Kuraray Co., Ltd. has announced a significant step in its renewable energy transition through a 10-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) between Kuraray Holdings U.S.A., Inc. and Tokyo Gas America Ltd. (a subsidiary of TOKYO GAS CO., LTD.). This agreement, which commences in October 2025, involves the procurement of renewable energy from a solar power project located in Wharton County, Texas.

Annually, the arrangement will supply Kuraray with renewable energy certificates equivalent to 300 gigawatt-hours of electricity. The company projects this initiative will yield a substantial reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions, cutting the Kuraray Group's US emissions by nearly 70 percent. Furthermore, this shift is expected to lower the entire Group's global electricity-related emissions by approximately 40 percent.

This VPPA is a core component of Kuraray's broader environmental strategy, which identifies climate action as a critical priority. The Group has established a long-term objective of achieving carbon neutrality for its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2050. To ensure meaningful near-term progress, a new interim target has been set to reduce these emissions by 63 percent by 2035, using 2021 as the baseline year.

Beyond securing external renewable power, Kuraray is implementing a multi-faceted approach to decarbonisation. This includes enhancing energy conservation and operational efficiency across its production facilities, transitioning in-house power generation to natural gas and developing carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies. The company will also collaborate with its supply chain to encourage a broader shift towards cleaner utility fuels. For advisory services related to this specific VPPA, Kuraray engaged Kinect Energy, Inc., a subsidiary of World Kinect Corporation.

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Birla Carbon, a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality carbon materials, and Kennesaw State University (KSU) have expanded their enduring partnership with the launch of Birla Carbon India Study Abroad Program in January 2026. This programme, backed by a USD 184,000 contribution from the carbon materials manufacturer, will send undergraduate students from KSU’s College of Science and Mathematics to India for collaborative research. Participants will first develop their projects during the spring semester at KSU before travelling to the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) in Goa for summer work alongside local faculty and peers.

This endeavour builds upon nearly a decade of collaboration, which since 2014 has funded research opportunities for over 110 KSU students as Birla Carbon Scholars. In its inaugural year, the programme will facilitate hands-on research for up to 12 students, marking a significant evolution in the longstanding alliance between the university and the global company. The initiative is designed to provide immersive, cross-cultural scientific training, equipping students with global perspectives and advanced research skills crucial for their future careers in science and technology.

Sharing his thoughts about the program, Terence Norman, HR Head, Americas, Birla Carbon, said, “Birla Carbon is now in its 15th year of partnership with Kennesaw State University overall, and over the years, we have seen phenomenal growth and development opportunities for the students here in the College of Science and Mathematics. Our ongoing commitment is driven by a genuine belief in making a positive impact not only for the students who participate in this programme but also for the impact their solutions can have across major industries and society at large. Fifteen years mark not just a partnership but a shared journey of growth and discovery. Birla Carbon’s purpose is to ‘Share the Strength’, and Kennesaw State gives us an opportunity to do that first-hand.”

Kadian Callahan, Associate Dean for Student Success and Community Engagement, KSU – College of Science and Mathematics, said, “We’re excited to partner with Birla Carbon to bring this opportunity to our students. The college’s focus is on providing quality undergraduate research experience to students, and this programme allows students to take their work beyond campus and into an international research setting. Students can begin their research at Kennesaw State and continue it at BITS in India, working closely with faculty and peers at both institutions. That continuity strengthens their projects and creates opportunities for shared publications with KSU and BITS faculty and students.”

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Bekaert has achieved an industry milestone with Dramix Loop, its most sustainable steel fibre. This product is the first in its sector to be manufactured industrially using steel reclaimed from end-of-life tyres, creating a new benchmark for circular construction. It directly tackles a significant circularity challenge within the tyre industry by transforming discarded tyre cords into a high-performance resource. This innovative approach preserves the material’s inherent tensile strength while bypassing carbon-intensive reprocessing, resulting in a near-zero carbon footprint with an exceptionally low Global Warming Potential of only 0.0436 kg CO₂eq per kg.

The launch reinforces the longstanding leadership of the Dramix brand, which already offers concrete reinforcement solutions that substantially reduce material use and CO₂ emissions. Dramix Loop further advances this legacy, providing fibres with very low contamination and high tensile strength suitable for diverse applications, including industrial flooring, precast elements and ultra-high-performance concrete. Beyond performance, it supports major sustainability frameworks like LEED and BREEAM, aids in compliance with the EU Taxonomy and helps companies reduce their Scope 3 emissions, thereby assisting owners and developers in meeting critical environmental, social, and governance objectives.

Eric Peeters, Divisional CEO Sustainable Construction, said, “Just like our other Dramix products, Dramix Loop ticks all the boxes: safe, smart and sustainable. It’s less labour-intensive, reduces CO₂ up to 80 percent compared to traditional reinforcement and leverages our structural design capabilities. And the circular aspect adds even more value, because with end-of-life steel, the carbon footprint is close to zero.”

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Dunlop has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cabot Corporation to evaluate the commercial use of circular reinforcing carbon made from regenerated material derived from end-of-life tyres, as tyre makers seek to cut emissions and increase the use of sustainable raw materials.

The agreement brings together Dunlop’s parent, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, and Cabot Corporation to assess whether Cabot’s regenerated carbon technology can be deployed in mass-produced tyres.

Under the memorandum, Sumitomo Rubber will test Cabot’s circular reinforcing carbon — which incorporates reclaimed carbon recovered through the pyrolysis of used tyres — as a potential alternative raw material in tyre manufacturing. The material has not previously been used by the Japanese group in commercial tyre production.

Cabot, which supplies reinforcing carbons to the tyre industry, will in parallel examine how its regenerated carbon technology could be scaled to meet potential market demand if the material is approved for wider adoption.

“This innovative circular reinforcing carbon will be evaluated for mass-produced tyres, and we will accelerate efforts towards its commercialisation through collaboration with Cabot,” said Takuya Horiguchi, General Manager at Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ material research and development headquarters. He said the partnership would help speed progress towards decarbonisation by combining the technical capabilities of both companies.

Aatif Misbah, Vice-President and General Manager of sustainable solutions at Cabot, said the company was committed to investing in technologies that improved both sustainability and product performance. He added that the agreement aligned with Cabot’s goal of supporting a lower-carbon future for the tyre industry.

The collaboration forms part of Sumitomo Rubber’s broader circular economy strategy for its tyre business, known as “TOWANOWA”. The initiative combines a “sustainable ring”, covering processes across the value chain, with a “data ring” that integrates and shares data collected from each stage of production and use.

Sumitomo Rubber said it would continue to pursue the TOWANOWA strategy by reducing its environmental impact while improving tyre performance and safety, with the aim of delivering new value to customers as the industry transitions towards more sustainable manufacturing practices.

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Orion S.A., a global speciality chemicals company, has successfully secured the prestigious ISCC – the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification for its manufacturing facility located in Qingdao, China. This significant achievement is the direct result of a rigorous, independent audit process which validated that the plant’s operations fully comply with the comprehensive sustainability criteria established by ISCC.

The certification serves as a formal verification of both the transparency and the complete traceability of the sustainable raw materials integrated into the facility’s production value chain. This milestone is a key component of Orion’s overarching corporate strategy to implement and enhance sustainable practices throughout its international operations.

By achieving this globally recognised standard, the company reinforces its commitment to supplying clients with high-performance carbon black and other speciality chemical products that adhere to leading international environmental and sustainability benchmarks, thereby supporting customer goals for more responsible manufacturing.

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