclability data.
corrective action evidence.
The strongest obligations apply to:
raw-material suppliers.
resin suppliers.
pigment suppliers.
solvent and additive suppliers.
packaging suppliers.
logistics providers.
high-emissions suppliers.
suppliers supporting PCF-enabled product claims.
suppliers subject to TfS or EcoVadis assessment.
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What’s Required
AkzoNobel’s supplier framework is a mature coatings-sector private regulatory system. It is not only a general supplier code. It combines responsible sourcing, supplier due diligence, TfS-aligned product carbon footprint collection, supplier decarbonization planning, sustainability assessment and Scope 3 reduction.
The framework is built around:
Responsible Sourcing Policy.
Business Partner Code of Conduct.
Sustainability for suppliers programme.
Supplier Collaboration System, or SCS.
Together for Sustainability, or TfS.
product carbon footprint data collection.
Scope 3 and full value-chain climate target.
EcoVadis-supported supplier sustainability journey.
raw materials and logistics decarbonization.
chemical safety and product stewardship.
packaging and circularity requirements.
AkzoNobel states that it uses its Supplier Collaboration System to collect information on supplier decarbonization plans and product carbon footprints in line with the TfS PCF Guideline. This is designed to ensure consistent supplier data and support Scope 3 decarbonization across the value chain.
1. Responsible Sourcing Policy as supplier regulatory architecture
AkzoNobel’s Responsible Sourcing Policy, updated in November 2024, is the central supplier governance instrument. It is built on the company’s Business Partner Code of Conduct and gives suppliers concrete requirements for responsible sourcing, including environmental, social, ethical and business integrity expectations.
Supplier expectations include:
compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
ethical business conduct.
human rights and labour protections.
environmental management.
climate and emissions transparency.
responsible chemical handling.
health and safety controls.
product stewardship documentation.
cooperation with supplier assessments and data requests.
corrective action where deficiencies are identified.
The policy creates a private regulatory system because suppliers are not only asked to support AkzoNobel’s sustainability ambitions. They are expected to operate in a way that enables AkzoNobel to meet its own climate, responsible sourcing, product stewardship and customer disclosure obligations.
2. Supplier Collaboration System and PCF data collection
The Supplier Collaboration System is one of the most important operational controls. AkzoNobel uses SCS to collect supplier decarbonization plans and product carbon footprint data aligned with the TfS PCF Guideline.
Suppliers may need to provide:
Scope 1 emissions from supplier operations.
Scope 2 electricity and energy emissions.
raw-material product carbon footprints.
production-route information.
allocation methodology.
emissions factor sources.
renewable electricity evidence.
supplier decarbonization plans.
site-specific or product-specific primary data.
transport and logistics emissions.
data-quality indicators.
This is particularly important for coatings and paints. AkzoNobel’s product carbon footprint depends heavily on resins, solvents, pigments, binders, fillers, additives, packaging and logistics. A generic corporate emissions total is insufficient where AkzoNobel needs raw-material-specific PCF information for customer disclosures or low-carbon product development.
3. TfS alignment and chemical-sector standardization
AkzoNobel is linked to Together for Sustainability and uses the TfS PCF Guideline as a data standard for supplier product carbon footprints. The TfS PCF Guideline is intended to support the calculation and exchange of product carbon footprints in chemical value chains and to improve Scope 3 transparency through supplier-specific data.
TfS-style supplier governance can require:
standardised sustainability assessments.
PCF data aligned with chemical-sector methodology.
audit readiness.
environmental management evidence.
labour and human rights documentation.
health and safety records.
emissions and energy information.
corrective action implementation.
continuous improvement plans.
This is important because TfS operates as a cross-industry private governance infrastructure. A supplier assessed or asked for PCF data under TfS expectations is not merely responding to AkzoNobel. Its data capability can affect access to multiple chemical and coatings customers.
4. Scope 3 and value-chain climate target
AkzoNobel has publicly stated an ambition to reduce carbon emissions across its full value chain by 50% by 2030, using 2018 as the baseline. The company’s climate position makes supplier performance material because most emissions in coatings value chains sit outside the company’s own operations.
High-impact Scope 3 categories include:
purchased goods and services.
processing of sold products.
use of sold products.
end-of-life treatment of sold products.
solvent-related emissions.
upstream and downstream transport.
packaging and raw materials.
Suppliers may be expected to support:
emissions inventory data.
decarbonization roadmaps.
renewable energy use.
lower-carbon raw materials.
product carbon data.
logistics emissions reduction.
substitution of higher-impact materials.
evidence of process efficiency improvements.
The practical implication is that AkzoNobel’s supplier engagement is not optional for strategic suppliers. Suppliers of high-volume, high-carbon raw materials can materially determine whether AkzoNobel can reduce value-chain emissions.
5. EcoVadis, supplier assessment and due diligence
AkzoNobel has worked with EcoVadis and Together for Sustainability to strengthen supplier sustainability practices. EcoVadis describes AkzoNobel as having driven sustainable procurement since 2014 and adopting expanded assessment tools in 2023 to meet requirements linked to the German Supply Chain Act and CSRD.
