Non-profit organisation CDP awards Symrise highest ranking, affirming the company’s efforts in climate protection and greenhouse gas reduction.
Symrise has set the standard in sustainability around the world with its ambitious climate protection measures. This has once again been honoured by the non-profit organisation CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project). In the annual CDP evaluation of companies and governments, the Holzminden-based group achieved an A-list climate protection rating. The rating is based on environmental data provided to CDP by more than 8,400 companies and over 920 states, regions and cities.
Symrise has identified sustainability as an integral component to its corporate strategy. The company aims to take responsibility for future generations and is thus setting an example in the transition to a resource-conserving economy. To fulfill this aspiration, the company has developed a climate protection strategy. Symrise has even achieved the goal of improving environmental efficiency in terms of CO2 by one-third compared to 2010, and is ahead of its 2020 deadline.
The measures Symrise carried out have earned the CDP’s top score in its climate protection rating. The CDP evaluates the completeness of the published data as well as the operational management of environmental risks, among other things. A further criterion is evidence of a pioneering environmental role, for example, through setting and achieving ambitious goals. Based on the results, the CDP classifies the participants into four categories: from A, the highest, to D.
Dr Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, CEO of Symrise, said: “As a company, we want to make a palpable contribution to climate. That’s why we pursue ambitious goals. We are pleased that the CDP has recognised our efforts. It shows that we are on the right path.”
A climate-positive Symrise starting 2030
Symrise has committed to further reducing its environmental footprint along the entire value chain in the future. The next milestone will be improving environmental efficiency by 2025 in terms of harmful emissions by 60% compared to 2016. And starting in 2030, Symrise intends to be climate-positive.
Dr Bertram elaborated: “We have decided on concrete measures to achieve these goals. We want to continue to improve the energy efficiency of all our production sites and to obtain all our electricity from renewable sources by 2025. In addition, we will support high-grade climate production projects around the world by acquiring emission certificates.”
A further step is concluding power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Germany, i.e., electricity supply contracts that are usually entered into a long-term basis between a producer and a buyer. By hedging market price risks, these agreements can promote the economical generation of electricity through renewable energy sources. The background for this is that the government subsidies for renewable energy production provided by the German Renewable Energy Act will end in 2021. PPAs are one way of ensuring that the facilities continue to be used after the state-funded period ends.
Symrise also urged its suppliers to commit to more climate protection in the future. Those who supply raw materials accounting for at least 80% of its total purchasing volume are required by the company to commit that own climate target by 2020.
