Corporate Social Responsibility is a voluntary business contribution to Sustainable Development integrating all stakeholders’expectations in order to optimize relationships as a basis for continuous improvement and innovation.
Going beyond "corporate citizenship" the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility implies that corporations voluntary commit to improving society, in the broadest sense of the term, and to protecting the environment. It means that, beyond obeying the national and international legal obligations, enterprises pay greater attention to the human aspects of their activities and to the new expectations of the various stakeholders in society, all this without detracting from the economic purpose of the enterprise or impairing its competitiveness.
Corporate Social Responsibility covers various areas, among them:
Within the company:
Human resources management (life long learning, empowerment of employees, better balance between work, family and leisure, greater work force diversity , employability, ..)
Health and safety at work and for the end-user of our products
Adaptation to change
Managing the impact of production on the local environment and on the consumption of natural resources
Externally:
Contribution to local communities (by providing jobs, vocational training places, child-care facilities for employees, partnership with communities, ..)
Working closely with business partners, suppliers, subcontractors and consumers (to reduce complexity and costs and increase quality)
Defending human rights (implementation and compliance with the Code of Conduct and ongoing verification)
Environmental concerns at a global level (for example, better environmental performance throughout the supply chain)
Solvay remains firmly committed to this responsible and ethical approach, which forms in particular the inspiration for its Human Resources and Sustainable Development policies.
Corporate Social Responsibility at Solvay is seen as:
a responsibility expressed in ethical practices, training of employees, health and safety at work and environmental management
a way to provide for the wellbeing and secure conditions for communities, protection for the planet and sustainable success for the company’s production activities
