For the seventh time in a row, Symrise, one of the world's largest manufacturers of fragrances, flavors, cosmetic base and active ingredients, and functional ingredients, has commissioned DQS to verify their sustainability report. After an intensive review, our auditors concluded that the report presents the company's sustainability performance in a highly transparent and credible manner.
As a listed company, Symrise AG is not only subject to the so-called CSR reporting obligation, but also has an interest itself in informing investors, customers and business partners about its sustainability performance. In addition to the corporate report, Symrise therefore publishes an annual sustainability balance sheet in accordance with the GRI standards.
An audit by an independent body such as DQS is a proven way to ensure the credibility of sustainability reports.
The verification process
Symrise's sustainability report complies with the Global Reporting Initiative's GRI Standards published in fall 2016 in the "comprehensive" option. This means that Symrise discloses all relevant information and is accountable for all material aspects of its sustainability performance.
During the course of the year, key figures were already checked on a random basis at various international sites. Symrise benefited from the global network of qualified DQS auditors. Local auditors were deployed in South Africa, Egypt, Madagascar, Australia, Japan, Brazil and the USA, among others. The crowning glory of the assessment was the audit with the Corporate Sustainability Team in Holzminden.
The audit was based on the AA1000 auditing standard, which defines requirements for the auditing of sustainability reports. The audit of the Symrise report corresponds to a so-called type 2 assurance, which comprises two components:
- An audit of the management approaches and compliance with the reporting principles.
- An audit of all disclosures relating to environmental and sustainability performance with regard to completeness and relevance. This includes key figures, indicators and other non-financial data.
Covered by the verification were all non-financial key figures and disclosures for the period from January to December 2021.
Result: The Statement of Assurance
Based on the methodology described above, the audit team concluded that the Symrise Sustainability Report presents the Group's sustainability profile in an appropriate and credible manner. DQS confirms that all disclosures and key figures in the report were determined with due diligence and that the overall report is characterized by a high level of accuracy.
Behzad Sadegh, head of the auditing team, was impressed by the commitment of the sustainability team:
Since 2015, I have had the pleasure of auditing Symrise's sustainability reporting every year. Every year Symrise succeeds in setting ever more ambitious targets and reporting significant progress in all transparency.
Dr. Helmut Frieden, who drives sustainability reporting at Symrise with his team, commented on the successful audit as follows:
What is always striking is the high level of expertise of the audit team and the well-founded and comprehensive examination of our management approaches as well as the sustainability key figures. In addition, I appreciate the recommendations that reach far into the future and influence our strategic planning.
You can view the English-language assurance statement here. You can view the full Symrise Sustainability Report here.
About Symrise
Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances, flavors, cosmetic base and active ingredients, and functional ingredients. Its customers include perfume, cosmetics, food and beverage manufacturers, the pharmaceutical industry, and producers of food supplements and pet food.
With sales of approximately €3.8 billion in fiscal 2021, the company is one of the world's leading suppliers in the fragrances and flavors market. Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, the Group is represented in more than 40 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, the United States and Latin America.
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Dr. Thijs Willaert
Dr. Thijs Willaert is Global Director Sustainability Services. In this role, he is responsible for the entire ESG service portfolio of DQS. His areas of interest include sustainable procurement, human rights due diligence and ESG audits.