Language
Search
Industry Leadership
We set high performance targets for ourselves and are proud of the recognition we have earned.
We have developed our own internal standards that provide guidance and explain how to uphold our values and ethical standards. Such standards include our corporate values, ethics and compliance, supplier code of conduct, safety guidelines and manufacturing processes.
Additionally, our employees actively participate and often serve in leadership roles within industry trade groups. These organizations collaborate to ensure that material-specific toxicology assessments and epidemiological research are properly conducted and reported consistently using best practices for scientific research. We believe that working in partnership with others and committing to voluntary initiatives is critical to demonstrating collaboration and leadership. For example, we are engaged in positive discussions concerning the role of regulation, as well as industry, in achieving global reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) over time and mitigating the negative impacts of climate change.
United Nations Global Compact
Since 2015, we have been a proud signatory of the UNGC and remain committed to making progress with respect to the 10 principles within the categories of environment, labor, human rights and anti-corruption.
Human rights
We are committed to conducting our business with integrity and believe that it is our responsibility to respect human rights with regard to our employees, suppliers, customers and communities. We firmly believe that every individual deserves to be treated with dignity, honesty, integrity, respect and fairness. We are guided by international standards embodied in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Our commitment is also explicitly covered in our Code of Business Ethics and in our formal Human Rights Policy. We also require that our suppliers comply with our Code of Business Ethics, which in some cases demands higher standards than required by local law. Pursuant to the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, we have posted on our website a statement that suppliers are expected to comply with all applicable laws and standards related to labor practices and human rights.
Labor
Supporting the safety and well-being of our workforce is our top priority. We work diligently to ensure the safety of our employees, contractors, visitors and communities where we operate. We maintain our sharp focus on safety by ensuring all employees, contractors and visitors are well trained and equipped with everything they need to return home each day the same as they arrived at our facilities. In addition, we recognize the benefit of promoting wellness across our workforce and offer numerous opportunities to promote employees’ wellness inside and outside of work while creating a healthier, more engaged culture. In addition to safety, we strive to ensure our organization reflects the diversity of our operations and are committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees at all levels. As one of our core values, we respect the differences of all our employees and have zero tolerance for discrimination on the basis of ethnic or racial status, color, nationality, descent, religion, caste, gender, age, physical characteristics or appearance, sexual orientation, union membership, or political affiliation. We are fully compliant with all requirements stemming from labor legislation and collective agreements in the countries in which we operate.
Environment
We are dedicated to understanding and managing our environmental impacts on the world. We recognize the numerous environmental issues facing our planet and fully accept our responsibility to reduce our environmental footprint to the greatest extent possible across our global operations. To this end, we have developed initiatives to minimize the environmental impact of our business, conserve resources and promote environmental awareness. This commitment is underscored by the fact that the majority of the topics identified as most material to our sustainability program are environmentally related. Globally, our efforts are focused on reducing energy usage, emissions and waste. We have also reevaluated and expanded our 2025 sustainability goals to push ourselves even further between now and 2025. We continuously monitor our progress toward these 2025 targets and other environmental metrics. We also recognize that we must monitor our use of water, an important natural resource, and are working across our network of facilities to develop a strategic water management plan to identify water reduction, recycling and efficiency opportunities.
Anti-corruption
We require that all employees, suppliers and customers conduct business in accordance with the highest ethical standards and in full compliance with all applicable anti-bribery laws and regulations, which is vital to the success of our business. Our position is that all forms of corruption, including bribery and extortion, are unethical, unacceptable and inconsistent with our values and our Code of Business Ethics. In support of this position, we have developed detailed policies, compliance procedures and training. All employees are required to undergo training on the Code of Business Ethics on an annual basis, through which they learn how to identify potential risks of corruption and how such matters should be addressed. Depending on the employee’s role and job responsibilities, supplementary training may also be required to uphold our high expectations for ethical business conduct. In addition, to facilitate the reporting of potential or suspected misconduct or noncompliance, including bribery-related activities, we provide a reporting hotline through which employees can confidentially report issues or matters of concern.
Responsible Care
Since joining the American Chemistry Council (ACC) in 2010, we have embraced the chemical industry’s voluntary Responsible Care® initiative. Through the Responsible Care initiative and the Responsible Care Global Charter, we have made a commitment to improve our health, safety, environmental and security performance throughout the organization. As an active leader in Responsible Care, we are helping drive continuous improvement in the safety and sustainability of our products and operations around the globe.
The Responsible Care principles are closely aligned with our sustainability strategy, and we are an active supporter of these principles around the world. Our participation signifies our deep belief in the value of external engagement and third-party certification of our SH&E and security management systems. Through Responsible Care, we demonstrate our commitment to:
- Continuously improving the SH&E performance of our technologies, processes and products
- Monitoring the security of our sites and working with our neighbors to prepare for and respond to emergencies
- Using resources wisely and minimizing waste
- Promoting responsible management of chemicals
- Communicating openly with stakeholders
Within this program, we have chosen to implement RC14001, which incorporates the requirements of both Responsible Care and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 environmental management systems. We have a 2025 goal of having 100% of our operating facilities with certified environmental management systems (EMS). During 2021, our Wuhai, China, fumed metal oxide facility completed the RC14001 certification process. With the addition of this facility, 78% of our manufacturing and technology locations have obtained EMS certification.
Our Commitment
Platinum Level Recognition
We received for the third consecutive year, the Platinum Level Recognition by EcoVadis, an independent assessment organization that specializes in monitoring the performance of sustainability programs.
The platinum rating, which was established in 2020, indicates that Cabot was ranked among the top 1% of companies assessed by EcoVadis.
IBD Award
We have been named as one of the 100 Best Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Companies by Investor's Business Daily for the second consecutive year.
The annual list recognizes companies with superior environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings in addition to strong fundamental and technical stock performance.
Newsweek Award
We have been named one of America's Most Responsible Companies 2023 by Newsweek.
This is the fourth consecutive year that we have made this prestigious list which was established in 2020 and names the top 500 most responsible companies in the U.S. spanning 14 industries.
Highest Rating from ISS
We received a top score of 1 in Environmental Performance from the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS).
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) assesses an Environmental QualityScore based on a company’s management of environmental risks and opportunities, carbon emission, climate, use of natural resources, and management of waste and toxicity.
