On the green track,CHT Group offers innovative dye and chemical solutions
Apr 21, 2026 ｜ by
The 25th China Interdye Exhibition was successfully held from April 15 to 17 at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. Bringing together over 650 outstanding exhibitors from 16 countries and regions, the event showcased new products, technologies, and applications in environmentally friendly printing and dyeing, serving as a powerful platform for promoting low-carbon transformation and deepening international exchanges and cooperation.
CHT Group, a globally leading chemical supplier, made a remarkable appearance with a range of innovative sustainable solutions, fully demonstrating its advanced technologies and sustainable development concepts in the textile dyeing and finishing area. At the exhibition, CHT launched its resource-saving dyeing processes, a series of products such as The WOW Concept, PIGMENTURA by CHT, and PAFIX BOND, providing strong support to the industry.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of CHT China. Dr. Achim Schneider, Vice President of Global Strategy & Business Development at CHT Group, Birgit Holz, Global Director Market Segment Apparel & Home Textile, CHT Group, Sharon Chung, Managing Director, CHT China, Dr. Raymond Chow, Regional Head of Sales, APAC and Peak Zou, Sales Lead Country Group, Greater China, together with other senior executives of the CHT Group, gave an exclusive interview to the media. Focusing on core topics such as the Group’s global strategy, localization initiatives in China, sustainability measures, and product and technology, they provided in-depth insights into CHT’s development blueprint, practical pathways, commitments and responsibilities in the textile dyeing and finishing industry.
Q1. As CHT Group’s VP of Global Strategy & Business Development, what will be CHT’s strategic focus for 2026 and the coming years? China is one of CHT’s key markets. Given intense local competition and rapidly changing customer needs, what role does CHT China play in the group’s global strategy?
A1: Dr. Achim Schneider
Global Vice President Strategy & Business Development, CHT Group
As CHT Group’s VP of Global Strategy & Business Development, let me outline our group-wide strategic focus for 2026 and beyond – and how China is an integral part of it.
At group level, we see China as the largest chemicals market globally and at the same time a key driver of innovation. This makes China not just important for CHT, but essential for how we think about future growth and competitiveness.
Looking ahead, our global strategy is guided by our commitment to Sustainable Smart Chemistry, bringing together People, Planet, and Performance. Sustainability for us is not a slogan – it is about creating measurable value for customers while operating responsibly. We focus on solutions that reduce energy, water, and resource consumption, enable circularity, and improve productivity at the same time. This is exactly what customers also in China increasingly expect: solutions that combine performance with sustainability.
Against this backdrop, China plays a very specific role in our strategy. We strongly believe that winning in China requires a different mindset. In earlier roles, I worked for and closely with Chinese colleagues. That experience taught me that market dynamics here differ significantly from Western markets – decision making is faster, competition is intense, and customer expectations evolve quickly. This creates both challenges and opportunities. Success comes from being close to customers, listening carefully, and translating global strengths into locally relevant solutions.
In line with our global strategy, we are therefore strengthening a local for local approach. As global industries become more fragmented again, local presence matters more than ever. Local teams, local application know how, and local supply chains allow us to be faster, more responsive, and more cost effective for our customers – without compromising on quality.
This is where CHT China plays a critical role. We are already present in China, but we are very clear that we are not yet creating the level of customer value we aspire to. Our ambition is to change that. CHT China is central to positioning our group more strongly in this promising market and at the same time to act as a bridge for our broader APAC business.
We are strong in textiles by heritage, and we will continue to build on this foundation. At the same time, we want to translate more of our proven strengths into solutions tailored to Chinese needs—such as resource and energy efficient process solutions, sustainable and circular chemistries, high performance finishing and functional solutions, and strong technical service and application expertise. In parallel, we are selectively diversifying into other promising application areas where these capabilities create clear customer value.
In summary, our group strategy for the coming years is clear: sustainable value creation, innovation close to the market, and strong localization. CHT China is a key enabler of this strategy – both as a growth platform in China and as an important contributor to our development across APAC. We will continue to invest, learn, and grow here.
Optional ultra short closing line:
“China is our most important growth and innovation market – and CHT China will be a key driver of value creation for both China and APAC.”
CHT China is committed to achieving the 3P goals of the CHT Group, namely Planet, People, and Performance. Among them, the goal of Planet is sustainable development and environmental protection.
Q2. What are CHT's priorities in 2026 regarding resource-saving technology?
A2: Birgit Holz
Global Director Market Segment Apparel & Home Textile, CHT Group
The responsible use of resources and the reduction of our CO₂ footprint are clearly key priorities in 2026 – for us as an industry and for us as a company.
