Cross-domain initiatives
World Economic Forum (WEF)
We are a strategic partner of WEF. We actively participated in its virtual events throughout 2021 as well as the Forum’s physical events during COP26 in Glasgow. In 2021, our Co-CEO Geraldine Matchett joined the International Business Council (IBC). She remained a member of the Steering Committee of the Consumer Governors and the Food Security Stewards. Our Co-CEO Dimitri de Vreeze is a member of the Steering Committee of the Chemical Governors and will in 2022 take over the IBC membership from Ms. Matchett. Both spoke at various virtual events of the Forum.
We actively contributed to several initiatives in 2021, including the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, the CEO Action Group for the European Green Deal, the Food Innovation Hub Europe, and we participated in a number of meetings with public figures organized by WEF.
The SDG Tent
As WEF was not able to organize its Annual Meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we joined forces with partners including Salesforce, Procter & Gamble and Yara to continue the SDG Tent in online format, a venue for discussing business engagement for achieving the SDGs Several successful events were hosted in the virtual SDG Tent, such as Tackling the Triple Threat of Food Security, Economic, and Climate Crisis and Why Bold Food Systems Action is the Best Vaccine Against Chaos.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
We are a member of WBCSD and participate in various working groups and coalitions. Our Co-CEO Geraldine Matchett is member of WBCSD’s Executive Committee and is Commissioner in WBCSD’s Business Commission to Tackle Inequality (BCTI). In addition to the areas mentioned below, we are also active within the WBCSD Climate Policy Working Group and the Chemicals group (including the shared development of a Portfolio Sustainability Assessment methodology).
Food & Nature
DSM is Board Member of the Food & Nature Program and a founding member of the Food Reform for Sustainability and Health (FReSH) project, with the aim to drive food system to support healthy people on a healthy planet. In 2021, we helped to shape the ‘Business Declaration on Food System Transformation’, that was presented by WBCSD at the UN Food System Summit. In December at the global Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit, WBCSD launched the ‘Responsible Business Pledge’ that sets out the areas for quantified business commitments for better nutrition.
Circular Economy
Factor10 is WBCSD’s Circular Economy program that convenes more than 30 global companies to co-develop solutions to accelerate the transition toward the circular economy. In 2021, we continued to co-lead the circular metrics workstream, developing the circular transition framework enhanced with new metrics for water, financial performance, and a bioeconomy guidance. Factor10 also launched version 2.0 of the Circular Transition Indicators and the accompanying online tool, supporting companies in taking concrete actions toward their circularity ambitions.
Redefining Value
Redefining Value is WBCSD’s program supporting external disclosure and decision-making. In 2021, we collaborated on the guide ‘Future-Proof Business’. We participated in the Shaping Sustainable Finance Policy Working Group, with a particular focus on the engagements around the EU Sustainable Finance Agenda and the work of EFRAG related to developing European Sustainability Reporting Standards, the IFRS Foundation establishment of the ISSB, and the alignment between the two organizations.
Ban-Ki Moon Centre
The Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens (BKMC) is a Quasi-International Organization located in Vienna, Austria, established in January 2018. The Centre is co-chaired by Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary-General of the UN, and by Heinz Fischer 11th President of the Republic of Austria. Its mission is to foster leadership for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement by inspiring current decision makers and empowering the next generation of leaders. Mr. de Vreeze is on the Board of BKMC. We have supported the BKMC’s projects in the fields relevant to our strategy in the years since it was established.
The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic)
Cefic represents the voice of large, medium and small chemical companies across Europe. Mr. de Vreeze represents us in Cefic’s Executive Committee and Board and chairs Cefic’s Sustainability Forum, through which he focuses on the acceleration of Cefic’s sustainability journeys. In 2021, we actively contributed to various workstreams of the Sustainability Forum, focusing on the development of indicators driving and monitoring the industry’s progress towards the SDGs in general and the EU Green Deal in particular, and of a concept definition for innovation that is Safe and sustainable-by-design. Our experts are also member of various other internal Cefic groups and, for example, actively contributed to shaping Cefic’s view on the EU Sustainable Finance strategy.
Accounting for Sustainability (A4S)
A4S brings together leading CFOs to help embed the management of environmental and societal issues into business processes and strategy, particularly through the finance function. Ms. Matchett is a signatory to the A4S CFO Statement of Support for the TCFD recommendations and the A4S CFO net-zero Statement of Support.
In 2021, we participated in various virtual events and meetings. Toward the end of the year, two of our senior finance leaders graduated from the A4S Academy, a program which provides an opportunity to senior finance leaders to broaden their perspective on sustainability, the impact it has on business, and how companies can contribute. Two new finance leaders have joined the next cohort. We contributed to the guide on ‘Enhancing Investor Engagement’ as well as a roundtable accompanying this publication, and published a case study on managing ESG-related risks and opportunities.
Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC)
The DSGC is a CEO-led coalition of eight Dutch multinational corporations which aims to drive sustainable growth business models that combine economic profitability with environmental and social progress and thus contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. To accelerate this transition in the Netherlands and abroad, the coalition wants to lead the way and pursues a strategy of Share – Shape – Activate.
In 2021, the DSGC published an open letter during the Dutch cabinet formation discussions emphasizing the importance of innovation and sustainability for a better future and implementing the SDGs. In November, the Generational Leadership in Action event was organized, involving the participation of students as well as CEOs. The students were challenged to work on real-life case challenges from the DSGC companies.
