Symrise Defines CSR Goals Through 2020

The company has defined four fields in which it is acting on its commitment to sustainability: Caring for Nature (environment), Respecting People (employees), Serving Society (society) and Securing Success (business practices).

6/9/2011 --- Perspectives 2010, the new CSR report from Symrise, has just been published. Since 2006, the company has been documenting its corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals and activities on an annual basis.

Corporate social responsibility is an integral part of Symrise's corporate strategy. All of the company's business activities are increasingly guided by CSR principles. The new report shows that Symrise has continued to expand in this aspect, reinforcing the role of CSR. A comprehensive periodical, Perspectives 2010 includes documentation, reports and interviews on the company's CSR activities and the implementation of its CSR strategy. In order to increase transparency and allow direct comparison, this year the report follows the internationally recognized guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) even more closely.

For the first time, Symrise has published CSR goals that extend through 2020. The company has defined four fields in which it is acting on its commitment to sustainability: Caring for Nature (environment), Respecting People (employees), Serving Society (society) and Securing Success (business practices). “Our concrete goals include cutting specific emissions, sustainable and responsible procurement of raw materials, and taking increased responsibility for employees and the community” explains Dr. Helmut Frieden, Corporate Vice President Corporate Compliance. Furthermore, Symrise has set itself the goal of working with its clients to develop sustainable product solutions for the consumer.

Concrete KPIs and measures underlie these goals. For instance, in 2010 Symrise cut its CO2 emissions and energy consumption per item sold by more than 24 percent compared to 2005. Also, water consumption could be reduced by over 33 percent versus 2005. Another area of focus was responsible local procurement of key raw materials such as vanilla, citrus and vegetables. Symrise also invests continuously in the sustainable improvement of production processes and outputs. Its planned menthol production facility with exemplary
energy efficiency is just one example. Numerous global measures achieved tangible improvements in the company's environmental performance. In addition, Symrise expands its strategic activities in the fields of nutrition and body care, focusing even more sharply on the benefits that consumers receive from the products.

"We are pleased with the development of our CSR strategy and our successes in the 2010 business year. They are part of the systematic implementation of our corporate responsibility," explains CEO Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram. "In our report, our goal was to illustrate for the reader the business and social environment in which Symrise is active – today and going forward."

The current issue of Perspectives can be downloaded in English or German from www.symrise.com