PRESS RELEASE

October 29, 2026, Zhanjiang – On October 29, during the 17^th China Petroleum & Chemical International Conference (CPCIC), Together for Sustainability (TfS), a leading global initiative dedicated to advancing sustainability in the chemical supply chain, held its 2026 Supply Chain Sustainability Conference in Zhanjiang, Guangdong. Under the theme “Building Sustainable Value Chains for Future Competitiveness,” the conference brought together over 170 sustainability and procurement leaders, technical institutions and supplier representatives from across the chemical industry to discuss green competitiveness, sustainable procurement, standards and market drivers, value chain collaboration and continuous supplier improvement. The event also marked the 10^th anniversary of TfS’ partnership with the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF) — a milestone underscored by the upgrading of the long-running TfS Supplier Training Event, held annually for the past decade, into a full Supply Chain Sustainability Conference.

The conference opened with CPCIF and TfS renewing their Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The two organisations first formed their partnership in 2016, holding the inaugural TfS supplier training that same year. Over the decade since, their work together has grown from supplier capability building to encompass product carbon footprint and cross-industry collaboration, helping sustainable supply chain practices take root across China’s chemical industry. The MoU sets out a five-year framework for continued strategic cooperation between CPCIF and TfS, focusing on sustainable supply chains, responsible procurement, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, circular economy, and industry capability building. The MoU was signed by Ling Yiqun, Vice President of CPCIF, and Dr Gabriele Unger, General Manager of TfS, in the presence of Li Yunpeng, Party Secretary and President of CPCIF, and Bertrand Conquéret, TfS Steering Committee Member and President of Global Supply Chain and Chief Sustainability Officer at Henkel.

Li Yunpeng noted: “The petrochemical industry is a cornerstone of the modern industrial system. Supply chain security and the green, low-carbon transition are shared challenges that no single company or country can tackle alone. Only through deeper collaboration across the value chain can we build a secure, low-carbon and responsible global petrochemical supply chain together. We look forward to deepening our cooperation with international partners, including TfS, and to stepping up exchange and collaboration on the mutual recognition of standards, technological innovation and supplier capability building — joining forces to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of global petrochemical supply chains.”

Over the same ten years, sustainability itself has changed in character within the chemical industry — from a compliance box for suppliers to tick, to a shared priority that shapes corporate competitiveness and supply chain resilience. The conference was built around this shift, moving through three themes: corporate strategy and procurement; external standards and market drivers; and continuous supplier improvement.

Across these themes, senior executives from TfS member companies — including BASF, Evonik, Henkel and Hempel — along with partners from across the value chain, discussed how sustainability can sharpen corporate competitiveness and how procurement can turn sustainability commitments into action along the supply chain. Chinese members such as HC Chemical shared what had led them to join TfS and what they had learned since. Specialists from fields such as power trading, low-carbon technology and third-party auditing added perspectives on green electricity markets, carbon management and supplier assessment and audit. Two panel discussions followed — one on how sustainable supply chains can create value rather than simply add cost, the other on how collaboration can accelerate supply chain transformation.

The conference also recognised suppliers that had made significant progress in their sustainability performance. Hunan Zhongchuang Chemical, Hunan Juren Chemical Hitechnology, Jiaozuo Xinjing Technology and Jiangsu Zhongju Security Technology received the TfS Supplier Sustainability Most Improved Award.

In her closing remarks, Dr Unger said: “We are pleased to see China advancing its green and low-carbon transition with firm resolve — a direction that closely aligns with TfS’ global mission. As China enters the 15th Five-Year Plan period and places even greater emphasis on sustainable development, new opportunities are emerging for collaboration and the transformation of global value chains. TfS looks forward to working closely with its business partners and stakeholders in China — continuing the improvements across all sustainability aspects, advancing the development and mutual recognition of standards and building capability together through open collaboration — to help meet the sustainability challenges facing global supply chains.”

TfS continues to expand its global influence, now comprising 64 chemical companies, including four Chinese members: HC Chemical, Jiahua Chemical, Sennics and Wanhua Chemical. Jason Guan, Chair in Duty of TfS China and Head of Raw Material Global Category Management Asia for BASF, said: “Over the past decade, China’s chemical supply chain has evolved from a recipient of sustainability requirements into a source of methodological innovation and shared experience, and a driver of industry transformation. Chinese companies are moving from following global rules to helping shape them, and have become an important force in building sustainable supply chains worldwide. Looking to the next decade, TfS will stay committed to global collaboration and local co-creation, working with Chinese companies and value chain partners to move from setting standards together to defining the future together — and to build more sustainable and resilient value chains.”

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 About Together for Sustainability (TfS)
Together for Sustainability (TfS) is a global initiative launched by chemical companies focused on sustainable procurement in chemical supply chains. Guided by the principles of the UN Global Compact and Responsible Care®, TfS aims to assess, audit, and improve sustainability practices across the global chemical supply chain. The initiative has regional representatives in Asia, North America, and South America and is evolving into a truly global organisation.

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