SPARTANBURG, S.C.-- April 20, 2023 -- Diversified global manufacturer Milliken & Company released its fifth annual sustainability report, “For HumanKind,” today. The report tracks Milliken’s progress on its 2025 Sustainability Goals, originally set in 2019, and provides initial baseline data for its net-zero targets, formally verified in 2022. The report showcases how sustainability impacts Milliken’s business today and is integral to the company’s future.

Milliken’s announcement of its short- and long-term targets to reach net-zero by 2050 added a new dimension to its sustainability effort. Milliken is one of the first 50 companies in the world, and the first in South Carolina, to have science-based targets approved by the U.N.- backed Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). These targets joined 12 other sustainability goals Milliken set forth to guide its work with its people, its products and the planet through the lens of human benefit and science.

“It’s been inspiring to see what we’ve accomplished in just a few years. We know we can continue this progress as we rally our associates, our shareholders, our partners, and our customers to be a part of the solution to the world’s most pressing challenges, including climate change,” says Milliken President and CEO Halsey Cook. “Our work is far from over, and we know that teamwork is the key to accelerating the innovation that will unlock success-not only for ourselves, but for all of humankind.”

Also in 2022, Milliken announced it would phase out the use of PFAS in its fibers and finishes within its textile portfolio, completing this exit in December 2022. In line with its commitment to end-of-life solutions for plastics, Milliken’s corporate foundation—the Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation—invested in The Recycling Partnership’s Center for Sustainable Behavior and Impact, which offers tangible solutions for increasing recycling rates in U.S. households. Diversity among Milliken’s U.S. management team is up 10% since 2018, representing 36% gender diversity and 17% racial/ethnic diversity. Notably, Milliken also met its goal for a 25% reduction in indexed greenhouse gas emissions in its operations this year and will now focus on greater GHG emission reductions in line with its net-zero targets.

“Our sustainability efforts continue to evolve, as the shift from our greenhouse gas emissions goal to the more holistic net-zero targets shows,” adds Milliken SVP and General Counsel Kasel Knight. “We’re proud of what we accomplished in 2022, and we’re confident that we’ll improve our efforts with new opportunities to live our purpose of positively impacting the world for generations to come.”

Milliken’s 2022 Sustainability Report can be found at milliken.com/sustainability, alongside additional net-zero resources and prior years’ reports.