SUSTAINABILITY
FOCUS AREAS
Challenges and Evonik’s answers

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

CONTENTSEVONIKSUSTAINABILITY
FOCUS AREAS
CHALLENGES ANDEVONIK’S ANSWERSCONTENTSThis section provides information on the four Sustainability Focus Areas (SFAs),
where we bundle our contributions to a sustainable transformation. For each SFA,
we show how Evonik reduces its own ecological footprint as well as the handprint
resulting from the use of our products and solutions in the relevant markets. 1

Fight Climate Change
Drive CircularitySafeguard Ecosystems
Ensure Health & Wellbeing

1 This special section was outside the scope of the auditor’s limited assurance engagement.

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

Fight Climate Change

EVONIKCHALLENGE: FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE
Voices of the younger generation

CLIMATE CHANGE
According to our stakeholders,climate change is one of the threemost important sustainability issues
for Evonik. You can find moreon this in our sustainability report. 1

Sajid Chowdhury
Lab Technician RD&I
High Performance Polymers
Smart Materials
Location: Marl (Germany)

Personally, I take climate change very seriously, as I want
future generations to have a good life on this beautiful
planet. I don’t want to repeat the ignorance of my ancestors.
The challenge of reducing the rate of climate change is immense.
Making just a few changes is not enough. We need todevelop a lot of sustainable ways to live. That includes changing processes, new technologies,
and innovative inventions. But also changes in our day-to-day life.
I use public transportation to travel instead of a car as much as possible, especially to
travel to work. However, few of my friends and colleagues, not a lot of them, do this, eventhough they don’t really live very far from work.
It’s high time we all started to come up with new ideas to save what we can. The idea of anew, renewable and greener way of running motors with hydrogen is something that reallyamazes me, and I really look forward to it being implemented on the streets, not only in private
cars but also in public transportation. That would be a huge leap towards helping the cause.
In 20-30 years, I’d like to be living in a better world where we have successfully prevented
climate change and achieved a new balance between ecology and the economy. It would begreat if we had all integrated climate change successfully into our daily lives.

1 See Sustainability Report 2021

p. 25.

Yuko Kobayashi
Applied Technology
SilicaSmart Materials Silica
Location: Yokkaichi (Japan)

I find the speed of climate change very worrying. Its
influence is generally greater than we can envision, andthere are no measures that are immediately effective. According
to the experts, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the primarycountermeasure. However, that cannot be achieved overnight:
it takes time. Besides, sufficient renewable energy is not yet available for our modern lifestyle.
Somehow, we have to survive for a certain period and learn how to deal with climate
disasters and natural catastrophes.
Above all, we need to reduce resource consumption quickly. Our affluent society is basedon mass-production and mass-consumption. That means there are lots of things we can reduceor do without. If we desperately cling to our current lifestyle, the effects of our environmental
measures will be limited. We have to change how we think and ask ourselves what is reallynecessary for our lives.
Climate change will bring many uncertainties in the decades ahead. I think the impact on people
will increase. However, different countries are responding differently. In my view, it would
be desirable for everyone to recognize how serious the situation is and to tackle the problem
together. Multilateral cooperation is very important for that.

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

Fight Climate Change

EVONIK

WHAT IS EVONIK DOING TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE?
Examples of how we are contributing to the transformation
Handprint• Evonik products that help customers avoid
CO₂ emissions• Transformative innovations that enable progress
towards climate-neutrality

Footprint• Defossilization of the supply chain• Reduction in scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions• Use of renewable energies• Reduction in absolute and specific energy
consumption

Lisa-Marie Bischer
Consultant
Life Cycle Management
Technology & Infrastructure
Location: Hanau (Germany)

Evonik has ambitious climate targets for
scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. In our team, we
perform life cycle, value chain, and site analyses
and technology assessments. We help
Evonik achieve its targets because what has
been measured can be managed.

