Azelis publishes its 2020 sustainability report, demonstrating progress against ambition to innovate and advance in sustainability

Azelis, a leading innovative service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, published its second sustainability report which covers the 2020 group-wide sustainability performance.

Highlights & rationale

• The report showcases Azelis’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments and reinforces its ambitions to become the world-leading provider of sustainable solutions and services
  

• Azelis sustainability strategy, Action 2025, is built upon four pillars: People, Products and Innovation, Governance and Environment
  

• Azelis was awarded a Platinum rating by EcoVadis, the highest distinction in the supplier sustainability rating scheme, a recognition of its sustainability commitments
  

Azelis’ sustainability journey started in 2015 when the company defined the fundamentals of its sustainability program, following the Paris Agreement on climate change and the release of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations. Based on the United Nations Global Compact (UN GC) initiative, ISO 26000 and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the program consists of four pillars, each with goals and KPIs. Within each pillar, Azelis also contributes to a number of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

In 2020, Azelis laid the grounds for its new sustainability strategy, Action 2025. Rolled out in early 2021, the strategy captures the company’s continued ambitions to innovate and to advance in sustainability. The main 2020 developments across all four pillars of the Azelis sustainability strategy include:

• People - Another edition of the company-wide employee satisfaction survey, which has been in place since 2014, was conducted.  Thanks to the extensive improvement actions put in place across the entire organization following the 2018 survey, Azelis succeeded in already reaching the 2025 goals for loyalty and working conditions and is very close to the goal for engagement. As the company aims to continuously improve, it intends to raise the bar of the 2025 goals by the end of 2021.
  

• Products and Innovation - Azelis continued with the identification of sustainable products and intensified sustainable formulation work. For this, the company specifically focused on products that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. Progress was also made on the sustainable sourcing due diligence procedure in 2020. This was reinforced by Azelis’ membership to “Together for Sustainability” a joint initiative and global network of 31 chemical companies, which delivers the de facto global standard for environmental, social and governance performance of chemical supply chains.
  

• Governance – Azelis launched its SpeakUp! Policy and SpeakUp! Line, which are available to employees and any third-party stakeholder for reporting malpractices. This ensures a culture where employees are encouraged to speak up in a safe environment, and where they will not feel victimized or retaliated against.
  

• Environment - Azelis is committed to a carbon intensity reduction target of 25% by 2025 and 50% by 2030. Furthermore, the company has set targets of using 100% of electricity in its offices and sites from renewable sources as well as decarbonization in its operations and supply chain.
  

Dr. Hans Joachim Müller, Azelis Chief Executive Officer, comments:
“Perhaps the most important lesson of 2020 was that we cannot and must not continue as before the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the responsibility of all of us, as businesses, as consumers, as human beings, to act more sustainably and responsibly. Despite the turmoil 2020 brought, it has been yet another pivotal year of progress for Azelis. More than ever, sustainability is a driver of innovation for Azelis and innovation is a driver of sustainability. Across all market segments, our formulation experts are helping customers reduce their environmental impact by developing innovations that minimize or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. They are also creating formulations and practices that deliver enhanced performance while protecting human health and the environment. Our innovations catalyze sustainability in the market segments we serve and their value chains, and will help realize concepts such as circular economy.”
 

Maria J. Almenar Martin, Group Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) and Sustainability Director, adds:
“As Group Sustainability Director I look back at our 2020 sustainability achievements proudly and with excitement and confidence to the years to come to reach our 2025 sustainability targets. With our recently awarded Platinum rating from EcoVadis and this latest edition of the sustainability report, we confirm to all our partners the proven track record of our sustainability efforts and commitments since we started our journey back in 2015. We are in a resolute course of action to be catalyst of change when it comes to sustainable business models and become the benchmark for the industry.”

To become a world-leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients distribution industry, Azelis has identified digitalization, innovation and sustainability as its growth drivers. Through Azelis’ connected solutions, the company is leading the way in customer engagement, whilst providing the digital insight that will drive new levels of chemical innovation. With its redefined sustainability strategy, Action 2025, Azelis is building a resilient, thriving and responsible business. Through these commitments, the company will meet the needs of its stakeholders, whilst also creating a positive and widespread impact on the environment and communities around the world.