Firmenich commits to carbon neutrality by 2025
The company said it has committed to goals across three key areas: acting on climate change, embracing nature, and caring for people. 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.”
Driven by science-based targets, Firmenich became the first company in its industry to power all operations globally with 100% renewable electricity in February 2020, and is one of only two companies in the world to achieve CDP Triple A rating for climate, water and forests for the third consecutive year. Firmenich 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.
New Firmenich goals include: carbon neutral in its direct operations by 2025; carbon positive in its direct operations by 2030; water neutral in its operations in water-stressed areas by 2030; and recycling or reusing 100% of its plastic waste by 2030.
The company is also a founding member of the One Planet Business for Biodiversity Coalition (OP2B) to protect biodiversity and encourage regenerative agriculture. Building on its science and purchasing reach, Firmenich said it aims to reverse nature loss and establish science-based targets, engaging with its customers, suppliers and partners globally. Key Firmenich goals include: all Firmenich produced fragrances will be renewable by 2030 (As per ISO 1628); 99% partially or ultimately biodegradable ingredients in Firmenich’s fragrance portfolio by 2030; 100% of nature program reporting against science-based targets by 2030; and lead the global diet transformation with green proteins, contributing to soil regeneration.
Building on its EDGE gender equality certification and platinum Ecovadis environmental and social performance rating, the group said it is reinforcing actions to protect human rights by expanding awareness and training across the company and its suppliers. Firmenich goals include: global living wage and ethnic pay equity certification; continuing to improve safety performance; creating 5,000 job opportunities for youth by 2030; and 10% of 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, the company’s chief sustainability officer.
“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.”
