Sustainability News 2016

“Be innovative – think sustainable” was the motto for the final of the 12th international competition of R-M^®, BASF's automotive refinish paint brand. This year, in addition to the ability to work efficiently and meticulously, the participants were judged on sustainable aspects of their work.

BASF together with business leaders from different key industries have signed the “Business and Biodiversity Pledge” from the United Nations Environment Program, at the 13th CBD Business and Biodiversity Forum in Cancun, Mexico.

BASF is further developing its social commitment activities worldwide, based on its Social Engagement Strategy. When selecting the educational, sports, social and cultural projects it supports, BASF will now place even more emphasis on ensuring they have a long-lasting effect for society and offer learning opportunities for the cooperation partners involved. The common guiding principles for all activities worldwide will be the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

BASF's Coatings division has won the German Federal Ecodesign Award. The jury was convinced by the "Cool Coatings" automotive coating technology's innovative approach and its sophisticated design, which enables a broad color range. BASF's "Cool Coatings" reflect infrared light and in so doing, reduce the temperature on the automotive surface and interior.

The BASF site in Ludwigshafen receives a gold certificate for a new laboratory building from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB e.V.) in the Sustainable Construction category.

Suvinil^®, BASF’s leading brand for decorative paints in South America, was the sponsor of the “Zoo Urbano” exhibition held at the Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo, Brazil. 22 animal sculptures manufactured from urban waste encouraged viewers to engage with questions of environmental protection.

BASF is one of the world’s leading companies in sustainable water management and has been included in the “CDP Water A” list for the first time.

The Netherlands have set themselves a big goal – by the year 2050, the country’s entire housing stock should have undergone energy-efficiency renovations and as a result, all homes will be zero-energy buildings. BASF Netherlands has joined the Stroomversnelling partnership, an innovative housing renovation program with the goal to make 111,000 Dutch post-war rental houses energy-efficient over the next few years.

How is one to choose when you want to buy a product that is cost-effective and performs well but is also manufactured, used and disposed of with the least amount of impact on the environment? These kinds of questions are not only relevant to consumers but also to the industry. This is why BASF developed the Eco-Efficiency Analysis (EEA) in 1996 and thus became a pioneer when it comes to quantifying sustainability.

In September BASF took part at Sustainable Brands Conferences in Buenos Aires and Copenhagen. The company shared experiences about circular economy models, its method Sustainable Solution Steering^®, and provided insights about BASF´s contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

BASF is building a world-scale production plant for acetylene at its Ludwigshafen site. The plant will start up at the end of 2019 and replace the existing plant. The new facility will use the world’s most efficient production process.

On the way to a sustainable palm oil industry, an important question for the oil producing countries is how to increase the yields from the land already under cultivation. This is why Henkel and BASF are collaborating with the development organization Solidaridad to support a project in Indonesia and advocate for smallholders and local initiatives.

Modern consumers care about the environmental impact of the products they use. Especially the link of oil palm plantations to deforestation and loss of biodiversity is met with high public attention. Many suppliers and brand producers have committed themselves to certified sustainable palm products. BASF works closely with its partners in the value chain and has started a dialog to transform the market towards sustainable palm.

A new breed of sporting goods that will not be discarded, but reused – that is the goal of the project “Sport Infinity”, on which BASF and nine partners of industry and science are working together. A used football shoe, for instance, could be collected and shredded into tiny pieces, of which every gram is reprocessed.

Glasurit^®, a premium brand of BASF, is supporting the Yunnan Green Environment Development Foundation to fund the planting of trees in Yunnan Province in China via the newly launched “Glasurit Bodyshop Emissions Program”.

BASF was represented at various Sustainable Brands conferences in May and June. Discussions in Cape Town, Barcelona and Istanbul looked at how BASF can use the Sustainable Solution Steering^® method to contribute to a more sustainable future, among other topics. At the largest conference in San Diego the focus lay on contributions in meeting the UN SDGs.

BASF’s water-based adhesive systems are an environmentally compatible and economically rewarding alternative to conventional technologies when it comes to lamination of flexible food packaging. This is the outcome of a recent eco-efficiency analysis conducted by BASF and COMEXI, a leading supplier of converting solutions for the flexible packaging industry.

The series of events “Talk Sustainability” takes place on a regular basis, giving BASF employees the opportunity to discuss current sustainability issues with different guest speakers. In May Dr. Martin Stuchtey, a circular economy expert, came to Ludwigshafen. We spoke to him about “throwaway society”, the advantages of a circular economy and the “golden age of chemistry”.

BASF will continue the Creator Space™ program as part of its innovation process to foster co-creation and open innovation within the company. The program was launched during BASF’s 150th anniversary year. Initiatives around the globe have led to more than 100 projects currently being pursued with partners.

BASF has become an official Regional Partner of the World Green Building Council’s Europe Regional Network since mid-May 2016. The Network represents a community of 25 Green Building Councils (GBCs) and over 5,000 company members who cooperate closely to support growth of the sustainable building movement in Europe, including policy dialogue and support of sustainable construction activities.

Coastal cities like Red Hook in Brooklyn are facing different challenges. Among them are impacts caused by climate change like rising seas and higher storm surges which cause periodic flooding. That was why the participants of the Creator Space™ tour stop in New York City in 2015 worked together to find solutions for a more sustainable quality of life in Red Hook. These findings are now summarized in an interactive white paper.

BASF has been granted a license under the intellectual property of CAMX Power LLC (CAMX) relating to the CAMX suite of CAM-7™ cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. CAM-7 is a patented cathode material that deliver high energy density with high-power capability.

Together with the International Automotive Components Group (IAC), a global leading supplier to the automobile industry, BASF has developed the worldwide first roof frame for cars that is entirely made of natural fiber. The Acrodur^® 950 L binder by BASF ensures the necessary loading capacity and heat resistance of the lightweight component.

The World Water Day will be celebrated on March 22. Although roughly 70 percent of our planet is covered with water, it is increasingly becoming a scarce resource. The United Nations has defined the access to clean water as one of their 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BASF supports the SDGs and is committed to a responsible use of water along the entire value chain.

BASF has launched Maglis™, an online agricultural platform set to become a key partner in helping farmers manage their crops. With the platform, farmers will be able to gather, interpret, and monitor a range of crop-related data that will support them in making better decisions on how to grow and market their crops.

Containing all key figures for the 2015 business year, BASF’s corporate report was released and presented at the Annual Press Conference on February 26. An integrated report, the publication documents the company’s economic, environmental and social performance and is geared toward financial and sustainability experts, shareholders and employees alike, as well as the interested public.

BASF has announced the introduction of a new traceability technology for its crop protection products filling lines: Supply Chain Track and Trace (SCTT). The innovation will enable BASF to show and document the route its products take from the filling stage until they reach farmers which facilitates further transparency in the supply chain.

Even at low temperatures plastic can efficiently substitute metal: the French textile and rubber company Joubert Productions, Ambert, is for the first time putting snow chains on the market whose chain links are made entirely from plastic. This is made possible with Elastollan^®, the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) from BASF.

The Fundação Espaço ECO^® a Center of Excellence in Applied Sustainability in Brazil that was established in 2005 compiled ten success stories highlighting their work over the existing decade of operation.

Renowned economist and climate expert Professor Dr. Ottmar Edenhofer was invited to Ludwigshafen in January. We talked to him about climate protection and economic growth, the UN conference on climate change in Paris, and the role of the chemical industry.