Firmenich has announced an ESG strategy, aiming for the group to become carbon positive and water neutral within 10 years. The company has committed to goals across three key areas: acting on climate change, embracing nature, and caring for people. Its targets include: carbon neutral operations by 2025 and carbon positive operations by 2030; 100% of plastics recycled, 100% renewable fragrances, a commitment to regenerative agriculture, as well as creating 5,000 youth job opportunities by 2030.
“As a leading responsible family company, driving a sustainable and inclusive business model has always been our priority,” said Patrick Firmenich, Chairman of the Board.
“After achieving our 2020 COP21 environmental goals, it is now time to take our ESG leadership in renewable ingredients, conscious perfumery and diet transformation to the next level,” said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO Firmenich. “Companies that commit today to address vital climate and social challenges will be the trusted winners of tomorrow. By accelerating the pace of our climate transition, we also encourage businesses to join us to create large-scale change.”
Firmenich says it began powering all operations globally with 100% renewable electricity in February 2020, and has also achieved CDP Triple A rating for climate, water and forests for the third consecutive year. The company also says it has decoupled its manufacturing output from its CO2 emissions, with output up 22% and Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emissions down by 45% since 2015.
Firmenich aims to be carbon neutral in its direct operations by 2025, and positive by 2030. It also aims to be water neutral in its operations in water-stressed areas by 2030, and recycling or reusing all of its plastic waste by the same time.
Building on its EDGE gender e q u a l i t y certification and platinum Ecovadis environmental and social performance rating, the group is reinforcing its CSR goals, which include continuing to improve its safety performance, creating 5,000 job opportunities and having 10% differently-abled people in its workforce by 2030.
“The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are embedded throughout our business, providing us all with a clear vision of the transformation we will achieve within a decade,“ said Berangère Magarinos Ruchat, Chief Sustainability Officer, Firmenich. “We remain firmly committed to science-based targets and measurable, independently-verified action to achieve these ambitious goals on our way to a positive-impact future.”
