Policies & positions
We take a clear stance on the issues that matter to you and society at large.
Our policies
Our policies are central to everything we do and at the core of our business.
Novonesis is committed to conducting business with honesty, fairness and adherence to responsible and ethical practices. Our goal is to maintain high standards of business integrity worldwide.
To meet our objectives, we have adopted the following principles:
Compliance with laws and regulations
- We advance and protect our business interests in compliance with the laws and regulations governing our activities.
Zero tolerance for violations
- We have a strict policy of zero tolerance for any violation of competition, anti-trust and anti-corruption laws.
Anti-corruption measures
- We have implemented anti-corruption principles prohibiting bribery, facilitation payments, participation in money laundering, political donations and excessive gifts and hospitality.
- We follow internal rules and guidelines for giving and receiving gifts, hospitality and donations to avoid undue influence or the appearance of the same.
Fair business practices
- We avoid conflicts of interest and conduct business fairly, honestly and openly in all markets.
- We do not tolerate fraud, and appropriate actions are taken against offenders.
Compliance with international trade sanctions
- We conduct our business in accordance with international trade sanctions laws and regulations applicable in the jurisdictions where we operate.
- We regularly screen our business partners to ensure that we do not trade with sanctioned parties.
Data ethics, privacy and protection of personal data
- We protect the personal data we process in the course of our business and respect the privacy rights of individuals.
- We maintain an ethical and responsible approach to data handling, emphasizing security, transparency, quality, respect and ethical design.
Human rights, labor rights and equal opportunity
- We act in accordance with national and internationally recognized conventions and principles with respect to human rights, labor rights, anti-discrimination and equal opportunity.
Engagement with business partners
- We engage trustworthy and reliable business partners who share our commitment to conducting business with high integrity.
Adherence to principles
- We maintain internal standards, procedures, guidelines and other appropriate measures to ensure awareness of and compliance with the principles of this policy.
- We are committed to investigating illegal or unethical misconduct promptly, independently and objectively, and we take appropriate action in the event of violations. To support the early detection and efficient management of potential violations, we provide a third-party hosted whistleblower hotline for secure, confidential and anonymous reporting.
In Novonesis, sustainability is how we do business. It is at the core of who we are. And it is what we enable for our customers.
To meet our objectives, we have adopted the following principles:
Our biosolutions
- We innovate solutions based on biology to support healthy lives and a healthy planet.
- We validate the health and environmental impacts of our biosolutions over the full product lifecycle through quantitative assessments where relevant.
- We enhance our customers’ understanding of how biosolutions can support their financial success and improve the environmental and/or health profile of their products.
Governance
- We anchor sustainability at both the Board of Directors and Executive leadership level.
- We set ambitious sustainability targets and communicate transparently on our performance.
- We assess and monitor environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities that are material to our business, considering both the short and long terms.
- We honor our commitment to the United Nations Global Compact.
- We respect and operate in accordance with the commitments we have made to globally recognized principles on the use of genetic resources according to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
Environmental resilience and social responsibility
- We respect the biosphere in which we operate by addressing our dependencies and opportunities associated with nature, such as water, biodiversity and climate change.
- We ensure resilience in our operations by continually improving our resource and energy efficiency, preventing pollution, and minimizing emissions and waste through investments, regular assessment and maintenance.
- We promote a circular economy by prioritizing waste generation prevention and promoting re-use, recycling and other recovery methods.
- We respect labor and human rights in the countries where we operate as defined in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the International Bill of Human Rights, the core conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
- We maintain robust management systems to monitor and control any material social and environmental impacts of our business, and continually improve these systems to enhance our performance.
- We identify and comply with all relevant statutory and legal requirements.
Stakeholder engagement
- We build close relations in the communities in which we operate and act as a good neighbor and member of society.
- We communicate expectations on sustainability to our business partners and actively seek dialogue with key stakeholders to gain insight into their expectations and to promote sustainable development.
