Climate, Waste and Water

 

Doing Our Part for the Planet

We are working to reduce environmental impact with a set of key goals to achieve by 2030 across our operations. We use innovation and a continuous improvement approach toward reducing our carbon emissions, energy consumption and waste generation, while expanding our renewable energy use.

Our Climate Strategy

Since 2009, we have had a climate strategy focused on reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including emissions from our operations (Scope 1) and from the generation of purchased energy (Scope 2). We also continue to report data related to our upstream and downstream value chain emissions (Scope 3).

 

In 2020, we began aligning our climate strategy to reflect a science-based approach, influenced by global efforts to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. Our approach aligns with global efforts, including GHG emissions reduction targets. Our goal is to reduce our absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by 2030, compared with a 2019 baseline. In our view, the benefit of setting an absolute goal, rather than an intensity goal, is that it aligns best with what the planet needs – an absolute reduction of GHG emissions. As of year end 2025, we have achieved approximately 23% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions across our Company operations.

Learn more about Scope 1 and Scope 2
Learn more about Scope 3

Climate & Waste

Investing in Renewable Energy 

Sherwin-Williams has established a goal to increase electricity from renewable sources to 50% of total electricity usage by 2030. Our strategies for reaching this goal include pursuing on-site renewable energy generation projects at select Company locations, virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) and power purchase agreements (PPAs). As of year end 2025, 38.4% of our total electricity consumption is met or matched from renewable energy.

 

Resource Conservation

Our products help make spaces more resilient and beautiful — and the way we operate our business should too. Sherwin-Williams practices mindful stewardship of material and water resources, taking steps to reduce what we use in our manufacturing facilities and stores.

 

Minimizing Waste

Our Company groups waste into two basic categories: nonhazardous and hazardous waste. Nonhazardous waste includes trash and materials that can be recycled, while hazardous waste includes solvent-based paint, spent solvents and corrosive materials. We attempt to reduce waste wherever possible — reusing products and packaging, recycling it, converting waste into energy and, as a last resort, disposing of it. Our manufacturing facilities execute a range of initiatives to drive waste reduction in support of our enterprise-wide goal for reducing waste intensity. While we have taken steps to improve waste management practices, these actions have not yet resulted in meaningful progress toward our goal. In 2026, we intend to reassess our current goal to ensure it is actionable and reflects our current operations and strategic outlook.


Water Stewardship

Water remains a valued resource as we grow our water-based product portfolio to meet increased customer demand for products with lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

 

Our objective is to continue to use water responsibly by minimizing wastewater in our operations and maximizing reuse wherever possible. We manage water use through Company standards and procedures to promote water conservation and minimize the possibility of environmental risk from releases. In addition, we review the baseline water stress of our major global manufacturing and distribution facilities annually, using the WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas Tool.

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