Symrise once again ranks very highly in the latest sustainability rating issued by the non-profit organization CDP. CDP recognizes the company for its environmental transparency in protecting the climate, water, and forests, awarding it two top ratings of “A” and one excellent “A minus” at leadership level. Only very few companies worldwide achieved that top marks. This means that Symrise continues to meet the stringent requirements and can build on the CDP awards of previous years. A record number of 21,000 companies worldwide were assessed for the ranking – an increase of 24 percent compared to the previous year.
“Sustainability has always formed a part of our corporate strategy. We attach particular importance to protecting the climate and natural resources in all processes along the value chain. The award obliges and motivates us to continue on our chosen path,” says Bernhard Kott, Chief Sustainability Officer at Symrise. By 2030, the company aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to such an extent that it operates climate neutral overall. In its annual sustainability rating, the well-respected organization CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) awarded the company achievements an A rating in the areas of climate change and water protection as well as an A minus for forest conservation. This makes Symrise one of the few companies worldwide in the current ranking of more than 21,000 applicants to receive a double A award and an A minus at the leadership level.
The CDP rating focuses on the transparency and measurability of sustainability activities. The organization looks at how complete the submitted data is and how companies deal with environmental risks. The type of company management is also considered, for example the strategic approach to sustainability challenges, the definition of meaningful and achievable goals and the monitoring and control of their implementation. New scientific findings and changing market requirements ensure that CDP regularly raises the bar. Financial institutions worldwide use the non-profit organization's rating to invest in and promote a sustainable economy.
Ambitious goals for protecting the climate, water and forests
“We source almost 80 percent of our raw materials from nature and are therefore constantly looking for new sustainable technologies for a green product life cycle,” says Bernhard Kott. “We are also setting ourselves ambitious targets for implementation that go beyond the legal requirements.”
In addition to reducing climate-damaging greenhouse gases in production, the sustainable use of water and forest resources forms a key area of action in company’s corporate strategy. Symrise considers the availability of fresh, high-quality water and healthy forests an essential human right. A recovery process is also intended to reduce water consumption, and is focusing on countries such as Egypt, Spain, and Mexico. In addition, Symrise has received an FSC Chain of Custody Certification for processing natural feedstock coming from pine trees and has successfully passed recertification several times as the first company in its sector.
“We place great value on cutting-edge technologies so that we can produce in line with our ambitious goals in a way that protects water resources and safeguards access to drinking water. We are also committed to protecting forests as a valuable resource for our products,” says Helmut Frieden, VP Corporate Sustainability. “We are therefore delighted that water and forest conservation have once again been recognized alongside climate protection by the CDP’s stringent review process.”
