Suppliers - building lasting relationships
Arkema strives to build long-term, balanced and sustainable relationships that are based on trust with its suppliers and subcontractors. In our choice of industrial and business partners, we favor those that respect our social commitments. Our responsible procurement process is guided by the ethical principles expressed in our Code of Conduct.
Committed management of our responsible purchasing
Our buyers are all trained to apply the Supplier Code of Conduct, the CSR performance assessment process and to the implementing of Together for Sustainability supplier assessment initiative.
The procurement departments carry out preliminary assessments before entering into any business relationships with suppliers or subcontractors, as part of the selection process. These assessments are based on robust criteria that notably include corporate social responsibility issues.
In the context of relationships with suppliers and subcontractors, and in order to drive continuous improvement in safety performance, environmental impact, business ethics, quality and innovation, our three procurement departments have introduced continuous assessment processes.
Together for Sustainability (TfS), an initiative for evaluation of Arkema suppliers
Arkema is a member of the initiative Together for Sustainability (TfS). TfS is comprised of chemical industry companies which share the same point of view for the assessment and audit of the CSR approach of their suppliers. Each chemical company participating to the program ask to some of its suppliers to be assessed by EcoVadis in terms of sustainable development performance. Some suppliers are also selected to be audited on their social responsability by independent organisms. The results of the assessments and the audits are accessible to all Together for Sustainability members.
Results of the assessments:
At the end of 2022, more than 1,800 of the Group’s suppliers and subcontractors had been assessed according to CSR criteria over the last three years. Thanks to these assessments, the Group has identified certain suppliers or subcontractors whose CSR performance is below standard and has requested that they improve their practices in this area. The resulting initiatives are tracked over time by the Group’s procurement teams in liaison with the suppliers and subcontractors in question. The results of these assessments are also taken into account by procurement teams during the supplier selection process.
In 2022, CSR scores had risen for 66% of suppliers whose assessments had been updated.
In 2022, the percentage of the value of purchases from appropriate suppliers stood at 75%, versus 71% in 2021. Appropriate suppliers are recurrent suppliers that account for 80% of the value of purchases.
Our 2025 target is to reach 80% of the Group’s purchases covered with TfS assessments of the relevant suppliers
Sustainable supply of castor oil thanks to the Pragati initiative
As a producer of high performance materials made from renewable resources, Arkema is participating in the Pragati initiative, alongside industrial partners BASF and Jayant Agro-Organics Ltd. and NGO Solidaridad. Launched in Gujarat, India in 2016, the initiative aims to provide a framework for the sustainable production of castor beans by taking into account all of the related social, environmental and economic issues. To date, Project Pragati has trained 5,800 farmers and awarded them with official project certificates. The results have been very positive and notably include a higher crop yield, improved health and safety conditions for farmers, and judicious use of fertilizers and irrigation water since the adoption of best agricultural practices in 69 villages. This project was renewed in 2019 for three years, with the aim of training more than 7,000 farmers in total.
Results of the 4th year of the Pragati program
The Sustainable Castor Association, an independent secretariat, was established to promote SuCCESS (Sustainable Castor Caring for Environmental and Social Standards), on which Project Pragati is based.
Conflict minerals management program
To address the key concerns about minerals from politically unstable areas, we are committed to responsible sourcing and have implemented a conflict minerals program.