Clariant Zhenjiang plant hosts Open Day to highlight commitment to sustainability and safety in delivering value

•   Open Day themed “Discover Clariant, Discover Value” to highlight how Clariant adds value to industry and local community through safe production and sustainable approaches
• On-going HOPES program reinforces Clariant’s commitment to sustainable development in Greater China    

Shanghai, December 29, 2014 — Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, hosted an Open Day at its Zhenjiang multipurpose production plant on December 28, highlighting the theme “Discover Clariant, Discover Value”. More than 120 people attended the Open Day, including government officials, industry representatives, media, teachers and students from local community, and the site’s employees and their families.

Clariant is committed to creating value through sustainability. In line with the theme, the activities for the day highlighted Clariant’s efforts to make its operations as safe and environmental friendly as possible, while fully committing to the communities where the company is active in. The Open Day provided the participants an up-close view of how Clariant is dedicated to providing a safe and sustainable environment for its own staff, family member, neighbor, local student and peer. Through presentation, site tour and interactive activities the visitors got to learn that Clariant’s commitment is not only on providing sustainable products to its own customers but also making the safety of its workplaces a top priority.

Safety has great impact on Clariant’s sustainability and success. Among Clariant’s most important objectives are the safety and security of its worldwide activities and the protection of people and environment. The company set specific targets on achieving safety standards for its entire group around the world, and monitors and evaluates all aspects of its activities. In the Greater China region, and the Zhenjiang site in particular, Clariant has long been a safety leader in the community, having received multiple accolades for its breakthroughs in production safety, safety management, comprehensive safety plan, and overall occupational health and safety performance over the years.

“Safety matters! Clariant issued 28 environmental, health and safety guidelines for all regions and sites, which cover environmental protection, occupational health and work area safety. And each production site develops their risk assessment, safety actions and health care programs accordingly,” said Qinglin Zheng, General Manager of the Clariant Zhenjiang multipurpose plant during the Open Day. “The Open Day is a good chance for our visitors to discover how Clariant sites operate safely and how our employees practice these safety guidelines in our daily operations.”

In addition to health and safety, the Open Day also highlighted Clariant's strong commitment to its community. As a part of the HOPES program, one of Clariant’s newest Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, students and teachers from Xuefu Road Primary School were invited to the Zhenjiang Open Day to experience a safe and healthy working environment and how chemicals could be sustainable.  The highlight of the day for the children in attendance was the hands-on activity that combined what they learned about safety and sustainability. The students also got a chance to make a souvenir bottle of handwash detergent by using Clariant’s products and safe handling procedures.

“Clariant's success rests on a foundation stemming from a sustainablility concept that involves many different stakeholders. As one of its key Corporate Citizenship Activities of Sustainability practices in China, we launched HOPES in China this year, which encourages a ‘healthy, open-minded, positive, explorative and sustainable’ spirit among the younger generation,” explained Margaret Soong, Head of Clariant Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs in Greater China. “We hope that these programs can provide sound platforms for our students and communities to discover true value of Clariant.”

Clariant has high regards on sustainability. In its latest corporate strategy review, sustainability was included as a new pillar of Clariant's corporate strategy to strengthen its commitment to sustainable long-term value creation for various stakeholders. In September 2014, Clariant was once again included in both the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) Europe and DJSI World, one of the most renowned sustainability indices globally. The listing has put Clariant among the leading sustainable companies worldwide in the chemical industry.