AkzoNobel presented sustainable paints and coatings solutions for green buildings at the International Greenbuild Conference in Washington, D.C. Job Coenen, program manager of sustainability at AkzoNobel, shared architectural innovations for green buildings and the importance of circularity in a panel discussion with director Sandra Onwijn from the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water, Department for Circular Economy along with other Holland on the Hill members.

AkzoNobel is a strategic global corporate advisory board member of the World Green Building Council and a member of various regional green building councils.

A Market Research report states that North America leads the global green building material market. The increasing adoption of green building codes and standards aids the construction industry in reducing its carbon footprint and promoting sustainable practices within the region.

These green building standards have helped meet the growing demand for sustainable structures by reducing the environmental impact of buildings. This increasing trend of ecological building in North America indicates that the emphasis has shifted from producing only aesthetically appealing structures to functional, sustainable, and cost-effective buildings. Many architects and specifiers looking for green building certifications find AkzoNobel’s products helpful in improving indoor air quality and AkzoNobel provides low emission certificates.

“Buildings are responsible for 38% of global carbon emissions, which makes the built environment one of the largest contributing sectors to climate change. Most of us also spend a large part of our daily lives inside buildings, so they impact our health. We supply a wide range of sustainable solutions that can help reduce the environmental footprint, contribute to the circular use of building materials and improve the well-being of people in buildings,” explained Coenen.

“We have developed coatings and finishes with a reduced carbon footprint,” added Coenen. “For example, our waterborne Wood Finishes for building products and cabinets, our Cool Chemistry Coil Coatings for metal roofing that provides a solution to heat island reduction and our long-term durable Powder Coatings to enhance the lifetime of buildings.”

AkzoNobel has developed a range of paints and coatings qualified for green building certifications based on the World Green Building Council’s focus areas of climate action, health and well-being and circularity. AkzoNobel offers material transparency to its customers as they compare product options and assist customers in reducing their carbon footprint.

AkzoNobel’s durable products help customers lower costs and save resources by using less materials and reducing waste in its value chain. The company achieved an Ecovadis score of 82/100 points this year, focusing on its value chain engagement on sustainability. AkzoNobel is in the top 1% of all companies assessed by Ecovadis.

AkzoNobel has used its sustainable coatings solutions on important U.S. green buildings, contributing to LEED certifications. For example, the Uber headquarters is in San Francisco, California, and is LEED Gold certified. AkzoNobel used its Interpon D3020 Powder Coatings on the 423,000 square foot building.