Symrise - Low carbon

What is the issue with carbon emissions?

First, let’s understand what a greenhouse gas phenomenon is

The greenhouse gas effect is a natural phenomenon that contributes to maintaining a habitable temperature on the Earth.

The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and water vapor.

When the sun's rays reach the earth...

2/3 of them are absorbed by the oceans, soil and trees

1/3 are reflected into the atmosphere in the form of infrared radiation.

Several gases in the atmosphere prevent part of this radiation from escaping into space and sending it back to Earth.

This greenhouse gas phenomenon heats the Earth up to reach a temperature of 15°C , which enables life on earth.

Without this greenhouse effect, the temperature on Earth would be on average -18°C

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the gases that generates the higher greenhouse effects.

There is a fine balance between the carbon used by plants on Earth and microplanktons in the oceans, and its natural release by life activity in the atmosphere.

Over a very long period, unused carbon has accumulated as natural, fossilized carbon in the deep layers of earth.

So what’s wrong ?

In the last century, the intensive human activity linked to the industrial era and consequent need for energy has resulted in massive use of those fossil carbon reservoirs, known as fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas) while promoting intensive agriculture and landfill.

These cause a huge increase of GHG emissions in the atmosphere that unbalances the system.

Meanwhile, deforestation and urbanization don’t allow soil and trees to absorb the CO2 surplus. And as part of global warming, the oceans are also becoming warmer, making it more difficult for CO2 to dissolve in the seas.

As a result, less CO2 is absorbed, contributing to an increase in gas in the atmosphere.

With more of these gases, more radiation is blocked into the atmosphere. As a result, the earth heats up more and more.

Change in global surface temperature (annual average) as observed and simulated using human & natural and only natural factors (both 1850–2020). Source: IPCC.

Today, the average earth temperature has already increased by + 1,2°c compared to 1850.

How is the world tackling the issue?

It’s time to ACT

Two main actions need to be taken simultaneously

Reduce GHG emissions

Adapt to the current effects by preserving people, biodiversity and heritage sites

This is the purpose of the 2015 Paris agreement.

A turning point in governments’ awareness

What’s happened there ?

During this key summit, 196 countries committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2100, instead of an increase of 3 to 5°C or more if nothing is done, and to work towards a zero net carbon society.

The world strategy consists of defining fair contributions for greenhouse gas reductions according to what each country currently emits and has emitted in the past.

Each country commits to a global warming limitation action plan with a timeline and a target amount of carbon reduction by 2050, in order to be able to reach a balance between remaining emissions and carbon sequestration ability (net 0 carbon).

5
years

They come together every 5 years to assess the collective progress towards this and enhance actions if needed.

What about companies' accountabilities ?

As part of society, companies are highly accountable for participation in governmental pledges toward Climate Actions and consequently putting in place their own action plans.
They have to establish reduction targets for 2050 with corresponding low carbon trajectories.

Companies' greenhouse gas emissions are classified under three scopes

Scope 1

Scope 2

Scope 3

Scope 1

These are emissions directly emitted from production sites for production activities (e.g. gas, oil)

Scope 2

These include indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy (as e.g. electricity, steam)

Scope 3

These emissions take into account all indirect emissions that occur in the value chain of the company, including both upstream (as raw material, their packaging and their transportation) and downstream emissions until the end of life of the product

slaughterhouses

pet food manufacturers

pet shops

Symrise greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 have been the following:

Scope 1 15,9%294.302 tons
Scope 2 0%0 tons
Scope 3 84,1%1.556.239 tons

What is our contribution as a company ?

We will be climate-positive in energy supply and consumption starting in 2030 and throughout the supply chain by 2045.

Climate-positive means that we aim to reduce and remove more greenhouse gases than the group emits on those two scopes by leveraging both reduction and compensation actions.

We are also committed to reduce our scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 to be compliant with the Paris Agreement, and more specifically, to the scenario of less than +1.5°c global warming.

How is Taste, Nutrition & Health segment contributing to the corporate and the global effort?

We are developing a common methodology to enable greenhouse gas emissions mapping for every site.
In parallel we are defining a strategy per region that embraces the 3 scopes, which involves all departments (Innovation Procurement, Operations and Sales), on the best way to combine growth strategy and sustainable development.
We will roll-out and implement action plans!

This is the core of our Low Carbon Transition Program!

Many initiatives have already been put in place

In Food & Beverage we have mapped our main raw materials accounting for 80% of annual purchased volume. Since raw materials are the main contributors to our Scope 3 emissions and since Scope 3 is the most impactful category for Symrise (84.5% of total emissions) this is where we want to start to drive significant changes! We are estimating the GHG emissions of our main raw materials to identify opportunities for switching from those with highest impact to those with lower carbon footprint.

In our Pet Food division, an EcoDesign matrix is already in use to assess footprint impacts, including carbon emissions, generated throughout the lifecycle of all our products and, more importantly, to design low carbon products! The tool is also being rolled out in the Aqua Feed business unit. Additionally, all new Symrise Pet Food sites have been following the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards.

The Low Carbon Roadmap of the Naturals Business Unit already includes a 2023-2026 investments roadmap that can deliver a decrease > 40% of our GHG emissions for scope 1 and 2.

We are working with our customers also on packaging optimization to reduce our carbon and plastic footprint. For example, for one of our global accounts we changed the packaging of one of their solutions from 25kg drums in 2020 to 1000 kg IBCs in 2021. The saving has been great!

346kg

LESS PLASTIC

on the planet (-58%)

9477kg

CO2EQ SAVED

from reaching the atmosphere (-43%)

What about our personal contribution as employees?

Everyone of us can do his/her share and be part of the solution. There are many actions that can be taken, in private life and at the workplace:

Digital habits

Energy saving

Commuting to workplaces

Housing

Healthy and sustainable diets

Good practices will benefit all!

You can establish your personal commitment to reduce your GHG emissions, start by calculating your individual carbon footprint

The carbon footprint aims to measure the impact of an activity on the environment, and more specifically the greenhouse gas emissions linked to this activity. It can be applied at multiple levels, e.g. individuals, companies, territories, nations.

Scan or click on the image to calculate your carbon footprint

We are all participants on this journey.
Join in!

Stay tuned with the upcoming initiatives that will enable us all to make our contribution to the low carbon journey

It's time to stand up and tackle climate change!

How can we address this challenge?

But first, let us go back to the beginning of the story...