Operating Sustainably
Our commitment and approach to a sustainable future
Environment
A solution extraction well-head amongst vineyards at Eti
Social
Supporting local agriculture and biodiversity at Kazan
Sustainability Governance
Aligned with international best practice
Our Purpose
We define our purpose as:
“To responsibly produce essential ingredients for a sustainable future”
This is our guiding principle by which we make our corporate decisions and conduct our corporate activities.
Chief Executive Officer’s statement: Approach to sustainability
Alasdair Warren | CEO, WE Soda
We pride ourselves as a leader within our industry, not only in terms of scale, but also in terms of sustainability and innovation, with the lowest energy, emissions and water intensity and almost no waste. 2022 was an extraordinary year, and in 2023 we are well positioned to deliver another record performance, supported by the long-term trends of sustainability and the energy transition.
We are committed to operating sustainably in an environmentally and socially responsible way with strong corporate governance. We measure our sustainability performance and, where needed, we seek external help to ensure continuous improvement, actively investing in new initiatives, systems and processes.
Our strategic pillars
We deliver our purpose and our commitment to sustainability through four pillars that define our business and our culture.
we • lead
We pride ourselves on being a leader within our industry, not only in terms of scale, but also in terms of sustainability, in innovation and customer service.
we • care
We believe our success will be driven by attracting, developing and retaining the best people, as well as looking after our people and the communities in which we operate.
we • innovate
With a clear purpose, innovation thrives. Innovation is a core part of our culture; it has always been one of the most important drivers in the development of our business.
we • challenge
To maintain our leadership, we must continuously challenge ourselves and the status quo within our industry, and be prepared to do things differently and better.
Sustainability strategy
Our sustainability business model is shaped by the potential impacts on all of our stakeholders: our customers, employees, suppliers, investors, local community, and the ecological habitats in which we operate:
We set ambitious yet achievable environmental, economic, efficiency, social, occupational health and safety, and continuous improvement targets.
We endeavour to support transformation to a low carbon economy in the global fight against climate change.
We ensure transparent and accountable management through a framework of ethical guidelines and a culture of continuous improvement.
There are six SDGs in particular which we believe are particularly relevant to our operations and where we believe we have made a significant impact:
SDG 5 – Gender Equality
SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 – Climate Action
SDG 15 – Life on Land
Our stakeholders
We aim to create value for our stakeholders in everything we do, and we engage with our stakeholders to gain insights into what they want and need from us as a business. These insights allow us to determine those areas of interest for our stakeholders and help us to shape the way in which we do business.
In November 2022, to inform our strategic decision-making, we commissioned the sustainability consultancy ERM to help us assess the material issues for our business and those of concern to our stakeholders. Read the full results here:
Our material sustainability topics
Find out more about material sustainability by clicking on the links below.
Occupational Health & Safety
Providing a safe and healthy work environment is our number one priority.
Water Stewardship
Water is an essential input to our production process, as well as being important to the local communities in which we operate.
GHG Emissions
Reducing our CO2e emissions is a priority for us.
Community Relations
By supporting our local communities, we believe we create long-term value for our business and those living and working nearby.
Energy & Efficiency
Optimising our processes and seeking efficiency gains are key methods used to reduce our environmental impact.
Waste Management
Where possible, we aim to apply the principles of circular economy to recover, re-use or recycle by products and waste.
Sustainable Supply Chain
Our sustainability governance applies to everyone within our Group, and we also expect it of our partners across our upstream and downstream supply chains.