Jürgen Leitermann
Product Manager Digital Energy
Management Systems
Energy & Utilities
Technology & Infrastructure
Location: Hanau (Germany)

We are reducing manual work by digitalizing
energy management. By 2026, more than
60 locations will be connected to this systemlinked, and over 90 percent of Evonik’s energy
consumption will be registered digitally.
Real-time monitoring of our CO₂ emissions andother key indicators is also possible.

Our contribution• Products and solutions for wind farms• Membranes for the efficient treatment of biogas
and the production of green hydrogen• Additives for energy-efficient manufacturing processes• Innovative high-tech insulating materials
VESTAMIN® IPD eCO improves the quality of epoxy resin systems
and simultaneously reduces CO₂ emissions. To achieve this, we use
renewable raw materials instead of fossil-based starting products.
That makes the entire production process more sustainable. This
product is 90 percent based on renewable carbon.
We define our handprint as the positive effects generated by our products along the supply chain compared with other established products and applications, especially in customers’ applications.

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

Drive Circularity

EVONIKCHALLENGE: DRIVE CIRCULARITY
Voices of the younger generation

CIRCULAR ECONOMY
According to our stakeholders,
efficient use of scarce resources/
circular economy is one of thethree most important sustainability
issues for Evonik. 1

Matthew Wolbert
Technical Product Specialist
Care Solutions
Nutrition & Care
Location: Richmond (Virginia, USA)

Reaching the goal of a “circular economy” is something
we all must strive for, especially within companies andpolitics. We, as consumers, have begun vocalizing our support forsustainability in the hope that this becomes a central market tenet.
To fully effectuate this, I believe we need change at the regulatorylevel to protect the environment.
To meet this challenge, consumers should try to use products smarter. As a personal example,
I have opted to seek out used furniture as opposed to buying new. Manufacturers also needto respond to consumers with a greater array of sustainable products and by publishing theirenvironmental KPIs. With these offerings, consumers are allowed greater transparency to makethe most informed decision possible with respect to which companies and products they
support.
For future generations, product development should prioritize social and environmental
benefits. Product life cycles should be designed for longevity, waste reduction, andenvironmental preservation. The longer we can keep individual items in circulation, thefewer input resources must be spent, and less total waste is created.

1 See Sustainability Report 2021

p. 25.

Soumaia El-Gamel
Jr. Technical Service Manager
Animal Nutrition
Nutrition & Care
Location: Cairo (Egypt)

A circular economy is basically saving the environment inmany ways and therefore has a positive influence on social,economic and health aspects. I live in Egypt, which is a developing
country, so there is little chance of finding eco-friendly
products such as food, skincare or clothes. However, the educatedyounger generation tries to think out of the box. For example, they form local communities toupcycle clothes, organize carpooling, and reuse packaging in creative ways.
I think producers should focus more on creating sustainable products that are affordable.
Then consumers could make more responsible decisions.
I would like to see greater awareness of the consequences of how we act—not just thenegative effects but also the positive ones. For example, by reducing poverty and unemployment
and improving the quality of life. However, economic, social, and technological progress needs
to be in harmony with nature. Therefore, I believe it is important to focus more on a circular
economy with the participation of all countries and all people.

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

Drive Circularity

EVONIK

WHAT IS EVONIK DOING TO DRIVE CIRCULARITY?
Examples of how we are contributing to the transformation
Handprint• Enabling circular solutions in a wide range
of end-markets• Driving forward circular plastics throughout
the value chain• Reducing food waste

Footprint• Use of renewable and circular raw materials

Dr. Phillip James
Technology Director
Interface & Performance
Specialty Additives
Location: UK

In a diverse team, we are bringing together
technologies that will enable new recycling
methods to succeed. My role is to develop process
additives that will make chemical recycling
processes run smoother and improve the compatibility of the recycled building blocks with theexisting value chain.

Kathrin LehmannTechnical Director Polymer Specialties
Interface & Performance
Specialty Additives
Location: Essen (Germany)

Contamination makes it difficult to recycle
plastic bottles and results in downcycling. With
additives developed by Evonik, plastic bottles
can be recycled repeatedly without any loss ofquality and used to produce new bottles. That
increases the recycling rate.

