While sustainability is already being practiced as a norm in some industries, the chemical industry and its related businesses are facing widespread challenges to implement this concept. Despite the challenges, DKSH has been making continuous efforts to implement its strategy of achieving sustainable development within the chemical industry in Vietnam.
As a leading Market Expansion Services provider, DKSH offers a broad product portfolio and a wide range of value-added services across four specialized Business Units: Healthcare, Consumer Goods, Performance Materials, and Technology. With nearly 160 years of history in Asia and more than 30 years of presence in Vietnam, DKSH helps thousands of companies looking to grow their businesses in existing markets and expand into new ones, fulfilling its vision of being their trusted partner.
With sustainability as one of its corporate values, DKSH is committed to taking responsibility for the environmental, social, and economic impacts of its business activities across its four Business Units and the 37 markets it operates in.
While sustainability is already being practiced as a norm in some industries, the chemical industry and its related businesses are facing widespread challenges to implement this concept. Despite the challenges, DKSH has been making continuous efforts to implement its strategy of achieving sustainable development within the chemical industry in Vietnam.
The Chemical Industry and Its Challenges
The global chemical industry, as the world’s fifth largest manufacturing industry, plays a vital role in the economies of several countries. However, this industry’s path to sustainability is a rather challenging one. The chemical industry faces a difficult task that includes implementing corporate social responsibility programs and making existing operations, and business as well as management processes more sustainable. The diverse challenges combined with the scale of business adds to these challenges, solidifying the view that a concrete strategy is needed to ensure a sustainable ecosystem is developed and implemented in the chemical industry.
Hoang To Nga, General Manager, Business Unit Performance Materials, DKSH Vietnam, stated: "An organization’s accountability for the environmental impacts related to its operations and production processes is the first step towards sustainability. Companies need to create clear, specific goals and methodologies designed to optimize their operations, business and management processes.”
Sustainability at DKSH
By providing access to markets and products as well as generating jobs in a reliable and responsible way, DKSH contributes to the development of markets and communities it is present in as well as to sustainable development.
Hoang To Nga, added: “Sustainability is one of DKSH’s corporate values and we bring it to life through our newly developed Sustainability Strategy with four objectives: enable our people to flourish, make our value chains more sustainable, become climate neutral by 2030, and make a positive local impact. We aim to introduce environmentally friendly production processes, increase our natural ingredients portfolio, and provide our partners with sustainable solution to manage our social and environmental footprint.”
DKSH has implemented several initiatives as part of its Group-wide sustainability strategy for its Business Unit Performance Materials:
At DKSH, environmental considerations are key when taking business decisions, so we propose wide-ranging sustainable solutions. Our company prioritizes the use of recycled fuels and promotes waste and recycling management through the SMR (Self-Monitoring Report) program. Adding another dimension of “replacing” to this approach, we encourage employees to reduce paper usage and replace it with alternative digital applications, helping to decrease waste and save costs.
As a global company active in several different sectors, we recognize the need to showcase our sustainable approach within the formulations and products we develop. Our technical specialists innovate new formulations to support our sustainability goals. Our focus is on building an eco-friendly, vegan, upcycled, and cruelty-free product portfolio, especially creating formulations that are scientific, innovative, and environment-friendly.
We showcased our innovative formulations at the annual DKSH Vietnam Beauty Show event, under the theme "Beauty Planet", having more than 100 companies participating from across Vietnam. The solutions presented were focused on “zero-waste” and exemplified our clear intention to protect the environment.
As a bridge between the world's leading raw materials, additives, and chemicals suppliers and local manufacturing companies, DKSH understands the critical position it holds in ensuring responsible sustainable development within this sector. In line with this role, DKSH adheres to a rigorous supplier qualification process to ensure its partners follow equally stringent sustainability practices.
As a people-driven company, we seek to be an attractive employer known for our commitment to developing our talent. At DKSH, we embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion to continuously foster a safe and motivating working environment for all. DKSH gives equal leadership opportunities to everyone, regardless of gender and race. At DKSH Vietnam's Business Unit Performance Materials, women comprise more than 50 percent of the workforce.
