Session
WE.1.B || SDG as a Basis for Sustainability Assessments of Products and Companies

Authors
Zilberfarb, Noël

Abstract
“ARCHIMEDES” Program: assessment of the solutions portfolio To shift its product range more assertively toward sustainable solutions, in 2020 Arkema continued the program it started in 2018 to systematically assess its portfolio of solutions in light of sustainability criteria. The methodology selected corresponds to that set out by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in its publication entitled “Chemical Industry Methodology for Portfolio Sustainability Assessments (PSA)”. It takes into account all of the social, environmental and economic impacts. Products are considered in the context of their applications and of the regions in which they are sold. To the extent permitted by the information available, the assessment takes into account the entire value chain, including manufacturing processes, from raw materials to the product’s end of life. It is carried out using three sets of criteria: • basic requirements, which reflect (i) the Group’s commitments relating to product responsibility in the area of health, safety and the environment, (ii) the principles of ethics and respect for Human Rights, and (iii) profitability factors; • medium- and long-term trends in the regulatory framework and market expectations in terms of sustainable solutions; and • contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using the market’s standard solutions as a reference. The ten SDGs most relevant to Group activities were selected. When assessing the solutions portfolio, in terms of both the products and the raw materials used, particular attention is paid to the presence of substances identified in the regulations as being substances of very high concern (SVHCs), or which nonetheless meet SVHC criteria. In this way, solutions are classified into different levels of contribution, making it easier to more effectively target actions that favor a sustainable sales portfolio.