SINGAPORE
– Media OutReach – 17
December 2020 – Michelin has won
the ‘Smart Mobility’ award from the European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore
(EuroCham) at its inaugural EuroCham Sustainability Awards 2020, held virtually
on November 17, 2020. The award recognized Michelin’s continued efforts to
ensure that its raw materials, in particular natural rubber, are sustainably
and ethically sourced.
The
Awards Seminar was graced by Mrs Ursula von der Leyen, President of the
European Commission and Ms Grace Fu, Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability
and the Environment. The Sustainability Awards 2020 marked the importance of sustainability
for both the EU Commission and the Singapore Government as both parties strive
to create a sustainable future across different sectors, which has been demonstrated
by The EU Commission’s European Green Deal and Singapore’s Sustainability
Concept Plan.
Since
2014, Michelin has been committed to and innovating towards a sustainable
supply chain to reduce greenhouse emissions. Natural rubber, a key material
used in tire manufacturing, has a particularly complex supply chain where 85%
of the global supply is provided for by smallholder farmers. To meet this
challenge, Michelin’s natural rubber procurement and technical hub, hosted in
Singapore, developed an innovative digital solution, RubberWay®.
RubberWay®
assesses and maps social and environmental risks throughout the natural rubber
supply chain — which includes around six million farmers, 100,000
intermediaries and over 500 processing plants. The deployment of this solution
has allowed both Michelin as well as its suppliers to aggregate and
statistically analyze large amounts of supply chain data. This data is
visualized on a web-based dashboard to identify jurisdictions of higher risk so
that mitigating activities can be carried out to improve sustainability in the
value chain. Michelin has also leveraged third party assessments to determine
the CSR performance of its direct suppliers. Alongside other commitments toward
material efficiency, reduced environmental impact of production and pursuit of
innovative technologies, Michelin is offering everyone a better way forward
through smart and sustainable mobility.
“In
line with its ‘all sustainable’ vision, Michelin envisions sustainable natural
rubber as a means to uphold human rights, protect forests and foster essential
environmental services. This award is the confirmation that sustainable sourcing,
and in particular natural rubber procurement, has an important role to play
within the European Union Green Deal, especially here in Singapore and
Asia,” said Segsarn Trai-Ukos, Managing Director, Societe Des Matieres
Premieres Tropicales Pte Ltd (SMPT). SMPT is a dedicated subsidiary by the
Michelin Group as sole supplier of the group’s Natural Rubber.
“This
important award is recognition of Michelin’s sustainability initiatives, and it
strengthens our ambition that everything we do should be sustainable,” said
Chan Hock Sen, Country Head of Michelin Singapore.
The
EuroCham Sustainability Awards 2020 recognized and acknowledged best
sustainability practices by members of the European Chamber of Commerce in
Singapore in the following categories:
- Smart
Mobility - Clean
and Efficient Energy - Circular
Economy - Sustainable
Food and Nutrition - Green
Finance
The
winners were judged by a panel of judges, including distinguished
sustainability professionals and EuroCham’s strategic knowledge partner,
Accenture based on four key criteria: Sustainability Strategy and Culture;
Technology and Innovation; Ecosystem Partnerships; and Social, Environment and
Economic Impact.
About Michelin
Michelin, the leading mobility
company, is dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility, sustainably;
designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services and solutions for
its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps and guides to help enrich
trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology
materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in
Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 170 countries, has more than
127,000 employees and operates 69 tire production facilities which together
produced around 200 million tires in 2019. (www.michelin.com)
