Paint and coatings play an important role in our most critical structures. From beautifying a homeowner’s living room to protecting the world’s largest commercial structures, paint and coatings provide not only color and durability to our buildings, but also enable a longer, useful life for a variety of materials.

By improving the durability of assets, the coatings industry is supporting extended product lifecycles, while preserving renewable, nonrenewable, and recycled resources for generations to come. Coatings manufacturers must leverage this as a strategic advantage and prioritize the continued development of industry-leading sustainable solutions to meet the needs of customers in the building industry.

Building developers are often required to meet green building standards – and paint and coatings can play a vital part in supporting this goal. Coatings are used extensively in the building and construction market for protective and decorative purposes on the building itself, and as part of components or machinery installed in the building.

At PPG, we take a multifaceted approach to sustainability and product stewardship. We have developed a comprehensive and multivariable methodology, which was informed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and further tailored to meet our specific value chain demands and requirements. The assessment methodology references the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGS) and industry best practices to designate which of our product lines are sustainably advantaged.

We also leverage data to produce declarations that support the requirements of green building schemes. These include the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^®) certification, Europe’s Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM^®) standard and the Well Building Standard^® certification.

In addition, life-cycle assessments enable the development of environmental product declarations (EPDs), which declare the environmental impact of the product over its life cycle. To support LEED material ingredients reporting, it is important for manufacturers to generate health product declarations (HPDs) that outline the substances present and indicate the results of screening these substances against the HPD priority hazard lists and The Greenscreen For Safer Chemicals^® designation.

Furthermore, a core focus for our architectural coatings portfolio has historically included reducing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and transitioning to water-based paints, which has now become commonplace in the industry. PPG provides regulatory VOC content data and support in obtaining external emission-testing certifications, both of which are part of the green construction programs requirements for identifying products that have a low impact on indoor air quality.

As well as supporting the requirements of green construction schemes, these assessments and certifications enable users to make informed choices on the products they choose in relation to the chemicals used, the impact on indoor air quality, and the broader environmental impact. Where PPG coatings are incorporated into products destined for the construction sector, we provide declarations of substance composition and life-cycle assessment information of the coatings to support customers in achieving certifications and declarations of their products required by green building schemes.

Lastly, it is important for manufacturers to closely follow rapidly evolving regulations, especially within Europe. They should ensure dedicated resources to evaluate and respond to forthcoming legislation, such as those that will come as a result of the multiple legislative initiatives introduced as part of the EU Green Deal.

While the industry’s priority is supporting evolving customer needs, every touchpoint along the value chain has responsibility to support a more sustainable future. The global paint and coatings industry should continually seek to use resources more efficiently and develop value-added sustainable solutions to support customers’ green building objectives. The coatings industry is critical in contributing to building a more sustainable future for customers, suppliers, and communities.