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Status & Accreditations
Responsible care and environmental standards
“A trusted and progressive company, with a passion for innovation.”
Thomas Swan were one of the first chemical companies to be certified to ISO14001 and ISO9001 and as part of our policy of responsible care we strive to maintain the highest quality and environmental standards. We are a long standing signatory of the Chemical Industries Association’s Responsible Care programme and in 2000 we became the first company in the world to gain external verification of its Responsible Care management system. For more information on our accreditations please see the tabs below.
Modern Slavery Act Statement
Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. is committed to ensuring that all its business operations are free from involvement with slavery or human trafficking. With sustainability firmly embedded in our Company’s culture and strategy, we strive to continually improve in this important area.
This statement is made in accordance with section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the measures Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. has taken to ensure compliance with the above Act.
Environment
Responsible Care and the Environment
As a company which is intimately involved in the handling, production, shipment and disposal of chemicals, we take all possible care to ensure that our activities are managed and monitored in a responsible way.
Environmental responsibility has been a recurrent theme throughout our history – the business was founded in 1926 by recycling slag from the local steel industry. More recently, the core products from the 1970s, such as Casamid™ curing agents for coatings, used water-based technology to replace more polluting solvents. Our polyurethane materials are similar, some using water instead of solvents. Pepton™, which is a key rubber additive manufactured at Consett, is a major energy saver for the rubber industry, allowing rubber to be processed much more efficiently.
We have established ourselves as UK leader in the application of environmental management systems and were one of the first recipients of the International Standards ISO 14001 award for environmental management.
Thomas Swan is also a long standing signatory of the Chemical Industries Association’s Responsible Care programme and was the first company in the world to gain external verification of its Responsible Care management system.
Schools
Science Education and Industrial Engagement
In the early 1990’s Tom Swan recognised the importance of engaging with children about the role of the chemical industry in our society, and commissioned a three-year programme with the Chemical Industries Education Centre (CIEC) at the University of York. The Children Challenging Industry programme included specially designed classroom sessions, with practical experiments, to capture children’s interest in chemistry and demonstrate the importance of the chemical industry. The project involved 44 schools and 1,300 children in North East England in the specialised teaching programme and industrial site visits.
At the start of the project the children initially perceived industry as “noisy, dark and hot”. Afterwards 90% of children completing questionnaires demonstrated a more positive and informed attitude towards the industry and the desirability of a career in chemicals.
For more information please visit: www.ciec.org.uk
Schools Visits
Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. continues to engage with children in an effort to demonstrate the link between science and their world. Between 1996 and 2006 over 2000 children interacted with the company and over 1500 visited our site at Consett. Similarly undergraduates from Durham University Chemistry are invited every year to visit the site to demonstrate the link between their studies and industry.
We welcome any requests by schools, colleges or universities to visit our company and gain a better understanding of our business, as well as an insight into the chemical industry.
For more information, please contact us through our enquiries page or call our head office and ask for advice.
Community
Engaging with our neighbours
Although the history of Consett is dominated by heavy industry, we have always understood the importance of listening to, engaging with, and being a part of our local community – especially as our manufacturing site is situated alongside homes and schools in Consett.
We make every effort to ensure that our activities cause as little disruption as possible but from time to time we recognise that individuals may wish to raise concerns. If you have any such concerns, or simply want to know more about our company and our activities please feel free to phone us and ask to speak to a senior member of staff. Or fill out the enquiry form or write to us and someone will respond to your message as quickly as possible.
Advice in the event of a major accident
As part of new Health & Safety regulations, Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. is required to advise local residents on what to do in the unlikely event of a major accident; the advice is to remain indoors with doors and windows closed until given the ‘all clear’ via the emergency services. Ongoing information may be provided by local radio stations or the police.
We would like to stress that there have been no significant changes to the activities on the site, this advice is solely to comply with new regulations.
Ecovadis Sustainability Rating
Thomas Swan currently holds Platinum recognition from EcoVadis, the world’s leading sustainability ratings platform.
This prestigious rating reflects our enhanced score of 83%, placing us among the top 1% of companies globally in our category and ahead of some of the world’s largest chemical manufacturers.