- We are committed to responsible sourcing with high ethical standards and engage our suppliers to minimize the environmental and social impact of our supply chain by considering sustainability, quality, and commercial aspects when choosing suppliers.
Novonesis strives to be an attractive workplace with an engaging, inspiring, respectful and inclusive work environment. Employees feel valued here and connected to our purpose to better our world with biology.
To meet our objectives, we have adopted the following principles:
- We are guided by four key, interlinked culture commitments: Explore, Impact, Ownership and Care. We commit to explore new possibilities. We create positive impact for customers and the world. We take ownership. And we care for others in a community where we all belong and thrive.
- We continuously focus on the ongoing development and growth of every employee. Development paths align seamlessly with the evolving needs of our business. Development empowers individuals to unleash their full potential and contribute to our collective success.
- We foster a workplace that prioritizes the safety, well-being and optimal work-life balance of all employees.
- We attract, retain and develop people from diverse backgrounds. Knowledge is a key competitive advantage and essential to our innovative edge, employee capabilities and employee engagement. Our inclusive and diverse environment provides equitable opportunities for realizing each employee’s full potential.
- We expect our leaders to set direction and provide clear priorities for their teams. Our employees can expect to receive feedback on performance and behavior.
- We believe that every employee deserves equal pay for equal work. Our remuneration structure is designed to ensure parity and fairness across all levels of the organization. Through proactive monitoring and regular reviews, we continuously strive to identify and address any disparities.
- We expect our employees to act in accordance with company policies and global procedures within their local practices. We comply with our commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and respect labor and human rights as defined in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the International Bill of Human Rights, the core conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
- Our compensation to Executive Management is competitive compared to relevant markets and peers in our industry. In addition, both the short- and long-term incentive plans align executive performance to financial and non-financial performance, and to shareholder value.
The Novonesis diversity, equity and inclusion policy is essential to successfully implement Novonesis’ purpose to better our world with biology and will be used to guide our actions and make our intentions transparent. Diverse teams fuel our creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness. Our community of trust acknowledges everyone’s unique perspectives and value-adding contributions. And together we navigate challenges as opportunities to redefine and innovate.
To meet our objectives, we have adopted the following principles:
- We foster an inclusive workplace where employees genuinely feel accepted for who they are. Our positive workplace culture shows respect for a diversity of opinions.
- We ensure an environment where employees feel comfortable and supported in expressing their thoughts.
- We prioritize ensuring fairness and equity in our remuneration practices across all levels of the organization, and we work actively towards equity through structured reviews and analysis.
- We make every effort to provide equal opportunities for individuals by ensuring that our practices, processes and programs are impartial and fair. We continuously work to address unconscious bias in our efforts to ensure equal opportunities.
- We expect all our leaders to lead by example and foster a positive work environment by focusing on attracting, retaining and engaging with all their employees equally across the full spectrum of diversity.
- We report Novonesis’ diversity data in our annual report in line with applicable laws and recognized international standards. We regularly review and share our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for all employee groups, as well as the Board of Directors, through the Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the Board of Directors, respectively.
Download the diversity, equity and inclusion policy here.
Novonesis strives to use communication to ensure employee engagement and direction, create goodwill with key stakeholders, and influence the public agenda and legislation to achieve our ambition.
To meet our objectives, we have adopted the following principles:
- We communicate in an open and honest way, ensuring that our communication is clear, consistent, relevant and timely, and that we integrate communications into all decisions.
- We use information technology professionally to boost communication, cooperation and knowledge-sharing.
- We actively participate in industry associations and stakeholder organizations, as well as in broader international and global business associations.
- We seek dialogue with key stakeholders and listen to peers, industry partners, academics, NGOs, and governmental and civil society stakeholders.
- Within national and international laws and policy guidelines, we put forward positions relevant to our business to policy makers and other interested parties. When doing so, we communicate in a respectful and credible way and seek to engage stakeholders in a constructive dialogue.
- To ensure transparency, we make our corporate positions available via our website and annual reporting.
