Sustainability in practice: COSSMA

COSSMA: What are the major challenges in sourcing ingredients sustainably?

Johannes Rogaar, Head of Global Procurement Excellence & Responsible Sourcing, Givaudan: Sustainability is a continuous effort in seeking answers to questions that have not been asked yet. We need to continually be able to adapt and upgrade business practices as we advance knowledge about every field of expertise in sustainability, be it climate action, farming, operations etc.

Moreover, consumers have high expectations regarding the use of natural ingredients in fragrance and beauty products, putting a lot of pressure on natural resources.

Our company has been a pioneer in sourcing naturals sustainably (why and with what initiatives?). We also pursue a variety of practices to ensure our raw materials are sourced in a responsible way – that means in full compliance with international standards and with our Responsible Sourcing Policy.

This way we secure a stable supply and make sure that local producers and their communities truly benefit from working with us.

These practices reflect the challenges the industry faces: securing a stable supply of raw materials in a way that respects both the people involved in the value chain, from farmers to suppliers, as well as the environment.

“Biotechnology is key to the future of the beauty industry”

Johannes Rogaar, Head of Global Responsible Sourcing, Givaudan

What opportunities are there in view of constant progress?

Through our focus area Innovating Responsibly, we look to improve the resource efficiency of naturals, while also developing alternative sources of key raw materials. Upcycled materials – those obtained by valorisation of side streams, natural or not, which are normally disposed of or downgraded, and then transformed into ingredients used in fragrance creations – constitute one key approach. One example is Vetivyne, a special active ingredient with anti-ageing properties which helps fragrance to last longer on the skin. It is made from a water-soluble extract from exhausted vetiver roots, a by-product of the extraction procedure used to produce vetiver oil for fragrances.

Our approach also includes health and well-being for fragrances that could have an impact on the mind and mood (with our latest technology DreamScentz to create fragrances that improve quality of sleep).

Finally, efforts in sustainable processes evaluate and improve the sustainability of our production methods.

We believe that there is a lot to bring in terms of sustainability in the field of new molecules which is why we have developed and just launched our FiveCarbon Path. This approach aims at driving all new molecule developments in perfumery focusing on carbon elements:

increasing the use of renewable carbon: using more carbons coming from natural renewable resources, especially when they are sourced sustainably through our Sourcing for Shared Value approach
increasing carbon efficiency in synthesis: generating less carbon waste by applying the principles of green chemistry and increasingly using biotech processes
maximising biodegradable carbon: bringing more biodegradable molecules to our palette
increasing the ‘odour per carbon ratio’: more high impact materials in order to create more compacted fragrances and thus move lesser volumes of fragrances
using upcycled carbon: valorising side streams from our own industry or other industries.

By combining all these elements we are convinced that we can increase the sustainability of the perfumers’ palette and therefore be able to create more sustainable fragrances.

Givaudan’s FiveCarbonPath
increasing the use of renewable carbon increasing carbon efficiency in synthesis maximising biodegradable carbon increasing the ‘odour per carbon ratio’ with high impact material using upcycled carbon from side streams

What have been your company’s major achievements in sustainable sourcing?

Sustainability is a key priority in our sourcing strategy and we are very proud of our Sourcing for Shared Value approach which covers supply chains of 40 raw material categories, i.e. a group of ingredients with the same botanical origin, used in all our creations (fragrances, flavours and beauty products) in 29 countries, working directly with 5,700 suppliers.

To date, 78% of our main direct suppliers have reached compliant audits. With the support of the Givaudan Foundation we run 15 social and environmental community projects throughout the world, impacting 14,000 beneficiaries through partnerships with 17 organisations.

What have been your major steps in CO2 reduction?

At our company we are especially committed to an ambitious climate action agenda. That is why we have aligned with the ambitious Science Based Targets to reduce our carbon footprint by 2030. In 2018, Givaudan has been recognised for climate action leadership as well as for water stewardship by CDP, the non-profit global environmental disclosure platform, thanks to:

a 13.9% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions
a move to 69.4% renewable electricity
a reduction of water consumption by 24.4%

The challenge

is securing a stable supply while respecting the people involved in the value chain as well as the environment

Vetivyne is made from a water-soluble extract from exhausted vetiver roots, a by-product of the extraction procedure used to produce vetiver oil for fragrances. photos: Givaudan/Shutterstock.com

In what area can sustainability not be achieved and why?

Consumers request more natural products in beauty care and are confused with a myriad of so-called natural, biodegradable and clean labels.

In the meantime, we know that the natural resources and technology available cannot meet this exponential demand: one planet is not big enough for all ingredients to be natural to satisfy the needs of the cosmetics, aromatherapy and fragrances markets.

Our first answer to this challenge is to strengthen natural supply chains through our Sourcing for Shared Value focus area.

Secondly, biotechnology is key to the future of the beauty industry. This new approach will enable us to offer sustainable active ingredients and meet expectations from our customers for an offering of new products which are not only sustainably sourced but also produced.

What is your company’s strategy in terms of sustainability?

Sustainability has been at the heart of our vision and corporate 2020 strategy Responsible Growth. Shared Success.

Our approach A Sense of Tomorrow reflects how sustainability is fully integrated in the way we conduct our activities from our operations, to the production of our molecules (using the FiveCarbon Path, see box), and the sourcing of our raw materials.

As a responsible company, we will continue to look for ways to meet customers and consumers’ expectations in terms of natural products in a manner that respects the environment and the communities of producers.

In addition, we continuously adapt to the latest knowledge and international standards and strive to play a role in leading our industry towards greater sustainability further embedding it in our business rationale.

Upcycled materials are obtained by valorisation of normally disposed side streams which are then transformed into ingredients for fragrances

Interview with:

Johannes Rogaar,
Head of Global Responsible Sourcing,
Givaudan,
Naarden, Netherlands

www.givaudan.com

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