Sustainability
Where we are: The 2024 BASF corporate carbon footprint
BASF offers products with reduced or even zero carbon footprint
BASF already offers thousands of products with reduced or even zero carbon footprint (PCF) in its broad portfolio. Almost all operating units offer their customers products with a low or zero carbon footprint. Projects with high customer demand and willingness to pay for low-CO₂ and CO₂-free solutions are prioritized.
How much greenhouse gas emissions are associated with a product along its life cycle? This question has become increasingly important over the past years and a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) can help to find answers.
The PCF sums up the total greenhouse gas emissions generated by a product over the different stages of its life cycle. For example, a cradle-to-gate (partial) PCF considers all the processes from extraction of resources through manufacturing of precursors and the making of the final product itself up to the point where it leaves the company gate. A cradle-to-grave PCF covers the complete life cycle of the product, including the emissions from the use phase and end-of-life of the product.
The following graphic shows the different life cycle stages of a typical BASF product. It explains the PCF contribution of each step and the type of emission it is assigned to (Scope 1, 2, 3).
Processing
The emissions related to processing can vary greatly depending on the purchased raw material. Generally upstream commodities (oil, gas, base chemicals) cause rather low processing emissions, whereas fine chemicals/specialties (resins, precious metals) carry higher emissions due to the complexity of their production routes.
Transport
For most raw materials sourced by BASF, emissions from transportation are relatively small in comparison to the total PCF (<5%). This is due to the fact that BASF’s raw materials are mostly transported in bulk and in rather large quantities, leading to low specific emissions.
Energy
For BASF, the purchase of electricity at sites that are not yet supplied by renewable electricity is responsible for the largest share of Scope 2 emissions. In some cases, BASF is also supplied with steam for its processes by other companies close by. The specific emissions (kg CO2/kWh) depend on the energy provider's energy mix.
Own emissions
For BASF, the most important drivers are process emissions from our production plants (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs), emissions from our power plants to produce electricity and steam for the Verbund sites, as well as emissions from the disposal of waste streams in our waste treatment facilities.
Transport
Transport emissions caused by the product after it leaves BASF’s gate. BASF can calculate data for the transport from BASF to its direct customers on demand.
Use phase
Emissions associated with use of the BASF product, either as is or incorporated in a customer's product. Since the range of application for BASF’s products is very diverse, use phase emissions of a product vary according to its usage.
End of life
Emissions from waste disposal and treatment of BASF’s products at end-of-life. End-of-life treatment methods include e.g. recycling, incineration or landfill, resulting in different specific emissions.
Extraction
The emissions caused by the extraction of materials from the environment for further use, e.g. mining of coal, production of oil or natural gas, cultivation and harvesting of crops.
BASF is highly committed to continuously reduce the PCF of its products. The green graphic demonstrates the reduction levers throughout our value chain.
Raw materials
BASF creates transparency and increases accuracy of its raw material related emissions by inquiring suppliers’ PCF information for procured materials. Based on this, PCF will become an additional criterion for targeted procurement of raw materials with lower carbon footprints. In parallel, BASF introduces circular feedstocks with biogenic or recycled characteristics into the value chain. The high raw material impact on BASF’s PCF (on average ~70%), makes these activities an important reduction lever.
Energy purchase
The largest reduction lever for Scope 2 emissions is the sourcing of green electricity (GE) which reduces emissions to nearly zero. This can be achieved via direct procurement from the energy provider or through purchase of renewable energy certificates. An additional lever is the utilization of green steam, however here, markets are still in development.
Own emissions
The interconnected production of BASF (Verbund) helps to produce efficiently and reduces waste. Emission reductions are driven by continuous process improvements, use of biofuels, and the large transformation projects (e.g. e-furnace, methane pyrolysis, heat pumps, carbon capture and storage). To cover the energy demand of those projects BASF invests in renewable energy production.
Downstream emissions
Scope 3 downstream emissions of BASF’s are mainly governed by the product’s carbon content and the method of disposal. While incineration in waste treatment plants leads to emissions equivalent to the carbon contained in the product, end-of-life emissions are greatly reduced if the waste is recycled into new products (e.g., by depolymerization or pyrolysis for ChemCycling®).
While BASF is continuously working to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050, more and more customers are making environmentally conscious purchasing decisions. Therefore, BASF has developed a digital application to calculate the cradle-to-gate PCFs for its 45,000 sales products. It enables BASF to provide PCFs for its global portfolio. Customers thus will receive valuable information about the extent to which BASF materials contribute to the carbon footprint of their business activities and their own final products.
BASF's PCF calculation is based on GHG emissions from its own plants and high-quality average data for purchased raw materials as well as purchased energy. BASF will gradually replace average data with supplier specific data for purchased raw materials, as soon as they become available from our suppliers.
Options for reducing PCFs
PCFs provide our customers with valuable information on levers for avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. Already today we offer them added value through the use of alternative raw materials. In this way, we help our customers reduce the carbon footprint of their products.
One example is BASF's biomass balance approach, in which fossil resources are replaced by renewable raw materials, e.g. biomethane or bio-naphtha derived from biomass, in the production Verbund and attributed to the sales product. The BASF sales products from this approach have the same properties as products based on purely fossil raw materials – but with a lower carbon footprint.
More information about ZeroPCF products and LowPCF products
BASF increasingly offers products with a reduced CO2 footprint (Product Carbon Footprint, PCF) in response to rising demand from customers.
