Platinum rating from EcoVadis recognises Imerys’ continued sustainability improvements
Imerys received in August the highest recognition possible from EcoVadis – the reward of its continuous improvement efforts in CSR.
Recognition puts Imerys in the top 1%
Imerys is among the leading companies to receive business sustainability assessor EcoVadis’ new recognition level for the highest-performing organizations for corporate social responsibility.
Imerys received in August the highest recognition possible from global business sustainability assessor EcoVadis – the reward of its continuous improvement efforts in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Imerys has been rated Platinum – a new medal category created in 2020 by EcoVadis. The Platinum rating recognises the top 1% of companies evaluated for their environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement performance.
The latest scorecard continues Imerys’ upward trajectory. In EcoVadis’ 2019 sustainability assessment Imerys was certified Gold – the top rating at that time.
Leah Wilson, Imerys’ CSR Vice President, says the Platinum rating reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to implementing world-class processes, achieved largely through the company’s own CSR program—SustainAgility—which launched in 2018.
When we submitted our 2019 assessment, we talked about our ambitious targets and what we planned to do. Our Platinum status recognises the fruits of our labour over the past two years and the continuous improvement efforts we have made across our Group. All departments have worked hard to further embed our sustainability principles in everything we do.
Improvements in environmental, labour, ethics and sustainable procurement
Imerys improved its score in every pillar of EcoVadis’ evaluation. Significant environmental milestones include the approval of Imerys’ emissions reduction targets by the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a partnership between Carbon Disclosure Project, UN Global Compact, World Resources Institute and WWF.
SBTi champions science-based target-setting to ensure companies are prepared for and contribute to the transition to a low-carbon economy. The Group also demonstrated significant progress in the implementation of its biodiversity roadmap (43% of the three-year plan completed in a year), which is part of its Act4Nature commitments.
Labour and human rights
Imerys has reinforced its commitment to employee wellness and wellbeing. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic particularly, information on good hygiene practices, mental health advice and available support was shared regularly. Imerys’ Diversity & Inclusion charter, and three-year program with measurable goals and actions (well on track with already 29% completed in a year), are creating greater awareness and transparency on D&I performance.
Ethics
The new procedures launched in 2020 support Imerys’ efforts to build constructive external relationships: Stakeholder Management and Community Relations and Sponsorship and Charitable Donations. These new guidelines and tools help Imerys sites identify initiatives and develop partnerships that have long-term impacts and consider local culture and socio-economic conditions. They are consistent with the company’s ambition to contribute to local education and skill development, as well as environmental stewardship in particular. A grievance mechanism for local communities has also been formalised.
Sustainable procurement
Imerys deployed a third-party screening of its suppliers, to review and improve the sustainability of their processes. Our suppliers’ Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) performance will be independently assessed against the same criteria used to assess Imerys to ensure all partners are aligned with Imerys’ Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.
Embedding sustainability best practice
“What sets us apart is our engagement – with the communities themselves, but also in inspiring employees around what we are trying to achieve, says Leah. These policies and actions are not just words on a page. Whether it’s a safety culture maturity matrix or occupational health assessment, the tools translate into actions implemented at our sites.”
The EcoVadis review is annual, which means Imerys is committed to ensuring its Platinum-rated approach becomes an intrinsic way of doing business.
“We aim to accelerate our efforts to make sure the positive actions and examples support systemic change, concludes Leah. Sustainability requires continuous improvement and we are using our EcoVadis assessment to seize opportunities to raise the bar.”
Articles you might be interested in
This year’s Sustainable Development Challenge highlighted the commitment and creativity of employees to make a difference to their local communities or reduce their impact on the environment.
How is the mining industry responding to global trends? What are the main challenges and opportunities it faces, and what might the future hold? Our Chief Executive Officer, Alessandro Dazza shares his views on the role of mining in a changing world in this new LinkedIn article.
Where do our mineral raw materials come from? How have they been produced and processed? What impact does their production have on the environment and society? Which sustainable benefits do they bring to the downstream value chain? The newly launched Imerys SustainAgility™ Solutions Assessment framework provides a transparent, straightforward approach to mineral sustainability.