The prize was presented by Hendrik Bogaert, Secretary of State for the Civil Service in the Belgian Government, in the presence of Daniel Kroes, Chairman of the Institute of Company Auditors, and Harry Everaerts, Chairman of the selection panel and Climate Change & Sustainability Leader in Ernst & Young Belgium. Solvay was represented by Karim Hajjar, Group Chief Financial Officer, Jacques Khéliff, General Manager, Sustainable Development, and his deputy, Michel Washer.

For the 15th edition of this prize, the selection panel – comprised of 19 representatives from the world of education, the economic and social sectors, along with company auditors – reviewed the sustainability reports published by 54 organizations active in Belgium using 15 criteria based on the guidelines drawn up by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

The panel commended Solvay for the quality of its publication, which virtually achieves the status of an integrated report addressing all the relevant aspects – objectives, management statement, explanation of the process used, stakeholder commitment, etc. – and gave particular praise for the well-balanced nature of the report, considering that it mentions both the good and the not-so-good results.

According to a member of the panel, “thanks to the comprehensive nature of Solvay’s sustainable development report, its relevance and professionalism, it may be considered a reference in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Belgium.”

“The Group is proud to have been awarded this prize. The information published in our report reflects a genuine, long-standing and sincere commitment to sustainable development,”said Jacques Khéliff, General Manager for Sustainable Development. 

As an international chemical group, SOLVAY assists industries in finding and implementing ever more responsible and value-creating solutions.

The Group is firmly committed to sustainable development and focused on innovation and operational excellence. Solvay serves diversified markets, generating 90% of its turnover in activities where it is one of the top three worldwide. The group is headquartered in Brussels, employs about 29,000 people in 55 countries and generated 12.4 billion euros in net sales in 2012.

Solvay