Vision & strategy
We believe that everything we do should contribute to a more sustainable world. At DSM, achieving sustainability means simultaneously pursuing economic performance, environmental quality and social responsibility. In other words, we strive to create value on the three dimensions of People, Planet and Profit.
Why sustainability is important to DSM
The quest for sustainable development will be the main trend in the coming decades. The world will soon be faced with the challenge of accommodating nine billion people who all want to live healthy and prosperous lives. It is therefore essential to find solutions to scarcity, security and other constraints – it is the only way to maintain stability and prosperity.
Global trends and Triple P
We base our strategy on global trends that affect economies, people and markets in different ways. The three trends on which we are currently focusing are Global Shifts, Climate and Energy, and Health and Wellness. To address the unmet needs resulting from these trends, we have fully embedded the Triple P concept (People, Planet and Profit) into our organization and activities, and we have set a number of ambitious sustainability aspirations for 2011-2015.
People
Our objective is to deliver measurably better solutions to meet human needs and improve lives. To do this, we are committed to:
- developing internationally-recognized measures of business and social impact, backed by effective tools and systems;
- engaging with communities, governments and societies around the world to better understand their needs in areas such as health, nutrition and product performance;
- investing in innovation to address basic human needs, such as hidden hunger.
DSM will continue to invest in People solutions. We will also use our ‘Base of the Pyramid’ business models to provide the vehicles through which our nutrition innovations will help address the global problem of ‘hidden hunger’ in a sustainable way.
Planet
ECO+ products currently make up about 34% of our total net sales. By 2015, they will account for over 80% of our innovation pipeline, and they will approach 50% of our total net sales. To reach this target, we are going to build on our strong platform of ECO+ innovation, such as coatings for solar cells, waterborne paints, bio-based materials, and halogen-free plastics.
We will also strive to further improve our own operations and those in our value chain. For instance, we want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 3.5% per year over three to five years. To make this happen, we are working with suppliers and customers to improve the footprint of our value chains.
Profit
DSM’s objective is to translate innovative, sustainable solutions into strong, value-creating businesses. We will grow the profitability of our People solutions and ECO+ businesses by increasing our focus on understanding societal needs – such as the demand for cleaner and greener technologies and products in high growth economies. In addition, Triple P is part of our decision-making processes for business development, sourcing, innovation, acquisition and partnerships. DSM is committed to maintaining a top (Gold Standard) ranking in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
