Synthomer sustainability score: 31/100
Making progress starts at 46. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Synthomer makes specialised polymers and ingredients for coatings and construction, adhesives, and health and protection products. In 2025 its Coatings & Construction Solutions division brought in £699.2 million, Adhesive Solutions £570.8 million and Health & Protection and Performance Materials £469.2 million.
More about Synthomer
Synthomer plc was incorporated in 1908 and was named Yule Catto & Co until 2012. It had 3,788 employees (headcount) and £1,739.2 million revenue from continuing operations in 2025.
Founded 1908Head office Harlow, United KingdomStaff ~3,788 headcount (2025)Revenue ~£1.74B revenue (£1,739.2M, 2025, continuing operations)Website ↗
Synthomer's footprint was 3,234,734 tCO2e in 2025, mostly the raw materials it buys (2,548,024 t), and it rose in every scope on 2024. Scope 1 and 2 rose 25% after it stopped buying renewable power certificates, and renewable electricity fell from 80% to 37.5%. SBTi validated its 2030 targets in 2023: Scope 1 and 2 down 46.2% and Scope 3 down 27.5% from 2019, both absolute, the Scope 3 one for purchased goods only. Its emissions carry limited assurance, but waste rose to 79,470 t. The Allegheny County Health Department fined it $10,500 in 2024 and $46,400 in 2025 over air emissions at its Jefferson Hills plant in Pennsylvania.
Synthomer scores 31/100 (Below expectations) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified November 2026.
That places Synthomer joint 735th of 1,070 companies scored, and joint 12th of 19 in Chemicals.
What is Synthomer doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Targets & Commitments (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Emissions Trajectory and Energy Source (0/10, 2/10).
Where Synthomer lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy isMove to a renewable energy tariff or make a major efficiency investment.
- Its effect on natureAssess its effect on nature and publish a basic environmental policy.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations8/10No verified figures published with their method and a falling trend.
- Emissions from its supply chain6/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling0/10No evidence its emissions are falling.
- How clean its energy is2/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature2/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- How it uses materials and handles waste4/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water3/10No monitoring of water use, or no measures to reduce it.
- Its climate targets7/10No validated long-term net zero target.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies5/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is Synthomer's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Synthomer's score based on?
16 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
44% of them were published by Synthomer itself; the rest come from independent sources.
9 of 16 sources are independent of the company.
“tonnes CO2e 374,957 300,599 323,418 551,561”
“We engaged Grant Thornton UK LLP to provide independent limited assurance over our: Scope 1”
“Our absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions rose in 2025 versus 2024,”
“SBTi-approved Scope 3 science-based target is for Category 1:”
“we have sourced low-carbon impact butyl acrylate (BA) and butadiene (BD)”
“Our three-year rolling waste intensity metric was 5% worse over the 2023-2025 period”
“Synthomer has committed to the reduction of absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 46.2% by 2030 from”
“The Science Based Targets initiative has validated that the corporate”
“Our water score improved to B and our Forests score improved to C.”
“exceeded its permit limits 281 times, accounting for 76% of all the exceedances of the 13 facilities”
“For these violations, Synthomer was ordered to pay a $10,500 civil penalty.”
“Synthomer said it continues to comply with the ongoing 2023 consent decree”
“A $46,400 fine - payable to the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund - was assessed.”
“Along with the financial penalty being paid by Eastman, Synthomer has agreed to take actions to eliminate ongoing violations and prevent future violations.”
“The site is now owned and operated by Synthomer Jefferson Hills, LLC.”
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How does Synthomer compare with other chemicals companies?
Where Synthomer sits among chemicals peers.
Among the 19 major chemicals brands we've scored, Synthomer is tied =12th of 19, with 1 other.
Who scores higher in Chemicals?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Synthomer.
AkzoNobel has cut its own emissions 47% since 2018 and its total footprint from 14.9 to 12.2 MtCO2e, but value-chain emissions are down only 19%.
See the breakdown →dsm-firmenich's total emissions fell to 11.0 MtCO2e in 2025, but the company says much of its progress came from the Animal Nutrition & Health business it is selling, and it publishes no figures for the rest of the group alone.
See the breakdown →3M publishes assured Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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