On July 17, members of the CEOs for Sustainability network gathered at Covestro’s Pittsburgh campus for a sold-out, behind-the-scenes tour and conversation about how the company is embedding sustainability into its strategy, operations, and culture.
The morning began at The Cove, Covestro’s cafeteria and event space, where executives, leaders, and sustainability professionals connected over coffee and light refreshments. Bhavini Patel, executive director of Sustainable Pittsburgh, welcomed attendees and set the tone for the day, emphasizing how sustainability is now central to competitiveness, resilience and growth in the region. “Sustainability is no longer an afterthought. It is the blueprint for everything we are building and envisioning in Pittsburgh,” she said, underscoring the power of partnerships, innovation, and private-sector leadership.
Insights from Covestro’s President
Samir Hifri, U.S. president of Covestro, followed with welcoming remarks, expressing his excitement to host the network and share how Covestro approaches sustainability. He explained that Covestro is a global leader in materials and polymers, with products that touch countless aspects of daily life, and encouraged attendees to notice how sustainability drives both what they produce and how they operate.
Patel then facilitated a conversation with Hifri, where they explored:
- Pittsburgh’s strong potential to lead in sustainability, rooted in its history of reinvention, world-class universities, and innovative ecosystem. A recent example of this was an AI Innovation summit at Carnegie Mellon University which highlighted the region’s readiness to tackle emerging challenges and opportunities.
- Covestro’s $40 million investment that will modernize labs, upgrade machinery, and create safer, more efficient spaces for innovation. These updates support customers with sustainable solutions while providing employees with state-of-the-art facilities to develop alternative and non-fossil raw materials.
- How Covestro balances a long-term vision of full circularity with near-term emissions targets and day-to-day priorities. Efforts like adopting AI, improving efficiency, and sourcing renewable energy support this vision, alongside the company’s goal (one of the most ambitious in the industry) of becoming carbon neutral for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035.
Touring Sustainability in Action
After a quick shuttle across campus, the tour began with a presentation from Tim Thiel, Covestro’s global circular economy manager, who explained how sustainability and circular economy principles are integrated into every aspect of the company. He noted that the term “circular economy” is one that he uses daily in conversations with customers, clients, and colleagues, reflecting how deeply embedded it is in their culture and operations.
Thiel answered questions about how Covestro measures progress on Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, engages suppliers and customers to support these goals, and motivates employees with clear, short-term milestones that build toward their long-term vision. Attendees were particularly interested in how the company aligns its workforce and partners around sustainability, meets growing demand for lower-carbon products, and turns long-term ambitions into actionable steps.
Next, attendees suited up with hard hats, safety glasses, and vests to tour Covestro’s soon-to-open, state-of-the-art labs, all part of the $40 million headquarters investment. These labs feature sustainable design and circular economy thinking, with innovations like repurposing excess heat from ventilation systems and occupancy sensors that automatically power down equipment to save energy. Beyond advancing sustainability goals, the labs also help Covestro attract and retain top talent from Pittsburgh’s strong university ecosystem.
The tour continued through additional working labs where Covestro employees demonstrated a variety of sustainability-focused projects. They showed how they tackled a customer challenge to lower the embodied carbon of automotive components, developed products that are more recyclable and made from recycled plastics, and created more sustainable adhesives and coatings, including paint used on Pittsburgh’s iconic bridges that reduced application time by 33%. At every stop, it was clear that sustainability is not an add-on but the foundation of how Covestro innovates and serves its customers.
Closing Reflections
At the end of a packed morning, Hifri thanked guests for their thoughtful engagement and participation, expressing his hope that the event sparked curiosity and offered new insights. He encouraged attendees to see the Covestro team as a resource and welcomed continued conversations and collaboration to advance sustainability across the region.
For the CEOs for Sustainability network, events like this underscore the value of bringing leaders together to share insights, witness real-world examples of sustainability in action, and build the relationships that make collective progress possible. Seeing how companies like Covestro are embedding sustainability into their strategy and operations helps inspire and inform others to take similar steps, strengthening both their businesses and the region as a whole. Experiences like this are a powerful reminder of why collaboration, learning, and leadership are essential to creating a more sustainable, resilient, and prosperous region for everyone.
About CEOs for Sustainability
As champions of sustainability progress, CEOs for Sustainability is pioneered by leaders who are committed to embedding sustainable practices within their organizations and beyond. Facilitated by the nonprofit Sustainable Pittsburgh, the network thrives on principles that align with our strategic vision to see a thriving region where stakeholders are connected, sustainability knowledge is shared and applied, and all people can succeed.
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