Givaudan announces early success in reducing water consumption

16 Mar 2018 · 07:54 CET

One of several achievements set out in our 2017 Sustainability Report

Givaudan announced today that it has reached its 2020 target for reducing water consumption three years ahead of schedule. Reaching this important milestone on our journey to greater sustainability is just one of a series of achievements set out in our 2017 Sustainability Report, published today.

Our baseline target, set in 2009, was to reduce global water consumption per tonne of production by 15% by 2020. Through consistent efforts by our sites around the world to manage the way we use this precious resource, Givaudan has hit, and even surpassed this target three years in advance, reducing global water consumption by 19.4% versus 2009.

“We are pleased to be able to report on another good year as we move towards greater sustainable practices in our operations,” said Gilles Andrier, Givaudan’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our success in reducing water consumption demonstrates our ability to innovate and implement the most efficient and sustainable processes in our journey towards achieving our 2020 ambition of ‘Responsible growth. Shared success’. We believe sustainability offers exciting opportunities to add value to our business and to our customers by helping them to answer a growing consumer demand for responsibly produced products.”

The 2017 Sustainability Report covers a year of great progress, including the launch of a new and strengthened approach to building a sustainable business for the long term, and sets ambitious targets to reduce our environmental impact and drive responsible sourcing in our supply chains.

The report is compiled for the first time in accordance with the GRI’s new standards framework: Core Option. Also, as part of our commitment to a sustainable future, we have moved closer to a fully integrated reporting strategy for the second year running by including more information on sustainability in our 2017 Annual Report.

Overall, the 2017 Sustainability Report shows how Givaudan is embracing its role as a corporate leader in the global effort to safeguard the future of the planet.

Highlights of the report include:

  • In October, the Company launched a new approach to sustainability called A Sense of Tomorrow which acknowledges the increasingly complex environmental and societal challenges posed by climate change, resource scarcity and poverty. The approach focuses our efforts in the three areas of Sourcing for Shared Value, Innovating Responsibly and Acting for Our Environment.
     
  • Givaudan has committed to ensure that 90 per cent of its raw materials volume of natural origin is responsibly sourced by 2020. The target is a significant undertaking for our Responsible Sourcing programme, which works with thousands of suppliers in many different parts of the world to ensure compliance with our Responsible Sourcing Policy.
     
  • As part of A Sense of Tomorrow, we set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The targets are approved by the global Science Based Targets initiative and so are aligned with the international effort to restrict future climate warming to within the two-degree threshold.
     
  • Givaudan made a series of important technological breakthroughs in 2017. We continued to develop our SunThesis® citrus ingredients collection, an alternative source of key raw materials that helps to relieve the pressure on scarce natural resources. Meanwhile, we applied our extensive knowledge of the link between fragrance and positive mood states to create DreamScentz™, a product promoting health and well-being by enhancing consumers’ sleeping experience.

Commenting on today’s publication, Willem Mutsaerts, Head of Global Procurement and Sustainability, said: “This has been a very important year for consolidating almost a decade of sustainability practice and setting our sights firmly on the future. A Sense of Tomorrow shows our relentless drive to further anticipate ever-evolving challenges and meeting our customers’ needs. Delivering on our water target ahead of schedule reflects the dedication of our teams and that sustainability is at the heart of our activities. With that commitment and drive well established, Givaudan looks forward to inspiring future generations with unique flavours and fragrances and playing our part in the global effort to do what is right for the planet and society as a whole.”

Givaudan’s 2017 Sustainability Report is independently assured by EY LLP. 


About Givaudan

Givaudan is the global leader in the creation of flavours and fragrances. In close collaboration with food, beverage, consumer product 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 5.1 billion in 2017. Headquartered in Switzerland with local presence in over 100 locations, the Company has more than 11,100 employees worldwide. Givaudan invites you to discover more at www.givaudan.com.


For further information please contact

Peter Wullschleger, Media and Investor Relations
T +41 22 780 9093
E peter_b.wullschleger@givaudan.com