4 _213 2023 UNIVERSAL REGISTRATION DOCUMENT_MICHELIN 4 NON-FINANCIAL STATEMENT Sustainable Development Report 4.1.1.4 d) Reducing harmful air emissions Reducing volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions OUR AMBITIOUS OBJECTIVES The Group’s strategy to lower its VOC emissions is based on reducing the use of organic solvents in production processes. The objective for 2050 is to phase out all VOC-generating organic solvents completely from the tire manufacturing processes. The 2030 milestone is to reduce VOC use by 50% compared to 2019. Some sites, such as Nyiregyhaza in Hungary and Shenyang in China, have set the challenge of going VOC-free well before 2050 and possibly by 2030. To meet these targets, levers have been defined by a VOC program underway since 2017. Since the vast majority of VOC-generating organic solvents are used in the assembly plants, the program is managed by tracking the quantity of solvents used, in kilograms per tonne of finished product (tires). This calculation method is different from the one used to track the VOCs in the i-MEP, but it enables more efficient management of the VOC program by focusing only on tire production, which uses VOC-generating solvents. Achieving this objective means activating the three levers for action described below and launching innovative research projects to overcome the main technical obstacles. CHANGE IN VOC EMISSIONS* (base 100) * Absolute value. 2023 Outcomes In 2023, VOCs used per tonne of finished product decreased by 7.4% year-on-year, pursuing the long-term downward trend in line with the 2030 target, despite the decline in output over the year. The Group’s VOC strategy is based on activating three key levers: 1. Deploying good manufacturing practices to optimize solvent use, in particular by tracking quantities used, precisely selecting and adjusting the solvent applicators, using just the right amount of solvent and maintaining production and product performance over time. In some cases, this also means undertaking studies to improve our understanding of the interactions between the various production parameters and VOC consumption. The following examples illustrate a few of these practices: ● a large number of plants have been equipped with portable flowmeters that measure solvent use in real time. Analyzing the data enables us to compare solvent application by machine, by size and by product, so that practices can be aligned. The plants are continuing to apply best practices, with a primary focus on reducing use to just the right amount and rethinking solvent consumption points; ● the plant in Chennai, India reduced its VOC use by around 30% in 2023. Most of this improvement was led by the dayto-day management of VOC use, to collect data and analyze variances, implement cross-functional action plans and empower teams. Programs are underway to share these practices with other plants. The Nongkae plant in Thailand saw a 15% reduction in use following the deployment of a digital VOC consumption tracking system, whose real-time data access supports contextual data analysis and the ability to make the right decisions at the right time; ● a solution to partially refresh product interfaces, which has been shown to reduce solvent use by 20%, was installed at the Homburg, Germany and Alessandria, Italy plants in 2023. ● Organic solvent use reduction criteria have been incorporated into every project from the research and development phases, so as to minimize VOC emissions from the production of new products. 2019 100 89 78 69 2021 2022 2023 ReDUcE
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