AkzoNobel joins Together for Sustainability to Enhance Global Supply Chain

AkzoNobel has
underlined its commitment to driving improvements throughout its global
supply chains by signing up to the Together for Sustainability (TfS)
initiative.

Founded in 2011, the purpose of TfS is to develop and implement a
global audit program to assess and improve sustainability practices
within the supply chains of the chemical industry.

The company has joined forces with the six existing members – BASF,
Bayer, Evonik Industries, Henkel, LANXESS and Solvay – with the aim of
building on established principles such as the United Nations Global
Compact and the Responsible Care Global Charter.

“We already carry out extensive sustainability assessments in our own
supply chains,” explained Ton Geurts, AkzoNobel’s Chief Procurement
Officer. “But by integrating TfS into our existing strategy we will
enhance our current processes and further improve the quality of our
supply chains for the benefit of our customers.”

Added David Allen, AkzoNobel’s Head of Integrated Supply Chain: “As
well as helping the company to strengthen its risk management processes
and prioritize improvement areas, signing up to TfS will also make our
supply chains more robust and enable us to expand more effectively in
emerging markets. It will furthermore build on our number one ranking
in the Materials industry group on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.”

The TfS initiative involves independent experts carrying out
assessments and audits of suppliers, avoiding the need for each of the
members to conduct their own. Results and scorecard ratings are then
shared within TfS on a web-based collaborative platform.

As well as avoiding double audits and assessments, other benefits
include quality assurance, a reduction in the bureaucratic burden for
suppliers and the lowering of risks in relation to sustainability
requirements.

AkzoNobel is a leading global paints and coatings company and a major
producer of specialty chemicals. We supply industries and consumers
worldwide with innovative products and are passionate about developing
sustainable answers for our customers. Our portfolio includes
well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International and Eka.
Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we are consistently ranked
as one of the leaders in the area of sustainability. With operations in
more than 80 countries, our 50,000 people around the world are
committed to delivering leading products and technologies to meet the
growing demands of our fast-changing world.