The Lenzing Group, a leader in sustainably produced specialty fibres, has been awarded the gold status in EcoVadis CSR rating for the third year in a row, making it one of the leading 2% of all assessed companies in its industry. The assessment covers the four most important CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) practices: environment, fair working conditions and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
Lenzing achieves top ratings in all areas, making it one of the best performing companies, it reports.
“This award makes us very proud and encourages us to continue on our path to becoming a provider of environmentally friendly specialty fibres. At Lenzing, we look beyond fibres and take responsibility for our children and grandchildren by standing up resolutely against the shortcomings of our time. This attitude is part of our strategic principles and we will continue to work hard to make a sustainable contribution to the environment and society,” says Stefan Doboczky, CEO of the Lenzing Group.
Lenzing’s ambitious climate target represents an important component of the company’s strategy and the responsibility towards future generations. In the 2019 financial year, Lenzing says it became the world’s first producer of wood-based cellulosic fibres to strategically commit to a climate-neutral production, a vision which is to be put into practice by 2050. By 2030, the company aims to achieve an interim goal of reducing emissions by 50% per ton of product compared to 2017.
According to Lenzing, the Science Based Targets Initiative, a recognized organization in the field of climate-related target setting, has scientifically confirmed the Lenzing Group’s climate targets.
In its rating, EcoVadis also emphasized the longstanding practice of sustainable procurement in the Lenzing Group. Responsible procurement of raw materials is another key element in the company’s sustainability strategy. Lenzing strictly adheres to the stringent requirements of its purchasing guidelines and evidently sets new standards in the field.
In 2019, Lenzing was once again rated number one in the world in the Hot Button Report of the Canadian NGO Canopy, another highly regarded ranking. In this ranking, Canopy grades the world’s 32 largest producers of wood-based fibres with respect to their success in achieving sustainable wood and pulp sourcing.
EcoVadis is a provider of business sustainability ratings, intelligence and collaborative performance improvement tools for global supply chains. The methodology framework assesses companies’ policies and actions as well as their published reporting related to environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. More than 65,000 companies within more than 200 sectors in 160 countries all over the world are using EcoVadis to assess themselves and their supply chain.