AkzoNobel Vehicle Refinishes and Solera Partner in Europe to Enable Data-Driven Sustainability Across Collision Repair Industry

AkzoNobel’s Vehicle Refinishes business has announced a new partnership with Solera, a global leader in vehicle lifecycle management software, to help body shops and insurers accurately measure and reduce CO₂ emissions linked to vehicle repairs – supporting smarter, more sustainable decision-making.

Building on the success of its CO₂eRepairCalculator and Carbon Pulse tools, AkzoNobel is now taking a significant step forward by integrating its product data into Solera’s Sustainable Estimatics platform.

This integration will give body shops complete visibility into the carbon emissions of their entire repair setup. Doing so will allow them to make more accurate assessments of the CO₂ footprint of each repair, factoring the specific paint used and key variables such as spray booth time, drying temperature, and VOC emissions.

With this enhanced insight into the carbon emissions of the entire repair process, repairers can make informed, data-driven decisions and can select the most efficient coating systems. They can align their operational goals, increase profitability whilst reducing environmental impact during vehicle repairs.

This also represents a major milestone in AkzoNobel’s ongoing partnership with Solera, driving forward the shared goal of a more sustainable vehicle refinishes industry. This collaboration will help body shops and insurers to align with environmental regulations, meet ESG targets, and offer more sustainable repair solutions to their customers.

Initially launching across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, the collaboration will provide AkzoNobel’s partners with new capabilities to track and manage emissions data – aligned with the company’s strategy to cut carbon emissions by up to 50% across the value chain by 2030.

Ana Izquierdo, Global Head of Analytics at Solera, explains that the partnership brings meaningful benefits to both body shops and insurers.

“By combining Solera’s data-driven Sustainable Estimatics with AkzoNobel’s coatings expertise, we’re unlocking the ability to understand CO₂ emissions at a deeper, process-specific level,” Izquierdo said. “This not only supports sustainability efforts but also strengthens business performance.”

Ignacio Román Navarro, Business Director Automotive & Vehicle Refinishes EMEA, says the collaboration will drive measurable impact, stating “This is a key step in delivering our sustainability ambition, and our first initiative with Solera. We look forward to developing this partnership which aligns seamlessly with AkzoNobel’s broader effort to build a sustainable repair network.

“Through this partnership with Solera we are helping bodyshops to choose the right coating systems,” explains Ignacio. “It will now be possible for them to select the right systems that best matches their operational needs and that combine faster process times with lower energy consumption, which in turn reduces carbon emissions. We know that actionable insights are crucial to making more sustainable choices. We are providing the tools and transparency to make those decisions simpler, faster, and more impactful.”

While the initial focus is on EMEA markets, the partnership lays the groundwork for future global expansion.