Sustainability Statement Pollution (E2) 04 4.3.4.1.2. Initiatives and resources clearly targeted on VOCs The VOC program is primarily focused on reducing solvent use to reach the 2030 milestone and on avoiding emissions at source to meet the 2050 objective. Deploying best practices Deploying good manufacturing practices to optimize solvent use enables Michelin to meet its objectives by improving process efficiency and mitigating the environmental impact. By tracking quantities used, precisely adjusting the solvent applicators and using just the right amount of solvent, the Group is maintaining its manufacturing performance and the performance of its products, while reducing solvent use and VOC emissions. In 2024 and beyond, key initiatives in the tire business include: n equipping plants with portable flowmeters to measure solvent use in real time and optimize solvent application by machine, size and product. In combination with other usage tracking mechanisms, this helps to align practices for optimal solvent use; n optimizing spray nozzle sizes for more efficient solvent application is expected to reduce solvent use by around 20‑25%; n partially refreshing product interfaces to apply just the right amount of solvent is expected to reduce quantities used by 20%. Qualitative and quantitative progress is measured by the quantity of solvents used in kilograms per tonne of finished product. Deploying VOC-free technologies Eliminating VOCs in tire production demands the widespread deployment of new VOC-free technologies, based on solvent replacements, inorganic or non-volatile solutions, or thin rubber films inserted between tire components. Before deployment, these solutions have to be selected and tested on tires, a process that can take several years. They are currently in the exploratory or process engineering phase, with deployment governed by a planned development schedule extending beyond 2030. Deploying VOC treatment technologies To reduce VOC emissions from the elastomer production plants, the Group has identified the least impactful technologies for recycling and, when necessary, treating process VOCs. A roadmap is planned for their installation by 2028. Measures to reduce NOx and SOx emissions have been undertaken in every Group manufacturing site. In particular, Michelin plans to phase out the use of coal by 2030. Apart from that measure, however, the reduction in NOx and SOx emissions is a direct result of the initiatives deployed as part of the energysaving roadmap (energy efficiency, fuel transition, process electrification). 4.3.4.1.3. The 2030 milestone for VOC reduction initiatives The effectiveness of VOC reduction actions is being measured by two main metrics: the total amount of solvents used per production plant and the ratio in kilograms per tonne of finished product. These metrics track improvements and support decisions about prioritizing reduction actions. The VOC reduction targets include dedicated objectives for each business line, which must make 50% of progress between 2019 and 2030. Since 2019, the implementation of optimized technologies and practices has driven the ratio steadily downwards to the halfway mark in 2024. The effectiveness of initiatives is measured by analyzing historical trends and comparing outcomes against industry benchmarks. The targeted 50% reduction in 2030 compared with 2019 has been defined in direct correlation with the overall objectives of the Environmental Policy(1). The scope of application covers all the plants producing finished products and synthetic elastomers. The period covered runs from 2019 to 2030, with the baseline values referring to solvent use and ratios in 2019. Targets are defined using calculation methods based on the quantity of VOCs emitted or solvents used per unit volume of the plant’s output. For the finished product production plants, each kilogram of VOC solvent used is assumed to evaporate completely; for the synthetic elastomer plants, emissions are measured and the ratios calculated on an actual basis. In this way, targets are based on historical solvent use or VOC emission data. (1) Targets are expressed in absolute terms (quantity of VOC emitted in kilograms) and relative terms (kilograms of VOCs emitted or solvents used per tonne of finished product or synthetic elastomer). This means that progress can be tracked in terms of both the total reduction in emissions and the efficiency of the mitigation process. 226 2024 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT_MICHELIN
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