Our contribution• Global circular plastics program: additives andtechnologies for mechanical and chemical recycling• Development of innovative business models alignedwith the requirements of the circular economy• Use of renewable and circular materials
VESTENAMER® from Evonik: a sustainable solution for circularity
in the rubber industry. This process additive enables efficient recyclingof rubber to obtain robust materials.

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

CHALLENGE:
SAFEGUARD ECOSYSTEMS
Voices of the younger generation

Shao Wen Ng
Lab Technician RD&I
High Performance Polymers
Smart Materials
Location: Asia Research Hub (Singapore)

As a society, we have been striving towards fast progressand economic growth, but that has put too muchpressure on our ecosystems. I feel that the imbalance between
growth and conservation is one of today’s main challenges,
and it’s exacerbated by the exploitation of natural resources for
short-term profit.
We should change our mindset to actively safeguard our ecosystems and recalibrate
our goals towards sustainability. As well as personal green choices, we need breakthroughs
in research and development.
Ideally, in the future we should only consume food from sustainable sources. Sustainablemobility is also needed: New technologies should offer greener ways to travel and transport
goods, thus lowering our carbon footprint. For example, using augmented reality toconnect people, and sending digital 3D models of required products to be printed onsite, instead of transporting the actual items.
Most of all, I hope people can learn as quickly as possible to act responsibly and embracesustainable living, so our future generations can also enjoy the beauty of our planet.

1 See Sustainability Report 2021

Safeguard Ecosystems

EVONIK

p. 25.

BIODIVERSITY
According to our stakeholders,biodiversity is a material
sustainability issue for Evonik. 1

Livia MinamiMarketing Analyst
Care Solutions
Nutrition & Care
Location: São Paulo (Brazil)

Biodiversity is the key to the survival of Earth’s ecosystems.
We are all connected, and taking care of the Earth shouldbe part of our purpose in life. In the past, humans have frequently
interfered with nature. The destruction of natural habitats, intensive
agriculture and forestry, and overfishing have resulted in a threat tospecies and ecosystems around the world. We need to be aware that each of us, including all plants
and animals, play a role in maintaining the natural balance and self-regulation of the ecosystems.
Therefore, I make a personal contribution to the challenge of safeguarding our ecosystems. As
a consumer of beauty products, I buy cruelty-free products and biodegradable formulations.
Moreover, on social media, I follow NGOs and companies that work to safeguard ecosystems.
I also share topics to encourage lively dialogue on this. Last but not least, in my daily life, my motto
is: reduce, reuse, recycle.
I believe that small steps can make the difference, not only in Brazil but worldwide. How amazing
it would be in twenty years to find a world where biodiversity is restored.

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

Safeguard Ecosystems

EVONIK

WHAT IS EVONIK DOING TO SAFEGUARD ECOSYSTEMS?
Examples of how we are contributing to the transformation
Handprint• Reducing emissions into water and air;responsible water and waste management• Careful use of freshwater in industry
and agriculture• Enabling resource- and nutrient-efficient
livestock farming and aquaculture

Footprint

Faazi Adam
Director Sustainability
Animal Nutrition
Nutrition & Care
Location: Hanau (Germany)Peter Becker
Senior Manager Sustainability
Care Solutions
Nutrition & Care
Location: Essen (Germany)

The world’s population will grow to around10 billion people by 2050. Therefore, efficient,resource-saving food production is important. We
are contributing to that through scientifically based
solutions like precision livestock farming, which cangreatly reduce the use of arable land.

We are systematically developing ourportfolio towards circularity. Products basedon renewable raw materials, innovative
processes, and complete biodegradability
after use are the preconditions for the marketsof the future.