Supplier assessment may cover:
environment.
labour and human rights.
ethics.
sustainable procurement.
management systems.
emissions and climate governance.
corrective action performance.
risk exposure under supply-chain due diligence rules.
This creates a monitoring architecture. Suppliers may be assessed, benchmarked, asked for remediation and subject to procurement consequences if they cannot meet AkzoNobel’s responsible sourcing expectations.
6. Raw materials, solvents, pigments and product stewardship
AkzoNobel’s supplier base includes chemically complex inputs. Paints and coatings depend on polymers, resins, solvents, pigments, fillers, binders, additives, packaging and speciality intermediates. These materials carry climate, safety, regulatory and product-performance risks.
Suppliers may need to provide:
safety data sheets.
chemical composition information.
restricted-substance declarations.
VOC-related data.
hazard classifications.
regulatory compliance evidence.
raw-material PCFs.
recycled or bio-based content evidence.
quality and traceability records.
substitution options for lower-impact formulations.
This is where sustainability becomes product governance. Supplier data affects not only AkzoNobel’s emissions reporting but also product labels, customer claims, compliance with chemical regulation and the design of lower-impact paints and coatings.
7. Packaging, circularity and logistics controls
AkzoNobel’s supplier framework also applies to packaging and logistics. Packaging suppliers influence material use, recycled content, recyclability and end-of-life impacts. Logistics suppliers influence upstream and downstream Scope 3 emissions.
Packaging and logistics suppliers may need to provide:
packaging material composition.
recycled content data.
recyclability evidence.
packaging weight and format data.
transport mode data.
route and distance information.
fuel and energy use.
shipment-level emissions information.
warehouse energy data.
lower-carbon transport options.
For coatings, packaging is commercially and environmentally relevant because product containers, cans, drums and distribution packaging can affect waste, customer handling, recyclability and Scope 3 calculations.
Important Deadlines
Key timelines include:
2014: AkzoNobel’s sustainable procurement journey with EcoVadis began, according to EcoVadis customer materials.
2021: AkzoNobel announced an ambition to reduce carbon emissions across the full value chain by 50% by 2030, using 2018 as a baseline.
2022: TfS launched its PCF Guideline, later referenced in AkzoNobel’s Responsible Sourcing Policy and supplier PCF collection.
2024: AkzoNobel established a Responsible Sourcing Policy built on its Business Partner Code of Conduct.
2024: AkzoNobel published its 2024 annual report in February 2025.
2030: target year for AkzoNobel’s 50% value-chain carbon reduction ambition.
Ongoing: supplier decarbonization plan and PCF data collection through SCS.
Ongoing: supplier assessments through TfS, EcoVadis or equivalent processes where applicable.
Current Status
The framework is active and expanding. AkzoNobel’s supplier governance is increasingly focused on PCF data, responsible sourcing, Scope 3 reduction and supplier sustainability assessment. The strongest current features are:
Responsible Sourcing Policy.
SCS-based supplier decarbonization and PCF data collection.
TfS PCF methodology alignment.
EcoVadis-supported supplier assessment.
full value-chain climate ambition.
chemical and product stewardship controls.
raw-material carbon transparency.
The framework is especially relevant because AkzoNobel’s products are used across architecture, automotive, industrial, marine, protective and speciality coatings markets, where customers increasingly require low-carbon, lower-VOC and compliant coatings.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Enforcement is procurement-driven.
Potential consequences include:
failed supplier onboarding.
increased due diligence requests.
corrective action requirements.
reduced sourcing allocation.
loss of preferred supplier status.
exclusion from low-carbon product development.
exclusion from customer-facing PCF value chains.
contract escalation.
supplier replacement.
reputational exposure where supplier data undermines product claims.
reduced competitiveness in tenders.
The strongest enforcement mechanism is procurement access. Suppliers unable to provide responsible sourcing evidence, PCF data, chemical compliance documentation or emissions reduction plans become less strategically useful to AkzoNobel.
Examples of Known Violations
This analysis does not identify specific public violations by named AkzoNobel suppliers. Realistic failure modes include:
incomplete supplier decarbonization plan.
missing product carbon footprint data.
PCF data not aligned with TfS methodology.
weak emissions boundary definitions.
incomplete Scope 1 or Scope 2 data.
unsupported recycled or bio-based content claims.
missing chemical safety documentation.
restricted-substance documentation gaps.
inaccurate safety data sheets.
weak EcoVadis or TfS assessment performance.
logistics emissions data gaps.
failure to implement corrective action.
inability to support customer sustainability claims.
These failures can affect supplier assessment, procurement allocation and participation in lower-carbon product portfolios.
Resources
https://www.akzonobel.com/en/about-us/for-suppliers/sustainability-for-suppliers
https://www.akzonobel.com/en/about-us/governance/policies---procedures/code-of-conduct
https://www.akzonobel.com/en/about-us/position-statements/climate-change
https://www.akzonobel.com/en/about-us/sustainability/sustainability-reporting
https://www.akzonobel.com/en/media/media-releases/annual-report-2024
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