CSR Awards praise Novozymes’ integration of sustainability in business

Novozymes has won the CSR Strategy prize for companies with more than 100 employees, while its Head of Sustainability Development, Claus Stig Pedersen, was named best CSR Professional at the annual CSR Awards in Sønderborg, Denmark. Now in their second year, the CSR Awards are organised by the CSR Foundation, a Danish consortium that highlights challenges and solutions linked to sustainability issues facing Danish companies today.

Novozymes shows it is possible to provide both technical solutions and sustainability insights that add value to customers

‘Novozymes shows it is possible to provide both technical solutions and sustainability insights that add value to customers and therefore is a company which is a role model for us all,’ the awards jury said. It added that Novozymes has achieved measurable goals through strong leadership. Reduction of millions of tons of CO₂ emissions through customers’ application of Novozymes’ solutions was also mentioned.

The award was received by Claus Stig Pedersen, Head of Sustainability Development in Novozymes.

Lean integration of sustainability

’At Novozymes we are integrating sustainability into our daily business operations, from R&D and production optimisation, to sales, marketing, supplier evaluation, communication and interacting with investors,’ says Pedersen.

‘Integration of sustainability into the core of our business, as opposed to adding sustainability to it, ensures a lean, business-relevant and value-adding sustainability approach. We are delighted that our achievements are recognised by the jury of the CSR Awards.’

Integration of sustainability into the core of our business, as opposed to adding sustainability to it, ensures a lean, business-relevant and value-adding sustainability approach

The CSR Strategy award is made to a company that has developed and implemented a CSR (corporate social responsibility) strategy encompassing everything from its day-to-day operations to products and services, and which positively impacts profits.

’We have sustainability dialogues with many of our big customers at executive level. Sustainability dialogues help us understand better how our solutions can help them become even more successful in the marketplace. Sustainability dialogues and collaboration help build relations and contribute to making us the preferred partner,’ says Pedersen.

Best CSR Professional

Pedersen himself won the best CSR Professional award for developing and implementing successful CSR strategies within Novozymes. The jury commended him for sharing CSR best practices with other companies and industry professionals, and introducing CSR concepts to future leaders and students through his role as Honorary Professor at Aalborg University.

’Claus Stig Pedersen is one of the strongest players in Denmark and globally when it comes to translating and conveying the ever-changing CSR debate into actual initiatives in a company setting,’ the jury said.

In all, prizes were awarded in 15 categories, including for most sustainable small and large Danish companies, best sustainability communication, and most innovative green solutions, with winners selected by an independent jury.