Stepan Company Launches Global Sustainability Procurement Program

May 9, 2022

Stepan Company is keenly aware of the importance of sustainability for our industry, global customers and the environment. We know that sustainability is more than the products we provide to our customers. The full lifecycle of product development, from raw material to end-use, must be considered when conducting sustainable business practices.

As a global specialty chemical manufacturer, Stepan Company is uniquely positioned to positively impact the environment and well-being of our global community. One of the many areas we consider through a sustainability lens is how we acquire raw materials. As such, Stepan has launched the Partner for Sustainable Supply (PaSS) Program to further our commitment to sustainable procurement practices.

Frederic Ruel is the Global Procurement Director for Sustainability and Compliance. He provides oversight of the Global PaSS Program. 

“We must ensure that our trading partners reflect our values and standards, and share our commitment to sustainability. The first step in our procurement sustainability agenda is to develop transparency around our trading partners and their suppliers’ environmental, social and governance performance,” Ruel explained.

The PaSS Program focuses on selecting goods and services suppliers across the markets we serve to align environmental, social and governance performance management and to ensure the use of responsibly sourced goods and services.

Through the PaSS Program, Stepan has already engaged EcoVadis to provide a sustainability assessment of our key global suppliers. EcoVadis is a third-party company that partners with organizations to measure sustainability through a common platform, develops a universal scorecard with benchmarks and offers performance improvement tools.

Over the next year, the PaSS Program will focus on supplier onboarding, revising procurement processes and continued education on sustainability practices.

Learn more about Stepan’s commitment to sustainable business practices by visiting our Responsible Practices webpage.

 

 

Frederic Ruel Headshot

Frederic Ruel, Global Procurement Director for Sustainability and Compliance