• Sustainable procurement of oleochemicals
and other bio-based raw materials• Lower water intake at production sites
in areas subject to water stress

Our contribution• Global water management system• Formulations for anti-fouling marine coatings• Products for the sustainable nutrition of livestock• Use of RSPO-certified palm oil, palm kernel oil,and their derivatives• Products and solutions for aquaculture

Special microbes strengthen plants during germination andprotect them from stress. Evonik develops solutions that enhance
the storage stability and effectiveness of such microbes.

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

CHALLENGE:
ENSURE HEALTH & WELLBEING
Voices of the younger generation

HEALTH PROTECTION/PROMOTION
According to our stakeholders,
health protection/promotion
are material sustainability issues
for Evonik. 1

Zenani Shozi
Lab Technician
Animal Nutrition
Nutrition & Care
Location: Midrand (South Africa)

Julia Hofmann
Assistant
SilicaSmart Materials
Location: Hanau (Germany)

Health and wellbeing can be defined in many ways, but
I personally see it as my ability to be mentally, physically,and socially sane. For me, health and wellbeing are the basis fora sustainable life.

For me, health is the most important thing in life. Herein Germany, we’re fortunate that we have a very good
health care system. Preventive health care is widespread, and thatmakes it easy for people to take advantage of it—as I do. However,I have to say that sometimes I find it hard to motivate myself toexercise and eat healthily.

The global pandemic has shown us all how important health is and the far-reachingconsequences of a disaster like this. Many people have died or are suffering long-term effects.
Others lost their jobs; livelihoods were at stake.
A healthy environment and minimum social standards are huge factors in people’s healthand wellbeing. There should be widespread state intervention to ensure access to clean waterand proper sanitation programs. That is vital for our society to move forward sustainably.
Every one of us also needs to take ownership. Access to education and health care are
the keys to a better world.

1 See Sustainability Report 2021

Ensure Health & Wellbeing

EVONIK

p. 25.

I think a good work-life balance is becoming more and more important. The basis should begreater personal responsibility. For me, having the flexibility to decide when I work is especially
important. The boundaries between work and private life will inevitably become moreblurred. Working when and where it suits us will probably become the norm.
Mindfulness and an awareness of our bodies and every step we take are very important. That
includes a responsible attitude to the environment, for example, cycling or walking if we’regoing only a short distance. And for travel within Germany, there are now good rail connections
as an alternative to driving.

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SUSTAINABILITY FOCUS AREAS

Ensure Health & Wellbeing

EVONIK

WHAT IS EVONIK DOING TO ENSURE HEALTH & WELLBEING?
Examples of how we are contributing to the transformation
Handprint• Reducing volatile organic compounds andemissions of microplastics

Ranjan Fletcher
Manager Sustainability Development
Health Care
Nutrition & Care
Location: Darmstadt (Germany)

Dr. Achim Fischer
Senior Project Manager RD&I
Health Care
Nutrition & Care
Location: Darmstadt (Germany)• Enabling effective health promotion• Hygiene and water treatment

Footprint• Reduction in hazardous emissions• Reduction in hazardous waste

We are analyzing our entire productportfolio to establish the sustainability impactof our products. However, we cannot do thaton our own—working in collaboration with our
suppliers and customers is the key to a moresustainable future.

Our healthcare products help improve
people’s health and quality of life. For example,
our lipid nanoparticles protect the mRNA vaccine
and transport it safely to the cells. That optimizes
the effect of the vaccine.

Our contribution• Chemicals management system (CMS) for (hazardous)
substances placed on the market (CMSPLUS)• Products and solutions that reduce the VOC 1 content
of paints• More effective active ingredients for pharmaceuticals
with fewer side effects and better acceptance by patients

Production of lipids: Chromatography expert
Dr. Chantal Brämer in the lab at Evonik’s lipid
production plant in Hanau (Germany).
1 VOC = volatile organic compounds.

• Lipid nanoparticles for innovative vaccines• Products and solutions that help to enhance thequality of food and reduce surplus feed
• Waste management; reduction in other emissions
into the air

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www.evonik.com