Givaudan endorses UN CEO Water Mandate

24 Mar 2020 · 17:00 CET

Givaudan has endorsed the CEO Water Mandate, a UN Global Compact initiative which brings together a critical mass of business leaders to address global water challenges. Givaudan’s endorsement of the mandate marks World Water Day (Sunday, 22 March); a UN global event which this year focuses on raising awareness of the link between water and climate change and the parts we can all play to address this.

“Water stewardship is a global challenge which requires a global response,” said Gilles Andrier, CEO. “Driven by our purpose, we must lead the way by delivering on our own ambitious commitments to protect this precious natural resource, while harnessing the power of collaboration across sectors to drive change.”

The endorsement of the mandate further reinforces Givaudan’s commitment to water stewardship, which earned a CDP A grade in January. The Company surpassed its 2020 target for reducing global water consumption per tonne of production by 15% against a 2009, baseline three years ahead of schedule.

Givaudan’s water targets have been developed to contribute specifically to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals also known as SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), and SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production 12.2 and 12.4).

“We believe that our business operations must be fully aligned and contribute to the sustainable management of water, in the key water basins in which we are active,” said Willem Mutsaerts, Head of Global Procurement and Sustainability. “We intend to be a role model in water stewardship by working to protect water-dependent ecosystems and encouraging the sustainable use of water resources.”

Endorsers of the mandate commit to action across six key areas including the use of water in direct operations, supply chain and watershed management, and community engagement.


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 6.2 billion in 2019. Headquartered in Switzerland with local presence in over 180 locations, the Company has over 14,900 employees worldwide. Givaudan invites you to discover more at www.givaudan.com.

About the CEO Water Mandate

The CEO Water Mandate is a unique public-private initiative that mobilises business leaders for water stewardship. Established by the UN Global Compact in 2007, the Mandate was created out of the acknowledgement that global water challenges create risk for a wide range of industry sectors, the public sector, local communities, and ecosystems alike. The CEO Water Mandate is rooted in the belief that cross-sectoral collaboration on shared water goals is the most effective path to more sustainable water management and that the private sector can be a critical partner in this effort.

The Six Commitment Areas

1.  Direct Operations
2.  Supply Chain & Watershed Management
3.  Collective Action
4.  Public Policy
5.  Community Engagement
6.  Transparency


For further information please contact

Givaudan Media and Investor Relations
T +41 22 780 9053
E givaudan.investors@givaudan.com

25/04/2024