Worlée takes an active role in the Chemie³ pilot project “Sustainability in the supply chain”

“Sustainability” is relevant to many spheres of activity. While some of these are immediately tangible (ecology, economy or social compatibility), others play an essential role in a rather more background or secondary fashion. Nevertheless, they are still indispensable in the pursuit of a comprehensive sustainability strategy. This category includes sustainability in the supply chain.

Requirements regarding transparency in the supply chain and companies’ supply chain management are increasing as stakeholders seek to become better and better informed about the effects of global supply chains on humans and the environment. This tendency has also carried over into politics. With its “National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights”, the German Federal Cabinet calls on companies to establish a supply chain management system that ensures maintenance of sustainability standards. As this corporate due diligence also applies to medium-sized companies, it goes without saying that Worlée shall do its part with respect to the Plan. In light of this background, the Chemie3 initiative has established the “Sustainability in the supply chain” pilot project with Worlée as a participant, among other companies. A set of guidelines has been developed to especially support medium-sized enterprises in the practical realisation of supply chain management.

Worlée-Chemie already took part in an extensive sustainability check in 2014 as a pilot company and was distinguished for this action. As was the case four years ago, participation as a pilot company has given Worlée the impetus to take concrete steps in this regard. The medium-sized company is actively considering its position with respect to “sustainability in the supply chain” at many levels of the company as well as with its suppliers. 
The first step involved the establishment of an internal project team consisting of participants from executive management, purchasing, plant management, research & development management, product safety management and sustainability management. In order to obtain transparent and usable results, the medium-sized company carried out a supplier survey to gather information about the following topics:

• stages in the value-added chain
• NH-relevant supplier activities and
• origin of prioritised materials

Subsequently, Worlée carried out a VCI risk analysis for its selected materials and specified focus countries, and the company identified suppliers whose sustainability performance within the framework of the pilot project required closer examination. The purchasing department then personally informed these suppliers about Worlée’s plans and asked them to undergo a thorough sustainability assessment by means of the sustainability platform “Ecovadis”. At the same time, they were also informed about Worlée-Chemie’s code of behaviour for suppliers.

Worlée is currently evaluating these results and will then make a decision concerning continuation of the assessment for additional supply chains. “The pilot project ‘Sustainability in the supply chain’ has helped us to take a practical first step in this important area. We are pleased about the positive resonance from our suppliers and that we are able to make a contribution to sustainable supply chain management together with our business partners”, states Barbara Eschke, Head of Integrated Management Systems/Sustainability Management.

With their Chemie³ initiative, the alliance partners Chemie³, VCI, IG BCE und BAVC seek to firmly anchor sustainability in the business model of the chemicals industry. To this end, Chemie³ has established twelve “Guidelines for sustainability for the chemicals industry in Germany” and supports its members in implementing these into regular working routines. These guiding principles can be found online at www.chemiehoch3.de