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Redefining sustainability
The conversation around sustainable coatings has fundamentally shifted. What was once a marketing differentiator has become a baseline expectation, embedded in procurement processes, regulatory frameworks and corporate ESG strategies. Behind the unified language of decarbonisation and circularity lies a more nuanced reality: manufacturers are grappling with raw material constraints, validation timelines, cost pressures and the complex task of translating sustainability claims into auditable data. By Kirsten Wrede.
To understand where the industry truly stands, European Coatings spoke with Dr Felix Lauterbach, Global Sustainability Manager Dispersions & Resins at BASF, Frank Brouwer, Renewable Chemistry Specialist at Stahl International, Pau Huguet, Head of Sustainability, Marine at Hempel, and Anders W. B. Skilbred, Global R&D Director Scientific Advisory, Jotun Performance Coatings.
There is no single industry definition of a sustainable coating, and the four companies approach the question differently. At BASF, the approach is value-chain oriented. “Within BASF’s Dispersions & Resins business, sustainable coatings are defined through a holistic assessment of environmental performance across the entire value chain, from raw materials to end‑of‑life,” explains Lauterbach. “Key criteria include product carbon footprint, the use of renewable or circular feedstocks, resource efficiency, and full compliance with health, safety and regulatory requirements. We deliberately avoid a single‑parameter perspective, as sustainability must balance climate impact, performance, durability, and safe use.” Ultimately, “sustainability is only meaningful if it delivers measurable benefits without compromising product performance or product reliability.”
Stahl frames sustainability as a design philosophy. “We don’t see sustainable coatings as a label or a checklist. For us, sustainability is about making smart, responsible choices when we design a coating from the beginning. A coating is only sustainable if it performs as required while at the same time reducing climate impact and improving chemical safety, based on measurable data,” says Brouwer. The company has aligned its portfolios with ZDHC MRSL and removed substances like DMF(A), APEO and high VOC solvents.
Hempel links sustainability to commercial outcomes. “We believe that commercial success and sustainability go hand in hand. That is why our new Sustainability 2030 Mission captures not only the sustainability impacts we can control but also those that we can enable through our customers,” explains Huguet. “In practice, this means our definition of sustainable coatings is those that demonstrate verifiable improvements in energy or material use, durability and maintenance intervals, or hazardous emissions over their service life.”
Jotun is more cautious in its language. “We avoid calling any coating ‘sustainable.’ All coatings have a footprint. Instead, we talk about ‘more sustainable’ solutions, defined as coatings or systems that deliver a lower total environmental impact over their full lifetime compared with a reference solution. Durability and lifetime performance are key, because longer lasting protection reduces maintenance, material use, and emissions overall,” states Skilbred.
Market drivers and promising technologies
Across all four companies, regulation emerges as the dominant accelerator alongside customer commitments and economics. Lauterbach observes that “demand is primarily driven by regulatory pressure, customer-specific climate targets, and the sustainability commitments of brand owners, especially in Europe and increasingly across other regions. Many customers are setting company-wide decarbonisation targets and expect their suppliers to actively support the reduction of Scope 3 emissions along the value chain.”
Brouwer points to a shift in customer dialogue. “The strongest drivers are regulatory pressure and brand commitments, particularly in Europe. CSRD, the EU Green Deal and upcoming rules on substantiating green claims are pushing customers to move from generic sustainability statements to verified, auditable data.” He continues: “Today, the question is less ‘Do you have a water-based option?’ and more ‘What is the verified carbon footprint, renewable content and chemical profile of this system, and how does it support our targets?’” For Hempel, the driver is economic. “Measurable value for our customers through reduced direct operating costs, total cost of ownership, improved market position, or regulatory compliance is the true driver of sustainability,” says Huguet.
Skilbred frames regulation as constructive. “Demand is driven by stricter chemical regulations, increased ESG reporting requirements, and growing awareness among customers of lifecycle impacts. Regulatory changes following e.g. EU’s green deal is driving regulations and sustainability reporting. This is, the way we regard, it very positive.” He adds that “the energy transition, especially when considering offshore wind, requires very long-lasting, high-performance coatings with minimal maintenance, placing sustainability and performance firmly side by side.”
The four experts agree that no single innovation will deliver the transition. Lauterbach highlights water-borne systems as a mature foundation: “We see strong potential in water‑borne technologies, which already offer a favorable balance between performance and environmental profile. Beyond that, biomass and chemically recycled feedstocks are important levers to reduce the carbon footprint via mass balance approaches, while preserving existing formulations and established quality levels.” Stahl reports progress on water-borne and renewable carbon technologies. For Jotun, lifetime extension matters as much as substitution
Read the complete article with information on more on promising technologies, cost, availability and value-chain alignment and how how customers evaluate sustainability in the June issue of the European Coatings Journal.
Event tip
The Sustainable Coatings Conference, which takes place on 3 – 4 November 2026 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, will provide practical insights into low‑carbon technologies, circular economy approaches, bio‑based and water‑based systems, and robust assessment methods such as LCA and mass balance. Learn how the industry is responding to regulatory pressure, customer expectations, and material constraints – and how sustainability can become a measurable business advantage rather than a compliance burden.
