chemistry

Together for Sustainability

Together for Sustainability is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Together for Sustainability rather than just read about it. In short: Together for Sustainability AISBL (TfS) is a joint initiative of chemical companies, founded in 2011. It focuses on the promotion of sustainability practices in the chemical industry's supply chain, currently gathering chemical companies around a single standard of auditing and assessment.

Together for Sustainability — illustration

Key takeaways

Together for Sustainability belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Together for Sustainability to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Together for Sustainability from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Together for Sustainability AISBL (TfS) is a joint initiative of chemical companies, founded in 2011. It focuses on the promotion of sustainability practices in the chemical industry's supply chain, currently gathering chemical companies around a single standard of auditing and assessment.

Sustainability in chemical supply chains Over the past few years sustainability aspects in the chemical industry have become more important and holistic. Nowadays, chemical companies' measures focusing sustainability include apart from ecological aspects also social concerns and collaborative issues. Today, it has been well accepted that the creation of sustainable chemical supply chains requires a joint effort beyond individual businesses. These efforts should integrate chemical companies, suppliers, customers as well as consumers. Prof. Dr Wolfgang Stolze and Marc Müller of the University of St. Gallen summarize the development in the chemical industry in recent years as follows: "The scope of sustainability in the chemical industry has evolved from a firm-level construct with a strong focus on green aspects to a chain-level approach attempting to address the triple bottom line of economic, social and environmental elements."

History The Together for Sustainability initiative was founded in 2011 by BASF, Bayer, Evonik, Henkel, Lanxess, and Solvay. The objective was to develop a global supplier engagement program and improve their own sustainability sourcing practices in line with the United Nations Global Compact. Since January 2015, the TfS initiative is incorporated as an international non-profit association according to the Belgian law. Since June 2012, TfS conducts assessments and audits by independent experts, as well as the early partnership with the French company EcoVadis, which provided with sustainability scorecards and benchmarks. In June 2023, Jennifer Jewson, CPO of LyondellBasell, was elected as president of the TfS. She was re-elected as TfS President in 2025 for a second term of 2 years.

Structure The TfS is governed by two main organs, the General Assembly and the Steering Committee. The General Assembly is formed by all the Chief Procurement Officers of the member companies, and holds power over the direction and structure of the organization, as well as approving the decisions of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee, formed by six elected members of the General Assembly as well as the TfS president, is the executive council of the organization and decides upon its activities and projects. Additionally, TfS has several Regional Operating Committees (Asia, North America and South America) as well as, currently, five mission-specific work streams led and staffed by participants from the TfS member companies:

Work Stream 1: Governance and Partnerships Work Stream 2: TfS Assessments Work Stream 3: TfS Audits Work Stream 4: TfS Communications and Capability Building Work Stream 5: Scope 3 GHG Emissions TfS' headquarter is in Brussels. It manages the day-to-day affairs of the organization and stays in close contact with the representatives and coordinators of the member companies. TfS has a partnership with several other chemical industry associations: American Chemistry Council (ACC), European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC), German Chemistry Council (VCI), China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF), Indian Chemical Council (ICC), and the Associação Brasileira da Indústria Química (ABIQUIM).

Members TfS Membership is open to all companies in the chemical industry who subscribe to the United Nations Global Compact, Responsible Care, and show a commitment to sustainability. TfS membership has been growing steadily since its founding, and in April 2022 its members have a joint global turnover of over €500 billion. As of July 2026, TfS has 64 member companies.

Recognition 2015 - Highly Commended at the Ethical Corporation Responsible Business Award 2015 2016 - Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council Market Transformation Award 2018 - Best Third Sector/Not-for-profit Procurement Project at CIPS Supply Management Awards 2018 - Finalist for international Responsible Business Awards

See also ISO 26000 Corporate social responsibility United Nations Global Compact Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative

Notes

References

External links TfS Initiative website

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Together for Sustainability

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Together for Sustainability claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Together for Sustainability before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Together for Sustainability ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Together for Sustainability

In research: Together for Sustainability appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Together for Sustainability in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Together for Sustainability is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Chemical industry, Corporate social responsibility, Organisations based in Brussels, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Together for Sustainability outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Together for Sustainability” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Together for Sustainability in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Together for Sustainability means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Together for Sustainability out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Together for Sustainability in simple terms?

Why does Together for Sustainability matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Together for Sustainability?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Together for Sustainability.