Environmental responsibility
We’re working to make a positive impact on people, planet, and climate by embedding circular principles throughout our operations.
Sustainability > Environmental responsibility
Decarbonizing our operations
We are working to address climate change by taking steps to decarbonize our operations. By localizing our supply chain, maximizing our energy efficiency, and systematically amplifying the volume of energy we use from renewable and regenerative resources, we are actively working to reduce our CO2 footprint and contribute to 2050 Net Zero targets.
Localized manufacturing
Mosa limits our carbon footprint through localized sourcing and manufacturing. Our production facilities are located adjacent to our headquarters in Maastricht, Netherlands close to important consumer markets, and nearly 85% of our raw materials are sourced within our local region.
85%
of Mosa’s raw materials are locally sourced.
100%
of Mosa’s electricity is renewably sourced or offset with renewable electricity projects, and >50% of Mosa’s GHG emissions are offset.
Energy efficiency and renewable energy transition
By nature, tile production is an energy-intensive process. Over the last several years, Mosa has made significant investments in optimizing our energy efficiency and accelerating our shift to green energy. Electrifying our processes is critical to this transition. Reducing gas consumption and increasing consumption of electricity from alternative, renewable sources will help eliminate our dependence upon fossil fuels.
The use of regenerative energy will help us drive positive climate impact by counteracting air pollution and reducing the CO2 emissions footprint of our operations. In alignment with the ambitions of our Renewable Energy Roadmap, we are also working to develop additional services and update our infrastructure to reduce GHG emissions across the full lifecycle of our products.
Until Mosa is Net Zero, we are offsetting our energy consumption and carbon emissions. Along the way, we will continually improve our approach to energy efficiency and energy sourcing, ensuring Mosa is positioned to take advantage of innovations that enable our use of new technologies such as on-site energy generation and carbon capture.
Waste reduction
Designing for disassembly and manufacturing products in ways that optimize material reutilization and recyclability is the foundation of our waste reduction strategy.
Knowing waste landfill waste reduction also drives carbon reduction, we’re seeking to eliminate waste across every stage of our products’ lifecycle – from raw materials to end-of-life. With this as our aim, we’re already working with key partners on initiatives to reduce cutting waste at the product installation stage, and to pioneer tile recovery systems that enable waste-free cycles.
Water management
Conservative water consumption, and maximal water reuse are essential to our water stewardship activities. We are committed to ensuring all water used in the tile production process and at our facilities is either reused or evaporated, with no excess water consumption, and that all effluents leaving our facility do not contain chemicals assessed as problematic. In addition, we have also implemented fully closed-loop water cycles for both our manufacturing facilities. As a result of on-site purification systems implemented more than a decade ago, we also require 60% less water for our processes than in 2010.
Our commitment to a sustainable future
At Mosa, we are committed to minimizing our environmental footprint and proactively managing the main environmental risks associated with our operations and supply chain. Our environmental risk strategy focuses on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the protection of water and soil quality. Here’s how we address these challenges:
1. Risks related to GHG emissions from our own operations
We recognize that the combustion of natural gas in our manufacturing processes is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, we are investing in advanced technologies and process improvements:
- We are implementing a new, energy-efficient kiln in our production facility, which will significantly reduce energy consumption and associated emissions.
- We are developing the possibility for carbon capture and storage (CCS) on our kiln processes, working with specialized suppliers to design and eventually implement a CCS system.
- We are pursuing dematerialization, reducing the amount of raw materials needed per product, which further lowers our overall emissions.
2. Risks related to GHG emissions in our supply chain
We understand that our environmental responsibility extends beyond our own operations to include our suppliers. The sourcing and delivery of materials and services can also contribute to GHG emissions. To manage these risks:
- We ensure that our suppliers properly implement and follow the Mosa Code of Conduct (CoC), which includes environmental requirements.
- We regularly review our most critical suppliers from a GHG emissions perspective, identifying those with the highest impact.
- Together with these suppliers, we define and implement actions to reduce emissions, such as optimizing logistics, sourcing lower-carbon materials, or improving energy efficiency.
3. Risks to water and soil quality from mining activities
The extraction of raw materials can pose risks to water and soil quality, especially when not managed responsibly. Mosa takes the following steps to minimize these risks:
- We require mining companies and suppliers of mined materials to adhere to our Code of Conduct, which sets clear expectations for environmental stewardship.
- We review our critical suppliers involved in mining operations, assessing their practices and potential impacts on water and soil.
- Where necessary, we define and implement actions to mitigate negative effects, such as improved waste management, water treatment, or rehabilitation of mining sites.
We measure success by the noticeable mitigation of risks to water and soil quality, ensuring that our materials are sourced in a way that protects the environment for future generations.
Through these comprehensive actions, Mosa demonstrates its commitment to environmental responsibility, both within our own operations and throughout our supply chain. We continuously monitor our progress, set measurable goals, and work closely with partners to drive meaningful improvements.
Scope 1: 18,113.32 tCO₂e
Scope 2 (market-based): 1,899.15 tCO₂e
Scope 2 (location-based): 2,643.22 tCO₂e
23,949 m³ of drinking water (supplier: WML)High baseline water stress
Discharge to municipal sewer (biological treatment with
N and/or P removal)
63,229 m³ of groundwater
4,508 m³ of drinking water (supplier: WML)High baseline water stress
Discharge to municipal sewer (biological treatment with N and/or P removal)
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold-level water stewardship
Water stewardship is one of the five key sustainability performance categories assessed by the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard. To achieve Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold level certification for nearly all our ceramic tile products, Mosa verified our compliance with an extensive list of Cradle to Cradle Certified® water stewardship requirements including:
- Our manufacturing facilities comply with water quality regulations and guidelines.
- All water use at final manufacturing stage facilities is measured and monitored.
- Adequate drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities are provided.
Our material health practices are also directly tied to our water stewardship practices. To achieve Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold level certification, we have inventoried, assessed and optimized all ingredients in our ceramic tiles to ensure the materials we use are safe for humans and the environment, including our water systems.
