Better Life

Supporting our teams and communities

At Syensqo, we know that sustainability is not just about protecting the environment, it is equally about protecting people. That’s why Better Life is one of our key sustainability pillars, which centers on safeguarding the wellbeing of our team, our stakeholders, and the communities we work with. 

Besides supporting our employees, we also strive to make a difference for our local communities by building strong and mutually beneficial relationships and implementing initiatives that benefit both people and the planet. One such initiative encourages employees to get involved in societal actions or projects that serve local communities and impact at least one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. In the past, this has sparked efforts such as the Stop Office Waste program and GirlS, (Girls Leading in Science).

Creating a Better Life also extends itself to how we do business. We recognize our efforts have a ripple effect beyond our immediate operations, including suppliers, distributors and consumers. We prioritize responsible and sustainable sourcing, ethical production, and transparent communication to create a positive impact that resonates throughout our value chain. A key example is our involvement in the Sustainable Guar Initiative (SGI), a program we set up alongside L’Oréal and international NGO TechnoServe to empower guar farmers in Bikaner, India with tools and training to cultivate their crops. The initiative aims to improve the livelihood of guar bean farmers by increasing guar yield and revenues, mitigate climate change through sustainable agricultural practices, empower women in the communities, and enable more transparency in the supply chain.

Striving to create a better life for all

To create a fair and inclusive working environment and increase the wellbeing of our valued team, we have set three ambitious goals that we aim to achieve in the next decade.

Prioritizing safety 

We’re committed to our people and their safety, and we believe one workplace accident is one too many. We’ve taken careful steps to create a culture of safety, including the implementation of safety rules and leadership. Helping to ensure that all our employees return home unharmed every day. Our declared target is zero accidents – and we’ll continue to adapt to help us get there. 

Embedding inclusion

We’ll continue our work in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and support to employees. It’s our aim to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace where a wide range of voices are represented. We foster a welcoming environment that values and celebrates our differences, and where a diverse group of individuals and experiences influence the trajectory of the business.

Globally, the Syensqo team represents 112 different nationalities. Within our workforce, women account for 24% and leadership is 21% female. Conscious that DEI, including gender equity, is a continuous journey, we are always  working to strengthen our performance in this area. We have, for example, committed to achieving gender parity in mid and senior management positions by 2030. And we also want to establish a culture of transparency and openness where all employees feel empowered to initiate and engage in conversations around fair and equal pay.

Improving quality of life

We’re committed to helping to improve our teams’ quality of life, and a crucial part of that is ensuring they take home a livable wage. We believe our employees should be paid fairly for the work they do, earning enough to not need to worry about getting by. That’s why we’re rolling out a global pledge to pay 100% of our employees a living wage (as defined by the Global Living Wage Coalition) by 2026. 

Extending parental leave

In 2021, we expanded our global parental leave from 14 weeks to 16 weeks and enhanced the policy to cover all parents employed by the company, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The policy also covers parents who adopt. Our values incorporate promoting diversity, inclusion, and a work-life balance – and making sure our team is well supported during exciting life events such as the arrival of a child is part of that.

Helping people around the world

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the Syensqo Solidarity Fund (formerly the Solvay Solidarity Fund) has shared €9 million to help thousands of Solvay group employees, and people in communities local to where Syensqo operates around the globe. Help funded ranges from mental health and education support to assisting those affected by natural disasters and the war in Ukraine.