Villeroy & Boch has received official validation of its long-term climate targets from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), confirming that the company’s decarbonisation strategy aligns with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
The SBTi – a partnership between the Carbon Disclosure Project, UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute and WWF – has verified that Villeroy & Boch’s emissions reduction targets are science based.
The manufacturer has committed to reducing direct CO₂ emissions from its own operations by 45% by 2030, compared with a 2021 baseline. It also aims to cut indirect emissions across its supply chain by 25% over the same period, before achieving net-zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2050.
The company said it has already made significant progress, reducing its total carbon footprint by 27.2% between 2021 and 2025. Scope 1 and 2 emissions have fallen by 34.5%, supported by energy efficiency initiatives, long-term renewable electricity agreements and increased use of renewable energy. Electricity-related emissions have reduced by 44.7%.
Villeroy & Boch also reported a 24.8% reduction in Scope 3 emissions, which account for more than 70% of its overall carbon footprint.
To support its sustainability targets, the company has invested in new kiln technology across several manufacturing sites. At its Dining & Lifestyle plant in Torgau, Germany, a new Enervit kiln has reduced gas consumption by around 20%, saving approximately 1,181 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Similar technology installed at the Lugoj factory in Romania has cut gas consumption by 24% while enabling future operation with up to 30% hydrogen. Meanwhile, a photovoltaic installation at the company’s Hódmezővásárhely site in Hungary now supplies around 15% of local electricity demand.
Villeroy & Boch is also using AI-supported quality control at its Merzig production facility, where artificial neural networks inspect ceramic components after the first firing stage to identify defects before additional energy-intensive processing. The company said the system is designed to deliver fully automated intermediate sorting while reducing the production costs associated with defective products.
Looking ahead, Villeroy & Boch plans to invest more than €140 million in decarbonisation by 2045, including over €25 million by 2030 for kiln optimisation and heat recovery projects. The company is also researching kiln electrification and the use of green hydrogen.
Dr Markus Warncke, chief finance officer at Villeroy & Boch, said: “For us, SBTi validation is far more than just an accolade. It is scientific proof that climate protection and economic responsibility are not mutually exclusive. With the planned investments in decarbonisation, we are laying an important foundation on which we can build in the coming decades.”
You can find more information on this topic in our 2025 Sustainability Report