Novonesis is a world-leading biosolutions partner. We provide innovative, sustainable offerings, and ensure our customers’ trust as a reliable supplier of high-performing, safe products and competitive services.
To meet our objectives, we have adopted the following principles:
Customer interaction
- We seek knowledge of customer and market needs through dialogue and cooperation and convert this information into competitive offerings.
- We fulfill agreements with customers and partners, meet the expectations of our customers and partners, and always seek improvement to be able to develop products and services that benefit our customers and partners.
Safety and risks
- We continually conduct risk identification and mitigation to ensure that all existing products and products under development are safe in use and handling.
- We continuously improve quality and food/feed safety in our processes, mitigate risk of food/feed fraud, and implement food/feed defense plans to ensure quality and food/feed safety for human and animal consumption.
- We inform, assist and regularly update our customers and partners in the correct and safe use of our products.
Management systems
- We maintain and develop documented management systems that ensure compliance and continually improve quality and safety at all stages in the value chain.
Employee empowerment
- We empower and encourage our employees to take responsibility for the quality and safety of our products.
- We ensure a strong quality and food/feed safety culture where we develop and optimize tools, systems and processes. This includes internal communication to enable all employees to work efficiently with a quality and food/feed safety mindset.
Regulatory requirements
- We identify and comply with all relevant statutory and legal requirements.
Novonesis is committed to securing a physical and psychological work environment where employees are safe and feel safe.
To meet our objectives, we have adopted the following principles:
Management commitment
- Through management commitment, we drive and promote a strong safety culture throughout the organization and comply with all applicable occupational health and safety laws and regulations.
- We provide safety training for employees, contracted personnel and third-party persons. Only trained personnel are permitted to work at our facilities.
Focus on employee safety
- We ensure that everyone is accountable and responsible for safe behavior and a good physical and psychological working environment.
- We incorporate the protection of employees in our daily activities as well as in design and planning phases through employee involvement, training and competences.
Reducing risks
- We implement preventive actions to ensure that factors which can present a risk are monitored and constantly reduced.
Management systems and data handling
- We maintain and develop documented management systems that include health and safety, processes and reporting.
- We ensure integrity, protection and legal compliance when collecting and handling data relating to health and safety.
Continuous improvement
- We measure, monitor and report the results and effectiveness of our efforts and continuously set proactive targets for improvement.
As part of Novonesis’ responsible approach to taxes, Novonesis’ Board of Directors has adopted this tax policy. It applies to all entities in the Novonesis Group.
Background
We believe that sustainability entails adding economic, environmental and social value. This is the triple bottom line approach companies in the Novonesis Group have always taken. It is reflected in our operating principles, strategy and targets. A responsible approach to taxes is essential to Novonesis’ long-term sustainability. Our tax policy sets the principles for the management of tax affairs in the Novonesis Group.
We continuously evaluate whether the tax policy needs to be modified. The tax policy governs all taxes paid by Novonesis (direct and indirect taxes).
Novonesis supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs guide the development of our targets and purpose to better the world with biology. We recognize the key role that taxes play in society and in the economic and social development of the countries where we operate. Our tax policy, and the tax payments we make, support local governments in the implementation of the SDGs directly or indirectly.
Competitive tax level in a responsible way
We seek to obtain a competitive tax level in a responsible way and with full regard to national and international laws and regulations.
Being responsible entails doing business in a way that meets expectations of a good corporate citizen. This means paying taxes in the countries where we operate in accordance with international transfer pricing rules and not engaging in aggressive tax planning.
Tax compliance
We continuously work to fulfill our tax obligations in the countries where we operate. We comply with tax legislation and pay the right amount of tax at the right time. We use the arm’s length principle, pricing in line with the guidelines issued by the OECD and apply this consistently across our businesses (contingent on local laws).
We act in accordance with applicable legislation on tax computation and tax reporting in the countries where we operate. We submit all tax filings required, meaning that we submit complete, accurate and timely disclosures to all relevant authorities.
