Solvay employees rally on inaugural Citizen Day in support of the UN’s Climate Action Summit

Solvay employees from more than 160 sites around the globe are joining forces with local communities during the company’s first-ever Citizen Day.  Solvay has chosen ‘environmental preservation’ as the theme for the 2019 Citizen Day, in support of the UN Climate Action Summit on 23 September and as part of the Group’s sustainability commitment.

“We have 24,500 employees – and that means as many opportunities to make a difference to our communities. I’m proud to launch the first Solvay Citizen Day in our history to bond around one theme each year. On this first occasion, we will address the preservation of the environment. Such concerted yet locally diverse actions on a global scale will raise awareness about how we can as individuals, as teams, as a company care for the one planet we all share,” said Ilham Kadri, Solvay CEO.

Solvay sites will organize their own Citizen Day initiatives from September 17 to September 27, with staff participating in local activities. On 20 September, descendants of Solvay’s founding families and CEO Ilham Kadri will join employees at the company’s Brussels headquarters and their families in activities to preserve biodiversity on the Solvay Campus.

Sites will undertake Citizen Day activities whenever possible in cooperation with local associations, government initiatives or NGOs under a different theme each year, but always with the aim of improving the world around us and contributing to local communities. The Citizen Day will contribute towards Solvay’s five sustainability targets, which include doubling the number of employees involved in local societal actions by 2025. 

Examples of actions uniting Solvay employees worldwide to preserve the environment include the:

• planting of trees in the Umbari Hills near Mumbai, India, to rehabilitate a forest, and of 200 cedar trees in a park in Devnya, Bulgaria; 
• cleaning up and sorting of trash locally of the Yangtze River, China and of the Rayong Beach in Thailand; 
• education on topics such as solar power, water conservation, recycling and waste recovery at local schools or communities in Paulinia, Brazil and in Augusta, United States; 
• transformation of unused land in Thailand into a banana ‘farm’ for nearby schools and in Chili into a garden open to the public;
• promotion of biodiversity on sites such as in Lyon, France, and in Piedmont, United States.

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Solvay is an advanced materials and specialty chemicals company, committed to developing chemistry that addresses key societal challenges. Solvay innovates and partners with customers worldwide in many diverse end-markets. Its products are used in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, as well as in mineral and oil and gas extraction, enhancing efficiency and sustainability. Its lightweighting materials promote cleaner mobility, its formulations optimize the use of resources, and its performance chemicals improve air and water quality. Solvay is headquartered in Brussels with around 24,500 employees in 61 countries. Net sales were €10.3 billion in 2018, with 90% from activities where Solvay ranks among the world’s top 3 leaders, resulting in an EBITDA margin of 22%. Solvay SA (SOLB.BE) is listed on Euronext Brussels and Paris Bloomberg: SOLB.BB - Reuters: SOLB.BR), and in the United States its shares (SOLVY) are traded through a level-1 ADR program. (Figures take into account the planned divestment of Polyamides).