Our commitment to sustainability
At Imerys, we take our commitments to environmental, social and societal responsibility very seriously – not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it is central to our business growth and transformation.
We respect the world in which we operate and recognize that we have a role to play in society, obligations to the countries and communities in which we do business and a duty to act as responsible environmental stewards. Our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen underpins everything we do as well as our relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers, governments and shareholders.
Unlocking the sustainable potential of minerals
Minerals are an essential part of our daily lives
Be it the calcium carbonates in our toothpaste, the kaolin in our bathroom floor tiles, the talc in our cars or the diatomite we use to filter the beverages we drink, industrial minerals are key ingredients in products that contribute to our lives, to our homes and to the economy in general. Yet, as consumption levels of minerals increase around the world, growing demand for natural resources places pressure on natural systems across the globe.
As the world’s leading supplier of mineral-based speciality solutions, it is our duty to mine and transform minerals responsibly and sustainably over the long term to meet society’s needs.
Our ambition is simple: we want to unlock the sustainable potential of minerals
We recognize the need to act rapidly to provide solutions to the environmental and societal challenges facing the world. We are already on a journey to achieve this ambition, with clear measurable objectives, through what we call SustainAgility™.
SustainAgility™ is about safeguarding the future – of our business, our people, the communities in which we operate and the world in which we live. It’s about embedding sustainable thinking into every aspect of our business, from the day-to-day decisions we make to our long-term strategy.
SustainAgility™ is at the heart of our strategy
Minimizing our operational impact—while maximizing the benefits of our products—is at the heart of who we are and what we are as a business.
Empower our people
... to find solutions to the environmental and societal challenges facing the world, by fostering a workplace in which they can reach their full potential. This means protecting their safety and their health, nurturing their talent, promoting diversity and inclusion, fostering constructive social dialogue and safeguarding human rights.
Care for our planet
... by playing a positive role in protecting local ecosystems and economies over the long term. This means minimizing environmental risks and impacts, promoting resource efficiency, preserving biodiversity and reducing emissions in our operations, production processes and supply chain.
Build for future
... by leading the way to a more sustainable industry and delivering long-term social and economic benefits to our customers, communities and other stakeholders. This means behaving ethically, operating fairly, ensuring a responsible supply chain, engaging with communities and promoting innovative, sustainable products and technologies.
Aligned with UN Global Compact and UN Sustainable Development Goals
SustainAgility™ builds on our existing systems and initiatives and drives us beyond compliance towards a business that is aligned with the United Nations' Global Compact Principles and contributes concretely to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In September 2015, 193 member States of the United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the aim to end extreme poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all within a new universal agenda. We fully support the ambitions of this global framework for collective action and, through SustainAgility™, we have identified program policies and practices that make a significant direct or indirect contribution to nine SDGs in particular.
We are already on a journey to achieve our ambitions with clear, measurable public commitments. The first step in addressing these complex interrelated challenges is to understand the impact we have today so we can create a clear roadmap to maturity, with an absolute focus on continuous improvement.
As members of the UN Global Compact (UNGC) we are committed to growing our business in line with the Ten Principles of the UNGC in the areas of Human Rights, Labor, Environment and Anti-Corruption and to reporting transparency on our progress within our annual Communication on Progress.
Mobilizing employees at all levels
One way we have put SustainAgility™ at the heart of our business is by mobilizing employees at all levels of the business through our annual Sustainable Development (SD) Challenge.
The SD Challenge fosters innovation, encourages collaboration across the Group, builds partnerships with external stakeholders and makes key, concrete contributions to our SustainAgility™ objectives in line with the UN’s SDGs.
We encourage Imerys employees to submit projects in specific categories related to the Group's SustainAgility™ ambition and targets, which have been selected to focus efforts where we can generate the greatest possible local impact. We assess the initiatives on a range of criteria, including their ability to create a positive impact for Imerys, the environment and society over the long term; evidence of sustainability-driven innovation; and the degree to which they are adapted to the local context.
Our assessments by rating agencies and indices
Our sustainability performance is regularly assessed by many of the world’s leading Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating agencies and indices.
A positive force for a more sustainable industry
For us, SustainAgility™ is about much more than just "ticking the boxes" and complying with regulations. It means we do everything we can to unlock the sustainable potential of minerals so we can be a positive force for change across the value chain. To drive that change, we will work closely with our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders, leading the way towards a more sustainable industry, one that responds to the world’s growing demand while benefiting our communities and protecting our natural environment.
That’s SustainAgility™ – it goes to the heart of who we are and what we are as a business, now and well into the future.
With the construction of a new onsite energy recovery plant, Imerys is capturing the feedstock energy contained in syngas, a by-product generated during the carbon black manufacturing. The project – a partnership with energy supplier E.On – will significantly reduce the environmental footprint of carbon black – a key additive in lithium ion batteries serving the clean energy transition.
Achieving much more with less, or using less to achieve much more. That was the challenge Imerys experts set themselves in designing the next generation of specialty binders, designed for a market calling for greater performance with less product and lower environmental impact.
Imerys has rehabilitated its Savins quarry around the town of Provins in France, and located in a prominent farming area. The project has created an area rich in biodiversity. Particularly, the body of water has, among other successes, allowed the colonization of dozens of species of flora and fauna.
From energy usage to emissions and natural resources, the construction industry has a huge impact on the environment. Today, this impact translates to revisions in building regulations, leveraging of technological advances and new materials, and greater adoption of sustainable construction methods. This sustainability is what we strive for.
