Through the lens of MANE l Focus on MANE’s environmental commitments

As a worldwide leader in the fragrance and flavour creation industry, MANE has been firmly committed to reducing environmental impact for nearly twenty years. Group CSR Director Virginie Barbesant and Sebastien Glaise , Director of Health, Safety, Security, Environment & Energy France, are hard at work rolling out ambitious and concrete actions.

The MANE Group's commitment to environmental issues is not a new development. The CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) department was created in 2009 and has grown significantly in the years since. “A new corporate governance was introduced in 2021 and CSR has since been fully integrated into MANE’s Global Management Team” Virginie Barbesant explains. The CSR department thus has a direct influence on the Group's strategic choices and managerial practices. Its role is to define CSR strategy and set both quantitative and qualitative objectives but also to ensure their implementation by various subsidiaries and divisions (fragrances, flavours, and ingredients). Achieving these goals calls for a constant connection with the Group’s 70+ CSR representatives.

The urgent need for action

The challenging environmental goals of the CSR department are as ambitious as they are imperative. They consist of ensuring the continuity of operations while striving to:

• reduce pollution and the overall carbon footprint
• save both energy and water
• reduce and recover waste.

The harm to biodiversity and forests is another risk and area of focus for MANE. As Virginie Barbesant describes: “Our mission is to take coordinated actions to mitigate negative effects while generating positive impact by contributing to the renewal of biodiversity. We are currently better structuring our approach to better monitor the way we address this major issue from 2024 on.”

An objective-driven commitment

To initiate an effective response to these climate challenges, MANE has adopted a CSR roadmap to 2030, which sets clear objectives including:

• 20% reduction in water consumption per ton of finished product by 2030, compared to 2018
• 69% reduction in direct carbon emissions (scopes 1[1] & 2[2] ) on MANE sites, per ton of sold product, by 2030
• 58% reduction in upstream and downstream carbon emissions (scope 3[3] ), in intensity
• 25% reduction in the energy consumed per ton of sold product, compared to 2018, for all sites.

In addition, MANE created GREEN MOTION? in 2011 to support and encourage transformation within its sector. Based on the 12 principles of green chemistry, GREEN MOTION? is the first tool to calculate the environmental footprint of products in the flavour and fragrance industry. It enables flavourists and perfumers to develop products with reduced environmental impact.

MANE has committed to achieving a GREEN MOTION? score above 50 (out of 100) for 90% of its ingredients, both natural and synthetic.

Optimising every part of the value chain

Since 2009, MANE has been carrying out GHG (greenhouse gas) assessments of its activities and ensuring the Group meets its reduction objectives, following the standards of the Paris Agreement – a 2015 international treaty joined by 194 Parties to keep the rise in mean global temperature below 2°C. “We work intensively with the Purchasing department. Our approach can only be truly sustainable if our stakeholders and especially our suppliers abide by the same standards, considering that purchases represent 60% of our direct carbon emissions,” notes Virginie Barbesant. A constant dialogue is also maintained with customers to better understand their environmental expectations and help them achieve their CSR objectives by offering more responsible products.

Concrete actions carried out in France

MANE's head office is located in Le Bar-sur-Loup, France, which is naturally one of the leading countries in terms of sustainable development with five production sites: Le Bar-sur-Loup (La Sarrée and Notre-Dame), Noisiel, Quéven and Sablé-sur-Sarthe.

Sébastien Glaise, Director of Health, Safety, Security, Environment & Energy in France, is a chosen intermediary of the Group CSR department. “The 2018-2030 roadmap has established strategic objectives. My role, in collaboration with our team members, is to achieve these objectives in France”.

Since 2018, the French sites have cut down their water consumption by 24% (in m3 per ton) and their energy consumption by 17%. Significant progress has been made in waste management by seeking out new recycling channels.

• 92% of all waste recycled at Le Bar-sur-Loup
• 99% at the Quéven site.

“We have managed to combine environmental and economic interests because part of our waste is sold to our service providers. This includes items like plastic tanks and reusable cooking oils used for biodiesel production. In 2022, we generated nearly €850K in this way,” states Sébastien Glaise.

Now more than ever, water has become a crucial environmental issue. Over 100,000 m3 of water is treated each year in Le Bar-sur-Loup wastewater treatment plant. Regular investments are made in this installation, which benefits from the latest technologies and thus guarantees the highest possible quality of discharge.

“We have joined forces with a company in the region, the Société d’Exploitation de Carrières (quarrying company) in Gourdon, to reuse our high-quality wastewater for their processes. Creating local synergies is of great value, allowing us to branch out beyond the limits of our own Company,” concludes Sébastien Glaise.

Since transformation is also driven by employees, MANE is committed to boosting participation among team members by keeping them in the loop. The Fresque du Climat, which means ‘climate fresco’ in French, was recently brought on board to this end in France, and every new employee also receives training on environmental impacts.

Concrete actions taken by MANE’s sites and the engagement of every local team are crucial to reach the Group’s objectives by 2030. Relying on MANE’s strong international network and sharing best practices worldwide will also be necessary to meet the challenge.

[1] Scope 1: direct greenhouse gas emissions within the company.

[2] Scope 2: indirect greenhouse gas emissions relating to energy production.

[3] Scope 3: other greenhouse gas emissions involving the activities of both the company and its various stakeholders (suppliers, service providers and customers).