Givaudan reveals renewed commitment to transparency and sustainable business by using G4 reporting guidelines
Givaudan has taken a leading step in sustainability reporting by transitioning to the G4 guidelines. These guidelines, developed by the Global Reporting Initiative, offer the latest international standard for companies wanting to disclose management and performance information for their environmental, social and economic impacts.
Chief Executive Officer, Gilles Andrier says: “If we want to be a leader in sustainability, then it is imperative that we are transparent about which topics matter most to us, and that we share our progress as well as our challenges. Transitioning to the G4 framework has allowed us to do just that, presenting our impacts in a way that is easy for people to assess and compare.”
The Company has also evolved the way it communicates with a broader audience. It has started to use the newly rebranded Givaudan website to provide regular updates, grouped under four key themes. Highlights so far include:
- The way we source: In 2014, Givaudan announced the establishment of its own patchouli collection network on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi to ensure a stable supply and to monitor patchouli oil purchase at source while offering a more stable livelihood to the community that produce it. The Company also made progress in the sustainable palm oil area with 95% of the palm oils, fats and derivatives sourced in Europe for the Flavour Division certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) through the Mass Balance system. The remaining being covered by GreenPalm certificates.
- The way we innovate: Progress in 2014 included the development of Akigalawood®, a fragrance ingredient obtained through an enzymatic process to transform raw materials into a new natural and captive perfume compound. Other activities included the development of TasteSolutions® Richness, which offers the potential to develop rich, home-cooked tasting flavours, with reduced salt and MSG.
- The way we produce: Significant progress has been made towards achieving Givaudan’s 2020 eco-efficiency targets, which were set using a 2009 baseline for energy, water, waste and carbon emissions. The Company is well on track to meet its targets across all four areas. Notably, it has achieved a 24.6% reduction in carbon emissions per tonne produced, stabilising absolute emissions while activity continues to grow.
- The way we partner: Understanding the sustainability challenges that suppliers and customers face is critical to forming strong and long-lasting partnerships. In 2014, Givaudan sponsored an AIM-PROGRESS event on responsible sourcing, which was co-sponsored by Nestlé and Bacardi, and gave insight into some of the biggest challenges faced by customers in their supply chains.
To read our latest stories, get further detail on progress or to download the G4 report, visit www.givaudan.com/sustainability
Notes to editors
The 2020 targets, against a 2009 baseline, are:
- 20% reduction in energy consumption per tonne of production
- 15% reduction of municipal and ground water usage per tonne of production
- 25% reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne of production
- 15% reduction in incinerated and landfilled waste per tonne of production
- Lost time injury rate below 0.1
About Givaudan
Givaudan is the global leader in the creation of flavours and fragrances. In close collaboration with food, beverage, consumer goods and fragrance partners, Givaudan develops tastes and scents that delight consumers the world over. With a passion to understand consumers’ preferences and a relentless drive to innovate, Givaudan is at the forefront of creating flavours and fragrances that ‘engage your senses’. The company achieved sales of CHF 4.4 billion in 2014. Headquartered in Switzerland with local presence in over 80 countries, the company has over 9,650 employees worldwide. Givaudan invites you to discover more at www.givaudan.com
About GRI
GRI is a non-profit organisation working in the public interest towards a vision of a sustainable global economy where organisations manage their economic, environmental, social, and governance performance and impacts responsibly. Thousands of corporate and public sector reporters in over 90 countries use the GRI Guidelines. More than 22,000 reports have been registered in GRI’s Sustainability Disclosure Database and 25 countries and regions reference GRI in their policies. GRI’s activities are two-fold: firstly the provision of sustainability reporting guidelines and secondly, the development of engagement activities, products and partnerships to enhance the value of sustainability reporting for organisations.
For more information visit www.globalreporting.org
For further information please contact:
global.sustainability@givaudan.com