Tax governance
Tax is a core part of corporate responsibility and governance. The Board of Directors approves the tax policy and is accountable for it. The CFO is responsible for tax risk management, which is overseen by the Audit Committee. The day-to-day management of tax affairs in the Novonesis Group is handled by a centralized team of tax professionals in the corporate headquarters in collaboration with finance and tax professionals around the world.
The Novonesis Group employs tax professionals with proper qualifications and expert knowledge within the tax area. To assess potential tax consequences, the centralized tax team is involved in all material business development in the Group.
We have procedures in place to ensure awareness of and adherence to our tax policy. We report at least annually to the Audit Committee on tax matters.
Mitigation of tax risks
Novonesis has a low acceptance of tax risks. When implementing business transactions, we aim to understand the tax implications and risks. When reviewing the risks, we always bear in mind the requirements of this tax policy. We will only adopt a tax position if it is defendable, and we are able to explain it. We seek to enter into an early dialogue with tax authorities, wherever possible, if there is significant uncertainty about how the tax rules apply to our business.
We proactively engage in bilateral advance pricing arrangements (APAs) negotiated at competent authority level to increase predictability and to mitigate transfer pricing risks. The bilateral APAs provide certainty that transactions are carried out on arm’s length negotiated terms.
We monitor the tax risks in the countries where we operate. Novonesis also monitors changes in tax rules and tax practice that may influence Novonesis’ tax position.
Tax authority approach
We seek good relationships and dialogue with tax authorities in the countries where we operate. Novonesis strives to avoid any controversy with tax authorities. If a tax authority takes a position which Novonesis finds technically and legally wrong, we will defend our position. The tax controversy risk for Novonesis is significantly reduced through use of bilateral APAs.
We aim for all dealings with the tax authorities to be conducted in a collaborative and timely manner based on mutual respect, transparency and trust.
We engage constructively in dialogue with governments, business groups and civil society to support the development of effective tax systems, legislation and administration, and we support initiatives against aggressive tax planning.
Tax planning
We only engage in transactions that are driven by commercial considerations and supported by substance.
Our tax planning ensures that Novonesis pays the tax determined by tax laws and regulations and mitigates double taxation. We do not engage in aggressive tax planning, defined as exploitation of technicalities in a tax regime or as exploitation of inconsistencies between tax regimes to reduce a tax liability. Our tax planning is based on reasonable interpretations of applicable law and is aligned with the substance of our business.
We do not use so-called “tax havens” to avoid taxes on activities which take place elsewhere.
We only make use of tax incentives that are specified by law and generally available. Where we claim tax incentives offered by government authorities, we seek to ensure that they are transparent and consistent with statutory or regulatory frameworks.
Transparency
We are committed to being open and transparent about our tax policy and tax affairs. We provide regular information to our stakeholders, including investors, policy makers, employees and the general public, about our approach to taxes and taxes paid.
We support and comply with the transparency requirements on taxes and the international initiatives in this respect.
Read the 2025 tax transparency report
We provide our policies in multiple languages
Our positions
Our positions clarify how we are committed on key topics.
Novonesis is committed to conducting business with integrity and transparency and has zero tolerance for bribery and corruption.
Novonesis has adopted principles to prevent bribery, fraud and other corrupt activities. In Novonesis, we follow these anti-corruption principles globally and in everything we do.
The anti-corruption principles are also outlined in our internal anti-corruption commitment valid for all individuals working at all levels of Novonesis, and supported by relevant procedures, training and controls.
Novonesis does not accept or offer bribes in any form.
Accordingly, compensation paid and received by Novonesis must be appropriate and justifiable remuneration for legitimate services rendered.
Novonesis does not make facilitation payments.
Novonesis does not accept the practice of making facilitation payments. Similarly, the use of third parties to make facilitations payments or engaging in transactions where facilitation payments are suspected is not accepted.
Requests for a facilitation payment must be rejected and reported through designated internal channels.
Novonesis does not participate in money laundering.
