Transparency

Sustainability needs transparency: This motto from 2002 by the Chair of BASF’s Sustainability Council is used to describe information and communication relating to sustainability at BASF. The consistent theme throughout the different formats is the intention of being accountable and providing verifiable results.

Here, we will take a look at the development of BASF’s sustainability reporting throughout history – as well as its first corporate carbon footprint, and the development of sustainability goals. After all, they also provide transparency when it comes to sustainability.

From annual report to integrated reporting

Sustainability became a key driver for the development of BASF’s reporting – and BASF repeatedly became a pioneer of sustainability reporting. First, the company gradually implemented holistic reporting. In 2007, BASF then published the first completely integrated depiction of its business activities.

Corporate carbon footprint for climate protection

BASF was the first company in the world to publish a comprehensive corporate carbon footprint in 2008. This showed that many BASF products helped its customers to reduce CO₂ emissions. Indeed, considerably more emissions were saved than were emitted during the production and disposal of all BASF products – and this is still the case today.

Targets for more transparency

Clear objectives in the areas of economy, ecology and social commitment provide transparency regarding the sustainable development of BASF. The company must be measured according to these criteria. It all started with environmental and safety targets – and since the turn of the millennium BASF has been publishing goals for all three dimensions of sustainability.