Sustainability

Sustainability at BASF

Chemistry for a sustainable future

We understand sustainability as an integral part of our strategy, goals, governance processes, and business models. We remain firmly committed to our climate protection goals in the future as well. Our ambition goes beyond the green transformation of our own production: since our key customer industries face enormous challenges in achieving their transformation goals, we aim to be the preferred chemical company that enables the green transformation of our customers through our diverse portfolio and our product and process innovations.

In a nutshell: Sustainability at BASF

Why does the world need BASF? Our answer: "We create chemistry for a sustainable future." We want to use chemistry to contribute to a world that offers a better quality of life for everyone. In such a world, the economy, the environment and our society must be kept in balance. That is the core of sustainable development. And that requires constant change from people and organizations. BASF has been changing continuously for more than 150 years. Today, change means above all that we want to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers' green transformation.

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Empowering Sustainable Progress Together

Our ambition is to be the preferred chemical company driving our customers' green transformation. Through a diversified portfolio and innovative products and processes, we aim for profitable growth and long-term value creation. Sustainability is integrated into our strategy, operations, and management – including valuation and remuneration. Anchored in our purpose “We create chemistry for a sustainable future,” we contribute to environmental protection through global goals such as climate protection, circularity, TripleS, sustainable water management, and responsible procurement.

Responsibility for Society and Nature

The protection of our natural foundations and the promotion of a just society are central components of our corporate strategy. Through our commitment to the environment, biodiversity, and social participation, we take responsibility throughout the entire value chain. We promote dialogue with stakeholders, strengthen civil society, advocate for human rights, and engage globally in education, health, and the preservation of ecological diversity. In this way, we make an active contribution to global sustainability goals and work together with partners to shape a livable future.

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Chemistry for a sustainable future

We want to contribute to a better world with enhanced quality of life for everyone. That is why we have firmly anchored the three pillars of sustainability – the economy, environment and society – into our corporate purpose, our strategy, our targets and our operations. They are the core of what we do, a driver for growth and an element of our risk management.

We believe that chemistry has a critical role to play in achieving greater sustainability. We are determined to move forward in this respect.

SUBSTANCE
Stories about the stuff that shapes our world.

SUBSTANCE is a podcast about the discoveries and innovations in chemistry and beyond helping us to develop sustainable solutions. Host Joe Hanson exchanges ideas with international guests and BASF experts and presents visionary projects and exciting innovations. Curious?

Turning a corner - Towards a new mobility

The new Creating Chemistry issue is out now!

The fourteenth issue of BASF's sustainability magazine Creating Chemistry is dedicated to the megatrend of mobility and explores the question of how we can move toward mobility that is socially more inclusive and kinder to the planet. And there are many more stories waiting for you!

Transformation of our production sites

Climate protection is of central importance to us. That is why we are driving our transformation towards climate neutrality in all regions. This is how we are reducing CO₂ emissions at our major production sites.

Das Herz der BASF-Gruppe ist die BASF SE mit ihrem Stammwerk in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. Mit etwa 250 Produktionsbetrieben, vielen hundert Laboren, Technika, Werkstätten und Büros auf einer Fläche von rund zehn Quadratkilometern, ist es der größte zusammenhängende Chemiekomplex der Welt.Das Stammwerk der BASF ist auch die Wiege des Verbundkonzepts: Produktionsanlagen, Energieflüsse und Logistik werden intelligent miteinander vernetzt, um Ressourcen so effizient wie möglich zu nutzen.

Ludwigshafen, Germany

200 production plants, ten square kilometers, one goal: net zero by 2045. The Ludwigshafen headquarters is the world’s largest integrated chemical complex. Here, we are driving forward major technology projects that play a pioneering role across BASF, developing completely new technologies to produce CO₂-free hydrogen, such as methane pyrolysis¹ or water electrolysis². With our own wind farms and long-term supply contracts for renewable energy, we are replacing fossil fuels and using renewable and recycled raw materials in production – for example in the ChemCycling™ project, in which we manufacture high-quality products from chemically recycled plastic waste. We are also testing pilot projects such as the world's first electrified steam cracker furnaces³, which can reduce CO₂ emissions by 90%.
_{¹Sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Grant number 03SF0571A)

²Funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate

³Financed by the BMWK and by the European Union}

Zhanjiang, China

BASF is currently building a new Verbund site in the Southern Chinese province of Guangdong, which will be the third-largest BASF site in the world when completed. By using the latest digital technologies and applying the highest safety standards, the site will become a model for smart manufacturing and sustainable production. BASF aims to power the entire site with 100% renewable electricity by the end of 2025 and has established several significant partnerships to secure its green power supply. These include a partnership with Mingyang to establish a joint venture to build an offshore wind farm off the coast of Zhanjiang, a partnership with the State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) for a 25-year power purchase agreement for renewable electricity and a partnership with China Energy Engineering Group Guangdong Electric Power Design Institute Co., Ltd. (GEDI) for cooperation in renewable energy and low-carbon development for the site.

Antwerpen, im Norden von Belgien, ist der zweitgrößte Produktionsstandort der BASF. Der Verbundstandort steht in direkter Verbindung mit der Nordsee, dem Antwerpener Hafen und dem europäischen Hinterland. BASF Antwerpen ist ca. sechs Quadratkilometer groß und zählt 50 Produktionsanlagen, verteilt über 15 integrierte Wertschöpfungsketten.

Antwerp, Belgium

The Verbund site in Antwerp is the largest chemical site in Belgium and BASF's second largest. It wants to convert its electricity consumption to green power and thus avoid one million tons of CO₂ per year. The Hollandse Kust Zuid offshore wind farm in the North Sea near the Dutch coast, half of which is owned by BASF, will help us achieve this. Our goal: Antwerp is to be the first petrochemical site ever to achieve net zero emissions, also thanks to new, energy-efficient technologies. We are therefore part of an industrial CCS project (Carbon Capture and Storage) at the Antwerp site. With the Kairos@C project, in cooperation with Air Liquide, BASF can avoid the emission of up to 1 million metric tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere every year from production.

Freeport, USA

Freeport is one of two Verbund sites in North America and was founded as the first BASF manufacturing site outside of Europe. The Freeport site is on its way to become the first Verbund site in the region to meet its entire imported electricity demand with energy from renewable sources. This is supported through various power purchase agreements for solar energy, that are ramping up through the end of 2026. One example of this is the twelve-year power purchase agreement with the solar energy project developer X-ELIO for the supply of 48 megawatts of solar power per year for Freeport. This project alone will further reduce CO₂ emissions at the Freeport site and avoid more than 82,000 tons of CO₂ annually*, which is equivalent to the annual CO₂ emissions of 17,800 cars.

*Source: EPA GHG Equivalencies Calculator

Guaratinguetá, Brazil

The Guaratinguetá site in the São Paulo region of Brazil is committed to improve industrial waste management. The "Management of Waste and Recovery Cycle" (MAWERYC) program either avoids waste altogether or uses more sustainable technologies for different waste streams, thereby strengthening the circular economy. Since its introduction in 2020, the program has saved 3450 tons of CO₂ and 2200 tons of waste per year. The site is also continuously improving its energy efficiency. The "Triple E Program", which stands for "Excellence in Energy Efficiency", has been running since 2015 and can save 9000 tons of CO₂ at the site with its 115 approved initiatives. Due to its success, the program has already been implemented at approximately 65% of the sites in South America.

This is what we do to drive our transformation towards climate neutrality at other BASF sites around the world.

Get more information

„Creating Chemistry“ –
Our sustainability magazine

BASF Report
2024

The climate is changing.
So are we.

Sustainability at BASF

Chemistry for a sustainable future

Chemistry for a sustainable future

Transformation of our production sites

Ludwigshafen, Germany

Zhanjiang, China

Antwerp, Belgium

Freeport, USA

Guaratinguetá, Brazil

This is what we do to drive our transformation towards climate neutrality at other BASF sites around the world.

More links on the topic of sustainability

Read our company report

Follow us

„Creating Chemistry“ – Our sustainability magazine

BASF Report 2024

The climate is changing. So are we.

Sustainability at BASF

Chemistry for a sustainable future

Chemistry for a sustainable future

Transformation of our production sites

This is what we do to drive our transformation towards climate neutrality at other BASF sites around the world.

More links on the topic of sustainability

Read our company report

„Creating Chemistry“ –
Our sustainability magazine

BASF Report
2024

The climate is changing.
So are we.