Novonesis shall not receive or process financial transactions derived from or intended for criminal activities.
All business relationships involving financial transactions shall be documented, and accurate books and records, documenting all financial transactions must be maintained. Any suspicious activity related to money laundering or illicit finance must be reported through designated internal channels.
Novonesis does not allow employees offering or accepting excessive gifts or excessive hospitality.
Offering or accepting gifts and hospitality to/from third parties is only acceptable to the extent that:
• It is made openly as a gesture of goodwill
• It is generally accepted, reasonable and proportionate according to local tradition and business context
• It cannot reasonably affect any specific decision of Novonesis, business partners, potential business partners or public officials/authorities
• It does not take the form of cash or cash equivalents (e.g., gift certificates or vouchers)
• It is in accordance with local rules
• it is in compliance with Novonesis’ internal global policy for gifts and hospitality, which defines limits, approval and reporting requirements for giving and receiving gifts and hospitality.
Novonesis does not give money to political parties but occasionally contributes to charities.
Novonesis will only support causes, which are in line with Novonesis commitments.
The following restrictions apply to all contributions made by Novonesis:
• We do not make financial contributions to political parties or to party political campaign efforts.
• We do not make grants to individuals, except through scholarships, sponsoring of research activities or authorized award programs.
• Charitable donations must follow approval and reporting requirements defined by Legal Compliance.
In Novonesis, we avoid conflicts of interest: Private interests must not impact business judgment.
A conflict of interest is when an employee carrying out an activity in or making a decision on behalf of Novonesis has a potential personal interest in such activity or decision. A conflict of interest can impact an employee’s objectiveness and integrity and therefore must be avoided.
All Novonesis’ employees are obliged to report actual, perceived, or potential conflicts of interest through designated internal channels to ensure responsible management of the situation as described in Novonesis’ internal conflict of interest policy.
Download Novonesis anti-corruption position
Our People. Planet. Positive. ambition has four strategic agendas, one of which is to Mitigate climate impact.
We pioneer biosolutions that enable greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions across multiple industries, supporting the transition to a low-carbon society.
We are committed to ambitious actions to reach net-zero GHG emissions by 2050*.
We are committed to climate action by:
Enabling customers to reduce their climate footprint
- We deliver biosolutions that replace fossil-based ingredients and improve process efficiency, helping customers cut GHG emissions across production and use.
- We monitor the climate benefits delivered by key biosolutions and verify they outweigh the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of our full product portfolio.
Enhancing business resilience through climate adaptation
- We identify climate risks as part of our enterprise risk management framework, which identifies, assesses, and mitigates risks that may impact our ability to grow our business sustainably.
- We recognize that supply-demand driven by climate change could impact trade relationships, supply chains, operational costs, and strategic planning, and we have a series of mitigation actions such as reducing dependencies on critical and single-sourced raw materials.
- We expand our biosolutions portfolio to help customers adapt to changing climate and resource landscapes.
Enabling a low-carbon future through dialogue, awareness and advocacy
- We raise awareness of climate action and biosolutions on the global stage.
- We collaborate with stakeholders to demonstrate how biosolutions accelerate the green transition, create sustainable economic growth, and generate employment.
- We engage in global climate leadership, such as through our representation on the UN Global Compact Board of Trustees and the World Economic Forum’s Climate Leaders Alliance.
- We conduct sustainability assessments to document the climate impact of our biosolutions and impact on customer product or process.
- We provide reliable science-based documentation on the climate impact of our biosolutions, helping inform customers, partners, and policymakers.
Enhancing transparency and accountability
- We report on climate performance, risks, opportunities, governance, and value chain engagement in our annual report and CDP Climate Change response.
- We strive to improve climate data quality and transparency across our operations and supply chain.
- We work with suppliers to strengthen data foundations and enable more accurate Scope 3 reporting.
Ensuring strong sustainability governance
- We integrate sustainability and climate change into Novonesis strategy, innovation, and external positioning, owned by Executive Leadership Team (ExLT).
