Univar Announces New Global Sustainability Goals For 2025 and Beyond

Univar Solutions Inc. has released 2020 sustainability report, which tracks the company's progress against its sustainability goals to 2021, while introducing new ambitious sustainability goals to 2025 with key emissions goals stretching to 2030 in support of a long-term commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

For Univar Solutions, managing the environmental, social and Ccorporate governance (ESG) risks and opportunities facing the company is fundamental to its ability to adapt and grow. From its first sustainability report published in 2008, Univar Solutions has consistently demonstrated a commitment to transparency and continuous improvement as it established a first set of goals in 2017, became a signatory of the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative through the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) in 2018, adopted 'Advancing a Circular Economy' as a sustainability goal in 2019 and found its purpose by supplying critical products during an unprecedented time in 2020.



“When we started this journey with our sustainability goals to 2021, at the time, they were quite the stretch targets, but now that we've largely achieved these and have announced our sustainability goals to 2025, I couldn't be more pleased with our progress as we take yet another step forward to a more sustainable future,” said David Jukes, president and chief executive officer. “Now as we look beyond 2025 at our key emissions goals stretching to 2030 in support of a long-term commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, I'm excited to see us put the needed steps in place to meet our commitments as part of the UNGC.”

In the report, Dukes wrote that despite the challenges of the pandemic, Univar made substantial progress on its sustainability journey in 2020.  He cited the following the achievements: 

·       Reducing recordable safety incidents by more than 37% from 2019, resulting in its safest year since 2016. 
·       Improving its global rating on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index by a further 15 points, giving the company the highest possible score of 100/100. 
·       Reducing the number of incidents of material releases globally by more than 40% from 2019. 
·       Continuing the rollout and investment across our business in low-carbon and resource efficient technologies. 

“As the company's executive sponsor for sustainability, I was excited to see our senior leadership adopt a three year program where executive compensation is tied to our sustainability goals through ESG based metrics,” said Jennifer McIntyre, interim chief people and culture officer. “I'm also equally as excited to see us advance our diversity, equity and inclusion goals through a work environment that is respectful, inclusive and empowers diverse perspectives, which is both the right thing to do as well as a competitive advantage for our business.”

Additionally, the report is up-to-date with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosures for the chemical industry and features the latest version of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, which help ensure relevant, transparent, and comprehensive disclosures, and a summary of the material contributions made to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), highlighting the ability of responsible business to make a positive impact on society, the environment, and economies.

“We have set an ambitious strategy that goes beyond reducing our impacts and instead challenges our business and supply chain to create collective benefits for the world around us,” said Liam McCarroll, global sustainability director. “Our journey to achieving our new global sustainability goals to 2025 will be embedded in everything we do as a business, today, tomorrow and together because above all it is our home, our responsibility.”