Our 2024 Performance Highlights
- Environment: Top 2%
- Labour & Human Rights: Top 4%
- Ethics: Top 3%
- Sustainable Procurement: Top 7%
Holding Platinum status demonstrates our unwavering commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices. It sends a clear message to our customers and partners: Thomas Swan is a trusted, forward-thinking manufacturer dedicated to helping you achieve your own sustainability goals.
This is an amazing achievement for a medium-sized company and puts Thomas Swan on a par with, or even ahead of, some of the World’s largest chemical companies.
Sustainability Brochure 2022
As always, this year’s report shows some encouraging progress and some areas that require continued efforts or greater attention. It is also worth remembering that sustainability is not just about climate change commitments. For us, it is also about ensuring we are here for the long term. Setting up the Company to run in a way that perpetuates its survival and long-term success.
Sustainability Brochure 2021
As with previous years, we have made excellent progress against some targets but still have work to do with others. Highlights this year include the reduction in carbon emissions by 10% from 4,194.13 tCO2e to 3770.29 tCO2e, the significant increase in the levels of renewable electricity used from the Anaerobic Digestion plant, the improvements to our new product development system, the implementation of GEMBA Boards in Production and the excellent progress in implementing three new digital systems.
Sustainability Brochure 2020
As with previous years, we have made excellent progress against some targets but still have work to do with others. Highlights this year include the reduction in carbon emissions by 10% from 4,194.13 tCO2e to 3770.29 tCO2e, the significant increase in the levels of renewable electricity used from the Anaerobic Digestion plant, the improvements to our new product development system, the implementation of GEMBA Boards in Production and the excellent progress in implementing three new digital systems.
Sustainability Brochure 2019
This year we ran a campaign to encourage employees to turn off lights. The statistics provided by the carbon trust were remarkable and resulted in automatic cut off sensors being installed for all our non-safety critical lights across the site.rnrnWe also committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030, we will assess our current carbon footprint and then work hard to reduce our emissions against this benchmark. We will give more detail on how we will work towards this in future issues of our annual sustainability report.
Sustainability Brochure 2018
One of the most encouraging things about sustainability is that we can all individually make a difference and it makes financial sense to be a sustainable company. Even small changes at home or work add up to a significant impact when multiplied by whole nations or industries. It is remarkably easy to go about our daily routines without considering this precarious position and to comfort ourselves that climate change probably won’t impact our lives and that it is the job of industry and government to sort it all out. The stark reality, is that we all, individuals, companies and governments must act now.
Sustainability Brochure 2017
We are always searching for ways to maintain our business for the long term while reducing our impact on the environment and looking after our people.rnrnSustainability is a journey and we recognise that we will sometimes make progress in one area while occasionally falling behind in another. What matters is that we are open and realistic about our goals and results. This report does not seek to hide from our missed targets and therefore strengthens our resolve to do more over the coming year.
Sustainability Brochure 2016
In 2016, we launched our current five-year rolling strategy which placed greater emphasis on sustainability. Our Purpose is to inspire and deliver creative and sustainable chemistry.rnrnOur Vision is to be a pioneering, globally-recognised, sustainable manufacturer of speciality chemicals. But what is a “sustainable manufacturer of speciality chemicals?”– and why is it important that Thomas Swan embraces sustainability?rnrnWe believe sustainability means three things: to be a successful company for the long term; to reduce the impact of our operations on our planet; and to look after our people and community.
SBTi Climate Change Targets
Thomas Swan is pleased to announce that the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) organisation has approved the following climate change target for the Company:
Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd. commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions 48% by 2030 from a 2019 base year, and to measure and reduce its scope 3 emissions.
In their approval letter, the SBTi quoted “SBTi Services’ Target Validation Team has classified your company’s scope 1 and 2 target ambition and has determined that it is in line with a 1.5°C trajectory. The SBTi commends your ambitious 1.5°C-aligned target, currently the most ambitious designation available through the SBTi process.”
This target fits very well with our existing sustainability commitments, which includes the purchase of the nearby AD plant to ensure the reliable supply of sustainable electricity to the manufacturing site. This important purchase is already playing a key role in achieving the above target.
