Firmenich Is One of 19 Global Companies Joining Forces to Protect Biodiversity for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet

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GENEVA, Sept. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned Perfume and Taste company, announces the launch of "One Planet Business for Biodiversity" (OP2B) at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. A founding member of OP2B, Firmenich is one of 19 likeminded companies determined to restore biodiversity for people and the planet. Led by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Emmanuel Faber, Chairman and CEO of Danone, this coalition commits to step up alternative agriculture practices to protect and restore biodiversity across their supply chains and product portfolios.

Gilbert Ghostine, CEO Firmenich said: "Business is expected to play a vital role to reverse biodiversity loss. Firmenich ensures a highly responsible and traceable supply chain for our natural ingredients, making a real difference. We are improving the livelihoods of more than 250,000 farmers around the world and this is just the beginning!"

Peter Bakker, President and CEO, WBCSD, said: "This coalition has specific and ambitious goals that will drive real change in preserving biodiversity. We know that the path forward will be challenging. However, I am confident that, over time, the OP2B platform will transform existing food and agricultural models and achieve a significant, positive impact for both healthy people and a healthy planet."

Biodiversity in Action

Firmenich has been committed to protecting biodiversity for more than a decade. For instance, the Group through its Naturals Center of Expertise in Grasse actively implements the Union for Ethical Bio Trade's (UEBT) standard and their risk-based approach. This standard has enabled Firmenich to strengthen its responsible sourcing within its natural ingredients value chains.

Also, as a signatory of the Business and Biodiversity Pledge in 2016 for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Firmenich has made a Public Statement on Biodiversity, embedding biodiversity protection and restoration measures throughout its business.

Responsible Sourcing

Committed to sustainable natural ingredients, Firmenich partners with strategic producers around the world to preserve biodiversity and support farming communities at the source of its 250 creation ingredients. To further scale-up the company's impact, Firmenich has invested in the Livelihoods Fund for Family Farming (Livelihoods 3F), dedicated to supporting the sustainable livelihoods of smallholder farmers.

Addressing Climate Change

Coming out of COP 21 on Climate Change in 2015, Firmenich set itself the most ambitious environmental goals with the vision to become carbon neutral. Firmenich was recognized as a global environmental leader this year, one of only two companies worldwide, out of more than 7000, to have achieved "Triple As" with CDP, in Climate, Water and Forestry. The Group has also invested in two Livelihoods Carbon Funds supporting critical projects in ecosystem restoration, agroforestry and energy.

In addition to Firmenich, OP2B members include Balbo Group, Barry Callebaut, Danone, DSM, Google, Jacobs Douwe Egberts, Kellogg Company, Kering, L'Oreal, Loblaws Companies Limited, Mars, Migros Tigaret, McCain Foods, Nestle, Symrise, The Livelihoods Funds, Unilever and Yara. The 19 companies serve consumers in more than 120 countries and have combined total revenues of circa USD $500 billion. The 19 OP2B member companies have committed to take tangible actions, on an individual and collective basis, to develop innovative solutions aimed at protecting and optimizing biodiversity in agricultural systems, including solutions which protect yields while materially reducing the use of synthetic agricultural-chemical inputs.

About Firmenich

Firmenich is the world's largest privately-owned perfume and taste company, founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895. Driven by its purpose to create positive emotions to enhance wellbeing, naturally, Firmenich has designed many of the world's best-known perfumes and tastes, bringing delight to over four billion consumers every day. Renowned for its world-class research and creativity, as well as its leadership in sustainability, each year, Firmenich invests 10% of its turnover in R&D to understand and share the best that nature has to offer responsibly. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.7 billion Swiss Francs at end June 2018. More information about Firmenich is available at www.firmenich.com

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SOURCE Firmenich