- The Board of Directors oversees sustainability and our climate transition plan, reviews progress against it and assesses sustainability-linked remuneration policies annually.
- We evaluate the Board of Directors’ sustainability and climate change competencies when recruiting new members.
- We assess all existing biosolutions and innovation projects for alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7) and Climate Action (SDG13).
Growing our business while lowering our emissions
- We are committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
- We validate our climate targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), ensuring alignment with the Paris Agreement and the ambition to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
- We have a decarbonization strategy.
- We implement optimization and energy efficiency projects to reduce our overall energy consumption, reusing energy where possible, and increasing our sourcing of renewable energy.
- We drive optimization of our production and supply chain to limit raw material and energy usage and its associated GHG emissions, especially in scope 3.
- We collaborate with our suppliers to identify and implement decarbonization opportunities.
*Our SBTi-validated net-zero targets
Novonesis commits to reach net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050 from a 2018 base year.
Near-Term Targets: Novonesis commits to: reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 75% by 2030 from a 2018 base year; increase annual sourcing of renewable electricity from 37% in 2018 to 100% by 2025 and maintain 100% sourcing of renewable electricity through 2030; and reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy-related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations, and business travel by 35% by 2030 from a 2018 base year.
Long-Term Targets: Novonesis commits to: reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 90% by 2050 from a 2018 base year, and reduce absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy-related activities, upstream transportation and distribution, waste generated in operations and business travel by 90% within the same time frame.
The target boundary includes biogenic emissions and removals associated with the use of bioenergy.
Responsible for the implementation of the Sustainability Commitment:
Chief Operating Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, and Executive Vice President of People and Stakeholder Relations
Novonesis has an ethical and responsible approach to the data handled by the organization. Data is key to our innovation-driven, knowledge-based company. It enables Novonesis to innovate, interact and better our world with biology. Novonesis recognizes the key role that data plays in personal lives, society, business and science.
To meet our objectives, we have adopted the following principles:
Security
- We maintain a high level of IT security to protect confidential information, know-how and personal data processed by the organization against unauthorized use and disclosure.
Quality
- We maintain a high level of data quality. That applies to all data, including the data on which the organization bases its decisions, the data which the organization publishes, and the data on which authorities, customers, investors, consumers and other stakeholders rely.
Transparency
- We are transparent with individuals about the personal data collected about them, how it is used and with whom it is shared.
Respect
- We respect confidential and proprietary information, know-how and trade secrets belonging to customers, partners, suppliers etc. and only use it as allowed or authorized. We respect data privacy rights and the integrity and confidentiality of personal data.
Ethical design
- We design and use data processing technologies, including machine learning, artificial intelligence and similar, in accordance with the principles of this position.
Our People. Planet. Positive. sustainability ambition includes a strong focus on Enabling healthier living, a commitment that also ensures that the people in our value chain are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
We embed sustainability and integrity at the core of our procurement practices, recognizing that sourcing decisions have a profound impact on people, the planet, and long-term business resilience.
We are committed to responsible procurement by:
Setting clear expectations and driving collaboration
- We are committed to upholding high ethical standards while doing business in a global environment, minimizing negative environmental impact in the value chain, and driving positive change that goes beyond compliance.
- We are guided by internationally recognized principles, including the UN Global Compact, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
- We require all our suppliers to uphold the Novonesis business partner code of conduct and to promote the same, or equivalent standards, in their value chain.
- We require suppliers to complete sustainability questionnaires, and accept site visits or audits when relevant.
- We engage with suppliers in their own decarbonization efforts, supporting early movers and promoting climate action.
- We embed sustainability into every step of our procurement processes such as Requests for proposal (RFPs), contracts, and supplier evaluations.
Evaluating suppliers continuously
- We assess key suppliers across themes, including commercial performance, quality performance, data privacy and security, business ethics, human and labor rights and environmental parameters, including water stewardship and climate action.
- We use platforms to support sustainability transparency and collaboration, including Responsibly, Aravo, and Together for Sustainability frameworks, such as Ecovadis.
