BUSINESS: 335 PRACTICES
IMERYS Group is the world leader in mineral-based industrial solutions, offering specialized solutions necessary for its customers. IMERYS INDUSTRIAL MINERALS GREECE SINGLE MEMBER SOCIETE ANONYME mines and processes industrial minerals, mainly bentonite and perlite.
Imerys’s core strategy is to further integrate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and to promote systematic continuous improvement of CSR aspects in its operations through the CSR objectives. Imerys is committed to provide equal opportunities for all, where the value and contribution of each individual is welcomed and recognized, equal treatment for all, an environment which does not tolerate any discrimination and/or harassment of its employees, customers, suppliers or other stakeholder on the basis of gender, age, nationality, citizenship, ethnicity, religious status, educational background, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities, marital and parental status, or political affiliation or any other dimension of diversity. The company also commits to promote a corporate philosophy based on mutual respect and appreciation.
CSR actions have multiple target audiences and have an impact on all Imerys stakeholders. Identifying stakeholders and gaining an understanding of their needs and expectations is a critical step to foster engagement.
The list of stakeholders groups includes:
The CSR goals drive systemic continuous improvement of CST aspects in the company operations. The actions that the company takes and the rules it creates are constant and are re-examined with the passage of time and/or when newer data and research is available.
Ιn 2017 the company started various initiatives in order to approach its workers with the goal of starting an open dialogue for the various social issues in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals for the reduction of inequalities in all countries that the company operates. The programs were:
In 2018 the program was introduced as one of the main pillars in the new “SustainAgility” inside the key area “Empowering our people”. In the context of this program the company reassured its goal to recognize, accept and value human differences and committed to the following:
Τhe company developed a new program focused around: the decision-making process and governance, education and development, the culture and communication and human resources. A Diversity and Inclusion steering committee was introduced which determines and supervises the goals of the program.
The program initially has a three year time frame starting from 2020 but it will continue to focus on certain goals for seven more years.
The benefits that result from the company’s operations to society and to all stakeholders are the following:
CSR actions refer to Imerys operations in Greece (Kiffissia and Milos sites).
The “Diversity and Inclusion” policy is included in of one of the main pillars in the SustainAgility program which was developed taking into consideration a wide range of inputs from internal and external stakeholders, including but not limited to publications by expert committees, professional associations, external research and benchmarks, the Group’s Risk Committee, local forums, customer and market signals and reviews of global megatrends.
Human capital was at the forefront of the program from the start, since at the first workshops emphasis was given to the opinions and beliefs of the company’s employees and the creation of the goals of the committee. The program was designed around and in order to solve the concerns of its workers on social issues.
From the program SustainAgility, the Imerys in Greece has the following benefits:
