Note 1: Sustainable products

More than 21% of our products met the eco-performer criteria in 2017, having clear sustainability features and being at least as good as mainstream alternatives. Another 20% of the total portfolio met the more demanding criteria of the eco-premium category and we aim to maintain a sustainable 20% of eco-premium revenue through 2020.

Eco-premium solutions differentiate AkzoNobel, matching the standard offerings in all respects and exceeding them in at least one of the following parameters: energy efficiency; use of natural resources and raw materials; land use; emissions and waste; safety risks; toxicity; health and well-being. Products are assessed across their lifecycle and benchmarked against current competitor solutions, making it a moving target.

The eco-premium portfolio is dynamic as 3% of revenue has ceased to be classified as eco-premium due to competitive offerings having caught up. At the same time, new solutions have been introduced to the portfolio, also accounting for 3% of revenue.

VOC in products

As a result of our ongoing ambition to move towards zero VOCs, our Decorative Paints and Performance Coatings portfolios are undergoing a transformation towards a range of products that are lower in their VOC content.

Decorative Paints is focusing on a multi-year program to lead the market to water-based trim and wood product ranges. Our overall paints and coatings portfolio showed a decrease of 13% in average VOC content in 2016¹, compared with the baseline position of 2009. Due to the divestment of businesses with very low VOC products, the like-for-like reduction for AkzoNobel over this period was 25%.