- We apply a segmented approach to supplier engagement, with closer oversight in high-risk regions and categories.
Co-creating solutions with suppliers
- We share our sustainability targets and invite suppliers to co-create solutions to achieve them.
- We work closely with selected high-risk supplier groups to help build local capacity and improve social and environmental performance.
- We ensure compliance with negotiated terms while seeking the best commercial value.
Having clear supply chain targets for the planet
- We source 100% renewable electricity, in alignment with RE100 guidelines.
- We are committed to a deforestation-free supply chain.
- We are working towards securing that all palm oil-derived products we source are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
- We are committed to reducing our supply chain greenhouse gas emissions (scope 3) in collaboration with our suppliers.
Encouraging reporting of issues
- We offer a secure, anonymous Whistleblower hotline to report any violations.
- We strive to correct the issues identified; support affected parties and prevent recurrence.
- We encourage suppliers to report when issues arise and collaborate on corrective actions when relevant.
- We maintain the right to terminate partnerships if suppliers are unwilling to improve performance.
Responsible for the implementation of the Sustainability Commitment:
Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President of People and Stakeholder Relations
Our People. Planet. Positive. sustainability ambition has four strategic agendas, including Protect nature and biodiversity, which is linked to our water stewardship approach.
Our biosolutions help prevent water pollution by reducing the need for chemicals and enabling our customers to reduce their water consumption.
Water is essential to our operations and to the ecosystems we depend on, making water stewardship a strategic priority.
We are committed to water stewardship by:
Enabling customers to reduce water consumption and pollution
- We deliver biosolutions that replace chemicals and reduce water use by our customers during production and product applications, helping protect ecosystems and human health.
- We continuously evaluate and substitute regulated substances in our products.
Using water responsibly in our manufacturing
- We are committed to managing and addressing water challenges, as per our commitment to the UN Global Compact and the CEO Water Mandate.
- We aim to improve freshwater withdrawal by recycling or saving 15% more water by 2030 and 20% by 2035 from a 2021 baseline.
- We continue to manufacture high-quality products while optimizing our water use, especially where our water footprint is the greatest.
- We ensure our wastewater discharge meets or is better than relevant statutory and legal requirements.
Addressing local water issues
- We aim to restore 30 billion liters of water by 2030 from a 2021 baseline in basins close to our production sites where water, sanitization, and hygiene (WASH) is a challenge.
- We prioritize action beyond our operations considering the local context such as high-water stress areas and our local water footprint.
- We partner to restore water through local projects such as recharge trenches, bunds, and check dams – benefiting communities and nature.
- We are active participants in industrial collaboration to improve local water stewardship at key sites, including Kalundborg Forsyning in Denmark, and Tianjin Economic Technological Development Area (TEDA) in China.
Understanding our water-related risks and opportunities
- We assess all existing biosolutions and innovation projects for expected alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), including clean water and sanitation (SDG 6).
- We assess water risk annually using the WRI’s Aqueduct and WWF’s Risk Filter to monitorregulatory changes and physical risks, i.e. scarcity, quality, accessibility, flooding, and drought.
- We include climate scenarios in our water risk assessment to anticipate future changes in water availability and quality, to ensure resilience and long-term sustainability.
- We act on basin-specific challenges and opportunities, informed by local context.
- We recognize that many of our raw materials are agriculture-based and water-dependent, and we address water risks in the supply chain as described in our Responsible procurement commitment.
Responsible for the implementation of the Sustainability Commitment:
Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President of People and Stakeholder Relations
Novonesis has developed guidelines to inform new and existing suppliers of the company’s requirements to suppliers’ conduct and performance. Download the code of conduct here (EN).
This employee code of conduct provides clear guidelines for integrity and accountability in the actions we take, and the decisions we make, to achieve our purpose – to better our world with biology.
This code of conduct defines the fundamental standards that Novonesis business partners are expected to uphold. Download the business partner code of conduct here.