Styrenic block copolymers manufacturer Kraton has joined Together for Sustainability (TfS), increasing the number of members to 26 multinational chemical companies, jointly representing €424 billion in global revenue and €282 billion in global spend.

The initiative said the membership increase will put it in a stronger position to drive sustainability through global chemical supply chains. Kraton is the fourth company to join in 2020.

TfS President Bertrand Conquéret said the enlarged membership underlines that, despite the challenging times, the chemical industry is more than ever committed to putting sustainability at the heart of its business operations and procurement strategies and is making “tangible impacts to improve sustainability in the chemical supply chains.”

The inclusion of Kraton will make the TfS initiative stronger and will enable it to expand its reach and impact, Conquéret added. “This will benefit the sustainability performance of all TfS member companies’ business operations, as well as their many suppliers. “

As a leading global supplier of styrenic block copolymers and pine chemicals, Suzanne Pesgens, vice president and chief procurement officer, said the alignment with TfS enables Kraton more effectively collaborate across the industry – from suppliers to customers – to accelerate environmental and social improvements.

Together for Sustainability is a global, procurement-driven initiative that uses  tools such as TfS Assessments and TfS Audits to assess and improve the sustainability performance of chemical companies and their suppliers. The program is based on the UN Global Compact and Responsible Care principles.

As a growing global organization, TfS has regional representation in Asia, North and South America flanking its largely European base.

In addition to Kraton, current TfS member companies are AkzoNobel, Arkema, Azelis, BASF, Bayer, Borealis, Brenntag, Clariant, Corteva, Covestro, DSM, Eastman, Evonik, Henkel, ICL, IFF, Lanxess, Merck KGaA, Sanofi, Sika, Solvay, Syngenta, UPM, Wacker and Wanhua.