Palsgaard A/S, the inventor of the modern commercial emulsifier, has won the most prestigious CSR award in Denmark, the FSR Danish Auditor’s CSR Award, for the third time.

The CSR Award 2017 was presented at a CSR leadership conference organized by the Danish Chamber of Commerce, the Danish Business Authority and FSR Danish Auditors in Copenhagen, on October 26, 2017. It is given each year to Danish companies that stand out through highly credible, high-quality reporting that ensures transparency around the company’s social responsibility and value creation, and which can serve to inspire other organisations.

The more than 100-year-old sustainable emulsifier and stabilizer manufacturer was nominated along with other leaders in sustainability reporting, including top-ranking pharmaceutical Novo Nordisk, shipping giant A.P. Møller-Mærsk, and public utility Ørsted (Dong Energy) as well as window company Velux A/S and plastics manufacturer Faerch Plast A/S, for its Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2016.

Palsgaard took first place in the over-250 employee category for what the judges’ panel described as “ambitious and robust” as well as “refreshingly honest” reporting. The panel also highlighted the company’s “clearly business-like approach to its work with social responsibility”, which it felt demonstrated that responsibility was a crucial factor in Palsgaard’s dealings with its primary target audience: the company’s customers. 

Further highlights included:

• Compliance with international reporting guidelines (Global Reporting Initiative G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (Comprehensive))
• Balanced descriptions based on clear, quantified goals that support the report’s central thread
• Open discussion of the issues around palm oil supply and Palsgaard’s use of certified, sustainable palm oil
• An evaluation of the company’s contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with examples in relation to six selected goals, that puts Palsgaard’s activities into context for the reader

Palsgaard has won the award on two previous occasions: For its very first CSR report in 2011, and again in 2015. CEO Jakob Thøisen, who was on hand to receive the award from H.R.H. Crown Princess Mary, sees Palsgaard’s continued achievements in the field of sustainability as an integral part of the business model:

“Corporate social responsibility is both a founding principle of Palsgaard and a key contribution to a stronger portfolio of products for our food manufacturer customers,” he commented. “As the inventor of the modern commercial emulsifier, and with years of heavy investment in achieving both CO₂-neutrality and RSPO SG certification, we are focused on helping manufacturers to protect and grow their brands with sustainably sourced and produced ingredients. We see this award, therefore, as a testament both to the value of our own efforts and to the importance of the trend toward greater responsibility for the entire food industry.”