Sourcing with a global reach
Every year, our teams source goods and services for Solvay in 20 countries. Our total annual spend with external suppliers amounts to an estimated €5 billion worldwide - including raw materials, services, energy, equipment, spare parts and packaging.
We are an inclusive company. Partners of all sizes or geographies are invited to build long-term relationships with us. We see the regionalization of procurement as a fantastic opportunity to have a wider impact, map out new options and develop new ideas.
Partnering with our suppliers
We are purpose-led and we believe that companies who are not serious about sustainable development will disappear. Our holistic sustainability approach is organized around the following pillars: becoming Carbon Neutral, focusing on Energy Transition and contributing to a Better Life for employees and global citizens. We consider our suppliers to be an extension of our workforce and we want to work with them to turn our ambitions into reality.
By partnering with our suppliers, we can make a bigger difference. For instance, we can work together to curb 20% of our scope 3 CO2 emissions generated by our supply chain. We can also create more circularity, because as chemists, we know how to combine and recombine elements. And collectively, we can push through social progress.
Together for Sustainability
Solvay is a founding member of Together for Sustainability (TfS), a global, procurement-driven initiative to assess and improve the sustainability performance of chemical companies and their suppliers. The key principle is, “an audit for one is an audit for all.” Sharing supplier evaluations among its members prevents the duplication of efforts and delivers de facto sustainability standards for the entire chemical supply chain.
TfS sustainability performance assessments are carried out by the initiative’s key partner and specialized service provider EcoVadis.
Supplier code of Business Integrity
Before entering into a business relationship, we expect our suppliers to commit to all principles of our Supplier Code of Business Integrity. The document is part of our sourcing process and purchasing contracts. It is non-negotiable and includes fundamental conditions relating to compliance, Human Rights, employee working conditions and sustainability.
Our Supplier Code of Business Integrity is fully aligned with our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) agreements with the IndustriALL Global Union and inspired by the UN Global Compact principles as well as Responsible Care® practices.
Supplier Speak up
For Solvay, integrity is non-negotiable. And for us, ensuring integrity means fostering an environment in which our suppliers and partners feel confident and comfortable speaking up when witnessing suspected violations or concerns that go against Solvay’s ethics and compliance standards.
We encourage anyone, whether working for Solvay, directly or indirectly, to report possible violations of policies, laws, and regulations or suspected breaches of our Code of Business Integrity or Supplier Code of Business Integrity.
You are, therefore, as a Solvay supplier, invited to report any breach against our ethical policies you may have witnessed through the Solvay Ethics Helpline.
Every report is carefully reviewed by the Ethics and Compliance team who will review case details and conduct an investigation as appropriate.
Examples of breaches include, but are not limited to: bribery and corruption; use of group assets; embezzlement of theft; fair competition or antirust; conflicts of interest; gifts and entertainment; financial records and accounting; data privacy; health and safety in the workplace; use of the internet or social media; harassment or inappropriate behavior; and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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