The right man in the right place. Riko Huang is not only
extremely passionate about his job as a sustainability manager,
but also highly qualified. During his studies he
had a dual focus: safety technology and business management.
He tirelessly works to make employees even more
sensitive to sustainable behavior. An information platform
he initiated enables his company to engage in exchange
with other ALTANA companies in China. With his knowhow,
he also supports our customers and the local government
regarding sustainability issues and advises companies
in the region.
provides BASF with aluminum pigment
pastes for automotive coatings, which give
vehicles an elegant exterior. BASF has
been a member of the Together
for Sustainability
(TfS) initiative since it was founded
in 2011 by international chemical
companies.
Their aim is to work with qualified
suppliers that meet quality, ecological, and
social-behavior requirements
as well as
they do themselves.
Audits safeguard this. To this end, TfS uses
the system of the independent and globally
acknowledged rating agency EcoVadis.
Its procedures are based on international
standards such as the Global Reporting
Initiative, the United Nations Global
Compact
program, and ISO 26000. The
accredited auditors who work for TfS
assess
the companies they examine based
on 32 criteria, ranging from management
and environmental aspects, to health
and safety, to corporate governance and
social commitment.
Success Can Only Be Achieved
Through a Joint Effort
At ALTANA, sustainability is an elementary
factor for value-enhancing management.
This issue is to be anchored more
and more in the minds of employees, because
it is essential for the company’s
success. Thus, for example, ALTANA has
participated in EcoVadis ratings several
times and received EcoVadis Gold Status
in 2016. As a result, ALTANA is among
the top twelve percent of the comparable
companies that were evaluated by Eco-
Vadis.
In 2015, ECKART convinced the auditor
in Zhuhai with its comprehensive sustainability
concept. Sometimes detours lead
to success, says Riko Huang. “In China, togetherness
and cultivating relationships
are very important. So, we also organize
sports activities and excursions during
which we talk about environmental issues.”
ECKART Zhuhai received 144 of 200
possible
points in the TfS audit, an outstanding
72 percent. The few suggestions
for improvement were implemented
quickly – within four months rather than
the year offered by the auditor.
The audit not only showed the manager
where his company stands today. The
results also provide impetus for the future:
“Our employees are proud of our good
score and are highly motivated to keep on
improving together.”
38 Sustainability Incorporated