Working towards our goals

Our strategy & the SDGs

Making sustainability stick

To make the world a brighter place, we need to pull together. Which is why our business strategy is based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by the United Nations - and five in particular.

DSM's five key Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 2: Ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture

We improve nutrition for those that most need it – at the base of the economic pyramid - through fortified foods and micronutrients, delivered through our Nutrition Improvement and Africa Improved Foods initiatives – as well as long-standing partnerships with the World Food Programme and the independent nutrition think-tank, Sight and Life.

SDG 3: Ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing for all at all ages

Our health, nutrition, biomedical and high-performance materials are boosting health in all age groups - for example, by reducing salt and sugar levels in processed foods; and cutting carbon emissions from chemical manufacturing processes. Our First 1,000 Days Program supports mother and child health. Our DSM Life Saving Rules protect our people from harm; and the DSM Vitality Program promotes their good health.

SDG 7: Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable modern energy for all

At DSM we are making affordable, renewable energy a reality with yeast and enzymes for improving biomass conversion of biofuels and biogas.

SDG 13: Taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

.. While inside DSM we continue to advocate responsible action on climate change with our stakeholders and are increasing the use of renewables in our energy mix - and reducing our carbon footprint - in partnership with RE100.

SDG 12: Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns

Thermoplastics used in automotive parts like oil pans and car lighting are reducing weight – and waste. We are taking a big bite out of food waste through products like Pack-Age®- a packaging solution for meat and cheese that extends shelf life. Meanwhile, our Brighter Living Solutions are created to minimize waste across the value chain.

Our contribution to remaining SDGs

We also make a positive contribution to the UN’s remaining SDGs (our level of engagement is gauged as * Minor, ** Moderate or *** Major).

SDG 1**

Aside from our HR policies on (minimum) wages and fair pay, we support smallholders through Africa Improved Foods (AIF); we help improve agricultural learning for people through our partnership with the WFP; and we’re active in economic development programs in developing countries.

SDG 4*

We support our employees’ personal and professional development through our learning and development programs. We help improve agricultural learning through our partnership with the WFP.

SDG 5**

Our Inclusion & Diversity strategy & aspirations include sponsorship of the Women’s Independent Network to foster female leadership.

SDG 6*

We tackle water scarcity through waste water efficiency and treatment programs, for example at the DSM facility in Pune (India).

SDG 8**

We help boost economic growth in the countries and markets where we operate while striving to use minimum resources. We support smallholders through AIF and are active in economic development programs in developing countries.

SDG 9**

Our purpose is to create brighter lives for all using bright science. Our innovation strategy supports the sustainable development agenda with a strong focus on several SDGs.

SDG 10**

The DSM Inclusion & Diversity Strategy and aspirations promotes equality, as does our Brighter Living Solutions program. Through AIF and various economic development programs in developing countries we pursue inclusive employment in local communities.

SDG 11*

We support cross-sector partnerships and local philanthropic initiatives, for example our work with Global Health Corps, an NGO supporting new health leaders.

SDG 14**

Our Veramaris® partnership with Evonik is safeguarding wild fish by making omega-3 supplements from algae; and our partnership with The Ocean Cleanup is taking plastic out of our oceans.

SDG 15*

Our Brighter Living Solutions program encourages the reduction of land use as part of the lifecycle assessments.

SDG 16*

At DSM we support ethical business conduct and good corporate governance – for example through our Anti-Bribery & Corruption policy and training programs, our Human Rights Policy, plus our grievance mechanism ‘DSM Alert’.

SDG 17***

We work closely with UN agencies, governments, academia, NGOs and industry peers including the World Economic Forum, the World Business Council for Social Development and Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) to boost our contributions to the other 16 SDGs.

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