Message from our CEO

An update on our sustainability efforts from Sean Keohane, president and CEO

As I reflect on 2023, I am filled with a profound sense of pride in the Cabot team and our progress in advancing our sustainability priorities. Sustainability is central to our purpose of creating materials that improve daily life and enable a more sustainable future. In addition, we seek to grow by enabling our customers’ applications through innovative chemistry, while reducing the environmental footprint of our operations and engaging stakeholders in our shared pursuit.

Sustainability is integrated into our strategy, driving notable achievements in 2023 that distinguish Cabot within our industry. 

Industry-Leading Safety Performance

In fiscal year 2023, we achieved industry-leading safety performance, with our Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.14, which placed us in the top decile of manufacturing companies. This is a testament to our culture of safety and continuous improvement and our shared belief that zero incidents is possible.

Innovations for a Sustainable Future

In 2023, we launched a new technology platform called EVOLVE® Sustainable Solutions, which seeks to accelerate our innovation around sustainable materials, and bring these solutions to market at industrial scale. This is a complex material science challenge, and our goal is to help our customers introduce more sustainable products without compromising application performance requirements.

Our innovation heritage and competency of scaling up new materials position us to pioneer innovative solutions for our customers. During the year, we also extended our position in the battery materials supply chain beyond our conductive additives product line, by introducing ENTERA® aerogel. This product is a thermal insulation additive for lithium-ion batteries that is designed to provide superior insulating properties for customers that produce thermal barriers for lithium-ion batteries.

Global Certifications and Recognition

In 2023, we also advanced our sustainability certifications with Cabot achieving International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification at seven of our sites globally. In addition to this achievement, we also received a Platinum Rating from EcoVadis for the third consecutive year and were included in Newsweek’s list of "America’s Most Responsible Companies" for the fifth year in a row, underscoring the integrity and performance of our sustainability programs.

2025 Sustainability Goals

We are making strong progress towards our 2025 sustainability goals. Through 2023, we have already achieved nine of our 2025 sustainability goals. I am particularly proud that we continue to exceed our energy efficiency goal, which is to export 200% of the energy we import. The achievement of this goal showcases our innovative approach to circularity and our commitment to energy recovery in our manufacturing process.

In Closing

Central to our achievements is the dedication of our incredible team from around the world. Their innovative ideas and relentless efforts to accelerate our path forward are the driving force behind our success. 

As I look to the future, I do so with the conviction that our progress in 2023 serves both as a foundation for our future work and as an inspiration for the journey ahead. Together, we are not merely navigating the present; we are actively working to shape a future that is more sustainable for generations to come.

I encourage you to read more about our accomplishments in this report, illustrating the many ways we are working to enable a more sustainable future for our customers, our colleagues, our communities, and the world. To that end, I am also pleased to renew Cabot’s commitment to our sustainability goals, and pledge of ongoing support to aligning our strategy with the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in this important work. I look forward to sharing more about our achievements in the coming years.