In addition to reducing environmental impacts such as our CO₂, energy, and water consumption, our responsibility at CHT to substitute hazardous chemicals is a key driver in developing sustainable chemical solutions.
The CHT Group is working specifically on solutions that reduce the use of natural resources while simultaneously increasing efficiency in textile finishing. CHT's state-of-the-art, resource-saving dyeing processes enable significant savings in water, energy, and process time – thus making a measurable contribution to more sustainable textile production.
Q3. Beyond enabling customers, what specific measures has CHT China taken to reduce emissions or adopt green manufacturing in its own production, supply chain, and plant operations? Looking toward 2030 and beyond, what long-term sustainability goals or commitments has CHT China set?
A3: Sharon Chung
CHT China is committed to achieving the 3P goals of the CHT Group, namely Planet, People, and Performance. Among them, the goal of Planet is sustainable development and environmental protection.
As a specialty chemicals company, the consumption of water and energy is highly significant.
At CHT China, we have three production sites, located in Shanghai, Dongguan and Tianjin.
In terms of electricity usage, our Shanghai site completed the construction of a photovoltaic system in 2024, which is also the largest of its type within the CHT Group. Since then, 40% of the electricity used by the site comes from sustainable solar photovoltaic power generation. In the coming months, our photovoltaic construction project in Dongguan site is expected to start generating 50% sustainable electricity. We are looking forward to the achievements of energy conservation and emission reduction in Dongguan.
From the perspective of water resource management and energy efficiency, we have achieved significant interim progress: over the past 5 years, CHT China reduced our water consumption by more than 60%. In the area of energy conservation, we will prioritize reducing energy consumption in the coming years, with a particular focus on managing Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions. We are committed to further reducing our carbon footprint through key initiatives such as implementing more efficient and cleaner steam production processes.
Looking ahead, CHT Group has set an ambitious vision for the future. In terms of energy conservation, emission reduction and environmental protection, we will work on developing more sustainable solutions and reducing both our direct and indirect negative impacts on the environment. In line with our commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), we have established a clear emissions reduction roadmap: by 2030, reduce absolute Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 42% compared to the 2021 base year, and reduce Scope 3 emissions by 25%.
CHT China will do its utmost to meet the growing market demand for green and low-carbon products. While better serving both the domestic and the broader overseas market, we will actively collaborate with upstream and downstream supply chain partners to build a greener future together. Thank you.
Q4. What will CHT be presenting as a highlight at Interdye 2026?
A4: Dr. Raymond Chow, Regional Head of Sales, APAC & Peak Zou, Sales Lead Country Group, Greater China
At China Interdye 2026, we will be showcasing our strongest portfolio across synthetic and cellulose fibers, centered around our commitment to Sustainable Smart Chemistry.
First, for cellulose fibers, we are highlighting "The WOW Concept" based on BEZAKTIV ONE. It meets the highest ecological standards and offers excellent fastness. Thanks to high fixation, it enables significant savings in water and energy – up to 90% less compared to conventional processes.
Second, for cotton and blends, our star is the PIGMENTURA process. This revolutionary continuous dyeing technology cuts water consumption by over 90% and shortens processing time drastically. It even earned us the German Sustainability Award in the Products category in December 2025.
Third, focusing on polyamide, we are proud to introduce PAFIX BOND, our bio-based post-treatment agent. It is bisphenol-free, phenol-free, and formaldehyde-free formulations and meets bluesign®, ZDHC, and OEKO-TEX® standard 100, and delivers performance equivalent to traditional agents. It helps our customers save up to 25% water, 20% energy, and reduce process time by 17%.
Of course, we always evaluate our products, and especially our new developments, with regard to their Product Carbon Footprint (PCF). Compared to conventional products, we expect a reduction in PCF of approximately 20 %. Considering the CO2 absorption of the bio-based raw materials during growth, we even expect the PCF of PAFIX BOND to be negative.
Paired with Cradle to Cradle Gold certified BEMACID® dyes, we offer a complete, sustainable system for the circular economy.
About the CHT Group
The CHT Group is a globally active foundation-owned specialty chemicals manufacturer headquartered in Tübingen, Germany. We offer sustainable chemical solutions for numerous industries and have an international presence with around 2,500 employees and 26 production sites. In the financial year 2025, the CHT Group generated a group turnover of approx. 570 million Euro.
Our portfolio includes Textile Solutions (dyes and auxiliaries for the entire textile value chain), Industrial Solutions (specialty silicones, paper and pulp technologies, washing solutions, care ingredients), and Functional Chemicals (chemical additives for paints, coatings, construction, adhesives, leather, chemical producers, agrochemicals, mining, and release agents).
The CHT Group is certified according to international standards and is committed to sustainability and social responsibility.
ALL COMMENTS
