Social engagement
BASF’s societal engagement aims to help achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Goals (SDGs) by addressing the societal and environmental challenges and needs of the communities around our production sites worldwide. In 2021, we reaffirmed our commitment to bettering the quality of life in the communities near our sites and providing educational opportunities for children.
At BASF, we aspire to grow our businesses in ways that are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable by actively engaging with our stakeholders and local communities in an open and transparent manner. To support and foster mutual understanding with our neighbors, we have been conducting community engagement programs in Greater China for over two decades.
Community Advisory Panels (CAP) are one of the important platforms that we use to engage with the communities around our major production sites. CAP members are selected from local communities to meet regularly and discuss topics of common interest with BASF’s site management. In Greater China, BASF supports CAPs in Shanghai, Chongqing, Nanjing and Zhanjiang.
At BASF, we believe that chemistry makes a great contribution to everyday life, helping us solve many present and future challenges. Education is the key to personal success and social sustainability. For two decades, BASF has been committed to promoting science education in Greater China, and supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4, “Quality Education”.
Education is the key to personal success and social sustainability. For two decades, BASF has been committed to promoting science education in Greater China, and supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #4, “Quality Education”.
During the summer of 2021, BASF organized the annual Kids’ Lab event at the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum and China Science & Technology Museum, allowing more than 3,000 children to explore the wonders of chemistry in everyday life, through safe and interesting hands-on chemical experiments. Two new experiments were introduced on climate change and health protection under the theme, “Chemistry, solving global challenges”. Participating children were also inspired to learn about CO2 and how to “do their bit” by reducing individual carbon footprints.
In Taiwan, BASF brought the fun and interactive BASF Kids’ Lab program to San-Wei Elementary School in Kaohsiung. During the event, the grade 5 and 6 students learned how to make sunscreen lotion and understood the water purification process from BASF Kaohsiung site employees.
In addition to the summer events, BASF offered a portfolio of digital learning resources with short videos, games, podcast and cartoons, fostering curiosity, inspiring the spirits of exploration and encouraging children to become lifelong learners. The Kids’ Lab online web classes and programs attracted more than 5,000 participants in Greater China in 2021.
In order to cultivate and discover young talents for the chemical industry, BASF supported the 3rd Young Talents’ Chemical Innovation Challenge (2021 Hackathon), which was organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF).
With BASF’s mentoring, the participating team from China University of Petroleum, which presented a project titled “Lowcarbon green oil,” won the second prize. Launched in 2018 by CPCIF, the hackathon stands out by focusing on social hot topics and fostering cross-sectoral innovation that integrates science and business. It is the first hackathon competition for university students organized by China’s petroleum and chemical industry.
More than 20 community representatives from BASF Pudong Site CAP participated in the 9th dialogue meeting with BASF.
BASF introduces brand new experiments to help children to understand the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
BASF Taiwan organized employee donation event to collect used garments for underprivileged communities.
BASF is determined, as part of its societal engagement, to contribute to a better world and encourages its employees to participate in various local volunteer projects.
On the World Clean-up Day in 2021, BASF kicked off its first nationwide clean-up campaign in Shanghai in September. This is in line with the Clean4Change campaign of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) to promote the reduction and elimination of plastic waste in the natural environment.
The cleanup campaign involved over 300 BASF employees and their families who joined in and cleaned up waste from local beaches, waterways and mountains across 13 BASF sites in five cities: Shanghai, Nanjing, Chongqing, Maoming, and Tianjin. By December 2021, the campaign had cleared over 1,050 kilograms of garbage, including large amounts of plastic foam debris, cigarette butts and mineral water bottles. All the waste was sorted out properly to help with recycling.
In Shanghai, BASF has been supporting teenagers with disabled parents through the “Goodwill Teacher” program since 2005. In 2021, BASF volunteers continued to offer free oral English tuition to these students in Shanghai on weekends. In addition, BASF set up a scholarship in 2006 and continues to finance hundreds of outstanding or underprivileged students in high schools or universities.
In Taiwan, BASF organized a series of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) related activities to support underprivileged communities. This included an employee donation event organized in September, successfully collecting 1,588 pieces of clothing, 168 pairs of shoes, 91 bags and 214 toys, which were all donated to less fortunate communities. BASF volunteers in Taiwan also celebrated the season of giving by bringing holiday gifts and joy to people with intellectual disabilities in collaboration with Kindgarden, a social welfare organization in Taoyuan City. BASF has organized the Christmas celebration event for this organization for the seventh year in a row.
Recognizing our commitment to sustainability and social engagement in Greater China, BASF received the “Best Corporate Citizenship” award from 21st Century Media Group for the 17th year in a row.
BASF was also named an “Outstanding Responsible Enterprise” by Southern Weekly for the 14th consecutive year. It was also awarded the newly established “Green Enterprise” award.
In 2021, BASF won the “Sustainable Business Award” presented by European Chamber of Commerce in China (Shanghai Chapter) for the first time. This is to recognize BASF’s long-term commitment to drive sustainability through chemistry-based innovations, and its innovative polyurethane-based Haptex® solutions.
BASF has also been named China's Top Employer 2022 for the 12th year in a row.
