A CENTURY OF RESPONSIBILITY

ESG at Palsgaard: Striving for compliance isn’t enough

At Palsgaard, we’ve always been focussed on the personal, environmental and societal impact of our actions. Simply striving for compliance and meeting industry expectations isn’t enough. We aim higher and set our own ambitious ESG targets.

OUR ESG COMMITMENT RESPONSIBLE SOURCING ESG REPORTING

Heart Working Commitments

We call these ambitious targets our ‘Heart Working Commitments’, because they demand all our heart working effort to live up to. As a team of over 700 colleagues across the world, we do everything we can to ensure that our impact is positive and strive to set an example for the rest of our industry to follow.

An impact far and wide

On the world stage, we’re a small company. And our plant-based products only make up a tiny portion of the foods, polymers and personal care products they go into. Yet when it comes to caring for our people and planet, we know that even the smallest things can have a big impact.

Setting our own standards since the very beginning

1908 – 1925: Einar Viggo Schou

As far back as 1908, long before ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) or ESG was ever a thing, our founder Einar Viggo Schou established a strong culture of looking after those around us.

At this culture’s core were the values of loyalty, diligence and persistence, values which are still very much alive in everything we do today. The progressive efforts he made over nearly two decades help remind us that we all have a personal responsibility to do what’s right.

1925 – 1957: Herbert Schou

Following in his father’s footsteps, Herbert Schou took charge of Palsgaard in 1925.

From building community houses to establishing the first pension scheme of its kind in Denmark in 1941, he broadened our understanding of how we can all play a role in improving the world around us.

Schou-Fondet: 1957 – present

Set up by Herbert and his wife Gudrun, Schou-Fondet (the Schou Foundation) has owned Palsgaard since 1957, helping to ensure we operate independently and with maximum impact.

The Foundation's work not only supports our communities locally and globally through responsible, socially minded action but also reinforces our century-long commitment to delivering outstanding results for our customers.

2023 Workplace of the Year

In 2023, we won the prestigious ‘Workplace of the Year’ award at our site in Denmark as a recognition of our strong focus on the well-being of our employees. This important acknowledgement came from Danish labour union 3F, and we consider it further motivation to continue the crucial work of ensuring that our employees are able to realise their full potential both in and outside of work.

Planbørnefonden

Palsgaard has partnered with Danish charity PlanBørnefonden for over 10 years, supporting their mission to improve children's and young adults’ prospects through activities aligned with UN SDGs.

Palsgaard's 5-year sponsorship includes annual contributions for sustainable development projects, focusing on children's education and local community development.

Connecting with tomorrow’s experts

We collaborate with educational institutions globally to promote food chemistry and technology. Palsgaard and Nexus, our R&D sister company, offer work placements and collaborate with international students on food development projects. We also offer onsite accommodation for our students.

Scholarship programme

Additionally, our scholarship program supports students in low-income families, covering tuition and other study-related costs. So far, we’ve supported students in Indonesia, South Africa, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Mexico.

Solar panel park in Denmark

We are constructing a 52-hectare solar panel park in Denmark, designed to generate an impressive 45 GWh annually – more than enough to meet the current energy needs of our Danish operations, as well as support the planned factory expansion. Construction is set to begin in 2025, with the park expected to be fully operational by January 2026.

New energy-efficient plant in Denmark

In Denmark, we are in the early stages of developing our most energy-efficient emulsifier plant yet. Designed to run entirely on electricity, this state-of-the-art facility will set new benchmarks for energy efficiency and sustainability. The plant is scheduled for completion in 2025.

New ESG strategy

In 2024, we launched a new ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy, introducing key strategic objectives such as our Heart Working Commitments. These commitments reflect our dedication to sustainability and responsibility while reinforcing our commitment to fostering a strong and responsible business culture.