In China, Arkema joined the Clean Water Project to support access to clean water and education in schools.
For the second consecutive year, Arkema joined the Clean Water Project
in order to bring clean drinking water in rural areas and provide support and education on safe drinking and handwashing practices. In addition, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the ChemArt Green Innovation Class – the company’s programme providing school students more opportunities and resources – it visited the Taiping Primary School (China).
In 2021, the project has installed water purification equipment in five schools in Rongjiang County, equipped students with safety water bottles and carried out water and hygiene training. Approximately 900 students benefitted from the intervention. Arkema and its subsidiary Arkema-ArrMaz, a manufacturer of specialty surfactants, have invested a total of CNY 400,000 (around $62,883) to help schools in rural areas to improve drinking water quality and donated 155 sports equipment and 3,000 paediatric masks. The company will also conduct strict supervision of the equipment and assist the schools in follow-up management and maintenance.
“Water management is a key component of our Group’s efforts in contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the transition to a more sustainable world,” stated Juliw Xiaoyu Zhan, President of Arkema Greater China.
A safe drinking water environment and good handwashing habits are key priorities under the context of regular epidemic prevention, so employee volunteers from Arkema China, Arkema-ArrMaz and Guizhou Phosphate Chemical Group provided knowledge training on “Water and Hygiene” and tutored students on using water purifiers
and the importance of drinking water safely.
“According to the specific needs of these schools, Arkema and Arkema-ArrMaz will regularly mobilize volunteers to provide ChemArt Green Innovation Classes about hygiene, health, safety, the environment, and other related campus activities in the future, so as to broaden students’ horizons, provide them with access to knowledge from different sources, and contribute to their holistic development,” commented Marie-Pierre Chevallier, Senior Vice President of the Arkema’s Performance Additives business line.