Symrise has achieved the top “A” rating in CDP’s Supplier Engagement Assessment (SEA). This places the company among the leaders in sustainable supplier engagement and shows how consistently it translates responsible sourcing into measurable customer value. Across the entire value chain, Symrise creates greater transparency, provides robust data down to raw material origin and supports customers in making informed sourcing decisions.
“CDP’s top ‘A’ rating confirms our holistic approach. We combine procurement and sustainability with a clear focus on impact across our value chain,” explains Dr Isabella Tonaco, Chief Sustainability Officer at Symrise. “We work closely with suppliers worldwide, embed climate criteria in sourcing decisions and create reliable transparency for our customers. This helps them better understand the carbon footprint of their products and the emissions they contain.”
Suppliers as a lever for climate action
A large share of emissions arises in upstream stages of the value chain. Symrise therefore actively involves its suppliers, increases transparency, pursues shared climate targets, and achieves operational progress. This approach provides robust ESG data, supports CO₂ reduction and strengthens sustainable supply chains for customers. Scope 3 programs and traceability initiatives play a particularly important role.
To capture CO₂ data transparently at product and company level, Symrise has created a digital data platform. The company presented its Houston project for the first time at the UN Climate Change Conference in November 2025. Developed together with technology partner CO2 AI, the platform enables real-time emissions analysis, makes reduction potential visible, and supports decisions that lower emissions along the value chain.
At the same time, Symrise is implementing its Low Carbon Transition Plan. The program has already delivered initial results: Through intensive cross-functional collaboration, the company has identified propylene glycol as a strategic raw material. Produced with green energy, it can support lower-carbon production processes.
In addition, Symrise uses its initiative “Essence of Carbon” to foster collaboration across relevant value-chain networks and drive decarbonization through innovation. Supported by strategic partners, it develops within this innovation program scalable solutions for stronger climate action.
“Because we actively involve our suppliers, strategy turns into measurable results in everyday operations,” says Kathy Ruhle, Senior Vice President Global Procurement at Symrise. “Together with our partners, we translate climate action step by step into concrete sourcing practices and achieve tangible progress across our supplier base. This strengthens global supply chains as well as quality and reliability. At the same time, our customers receive transparent data, lower-CO₂ options and a reliable basis for their own sustainability transformation.”
Looking ahead
By 2028, Symrise aims to present a concrete transformation plan for the use of sustainable raw materials and to develop an agenda for their traceability starting this year. The focus lies on stronger supplier engagement, measurable CO₂ reduction pathways and the further expansion of transparent, sustainable, and resilient supply chains.
