EUROPE
stop at a positive sustainability assessment , but we want to see how we can improve further .”
Schäfer describes the industry initiative for supplier sustainability assessments : “ We are a member of Together for Sustainability , an initiative of the chemical industry with 16 members now which are all well-known in the chemical industry , with the objective to accelerate the implementation of sustainable practices within the supply chains of the chemical industry .
“ There are many assessments along the way , beginning with a risk assessment . If it ’ s a smaller operation in a higher-risk country , we do an evaluation there or an audit by a third party to measure them against economic , environmental , and social standards that we have agreed .”
Covestro highly values the partnerships it works so hard to forge ; the relationship with INEOS , for example , is one of the company ’ s most highlyvalued , says De With : “ INEOS is a very like-minded business which operates in one of the same chemical parks as we do , so there ’ s a lot that we do share anyway . It ’ s a long-standing relationship and we manage multiple businesses together . It goes in both directions ; we make materials they
www . covestro . com 43