Promotion of international standards and rules
BASF’s PCFs are calculated following general standards for life cycle assessment (ISO 14044) and carbon footprints of products (ISO 14067), as well as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Standard.
These standards do not, however, include concrete specifications as to how exactly the PCF is to be determined for individual chemical products. Therefore BASF has supported and endorses the development of the PCF Guideline for the chemical industry of Together for Sustainability.
How to get a more holistic sustainability assessment
PCFs create transparency about greenhouse gas emissions associated with our products. At the same time, they are only one piece of a bigger sustainability picture. Comprehensive sustainability assessments of products include environmental, economic and social criteria. If customers want to get a more holistic picture, we recommend multi-criteria assessment tools like our Eco-Efficiency Analysis.
BASF has published a comprehensive corporate carbon footprint since 2008, the only industrial enterprise worldwide to do so. The annually updated balance gives us pointers on where the influencing factors for preventing greenhouse gas emissions are. So we can check whether we are on the right track for meeting our goals to reduce greenhouse gases.
Schematic overview: development of the BASF Group’s greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1 and 2)a
(Million metric tons of CO2 equivalents)
a Scope 1 and Scope 2 (excluding the sale of energy to third parties). The target includes greenhouse gases according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, which are
converted into CO2 equivalents (CO2e).
b The figure for 2023 has been adjusted to reflect updated data.
We consider the whole BASF value chain and determine how many emissions are produced by which activity, from the supply of raw materials and precursors via our own production and the use of the end products we produce through to disposal of all our products at the end of their life. The analysis adheres to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol standards and the standard for the chemical industry specific to the sector published in 2013; we were closely involved in the development of this.
Greenhouse gas emissions along the BASF value chain
Balancing sets out three emission ranges (scopes):
- Scope 1 records direct CO2 emissions. They come from emission sources at BASF sites and include for example our own production plants and plants for generating power and steam.
- Scope 2 relates to indirect CO2 emissions produced by our suppliers in generating energy that we then purchase for our production.
- Scope 3 comprises all other CO2 emissions produced along the value chain (e.g. with suppliers, in the use phase of the products, in disposal and in transport). These emissions are recorded in 15 different categories.
The figure below summarizes the emissions along the value chain for 2024 – emissions are given in million metric tons of CO2 equivalents, categories within Scope 3 are shown in parentheses. Emissions in BASF production include Scope 1 and Scope 2 (market-based approach).
Scope 3 emissions along the BASF value chain in 2024a
Greenhouse gas emissions in BASF production (GHG Protocol Scopes 1 & 2)
In accordance with the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting Standard, we report Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions separately. Regarding Scope 1 emissions resulting from the generation of energy, we also differentiate between emissions from energy production for our own consumption and emissions from energy production for sale to third parties. For Scope 2, we consider the location-based approach as well as the market-based approach. We report on all emissions from our fully consolidated companies’ production sites worldwide. The emissions of consolidated joint operations are included pro rata, based on our stake.
BASF Group’s greenhouse gas emissions according to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
(Million metric tons of CO2 equivalents)
| BASF operations | 2024 | 2023 | 2018 (baseline) |
| Scope 1a | |||
| CO2 (carbon dioxide) | 14,402 | 14,345 | 17,025 |
| N2O (nitrous oxide) | 0,176 | 0,239 | 0,677 |
| CH4 (methane) | 0,027 | 0,025 | 0,027 |
| HFC (hydrofluorocarbons) | 0,035 | 0,026 | 0,091 |
| SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) | 0,001 | 0 | 0 |
| Sale of energy to third parties (Scope 1)b | 0,874 | 0,927 | 0,773 |
| Scope 2 | |||
| CO2 | 2,352 | 2,340c | 4,067 |
| Offsetting | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total target-relevant Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissionsd |
16,993 | 16,975c | 21,887 |
| Use of biomasse | |||
| CO2 | 0,140 | 0,112 | n/a |
a Emissions of N2O, CH4, SF6 and NF3 are converted into CO2 emissions using the global warming potential (GWP) factor. GWP factors are based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2007, Errata table 2012 for the reporting year 2018, and IPCC 2014 for the reporting year 2024, in line with the requirements of the EU ETS methodology. HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) and PFCs (perfluorocarbons) are calculated using the GWP factors for their individual components.
b Includes sales to BASF Group companies; as a result, emissions reported under Scope 2 can be considered twice in some cases.
c The comparative figure for 2023 has been adjusted to reflect updated data.
d Emissions labeled with this footnote are included in our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions target.
e The emissions are disclosed outside of Scope 1 in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Standard.
Here you can find an additional analysis of our Scope 1 and Scope 2 target and the alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Greenhouse gas emissions from the value chain (GHG Protocol Scope 3)
Our list of Scope 3 emissions is based on the GHG Protocol Scope 3 Standard (Corporate Value Chain Accounting and Reporting Standard). We have checked all 15 categories in this standard for relevance and report the emissions for the 12 relevant categories.
Overview of Scope 3 emissions by the BASF Group for 2024 (in accordance with the GHG Protocol)
| No. | Category | GHG Emissions [CO2 equivalents in millions of tons] |
| 1 | Purchased Goods and Services | 52.34 |
| 2 | Capital Goods | 1.84 |
| 3 | Energy | 2.63 |
| 4 | Transport Upstream | 2.32 |
| 5 | Waste in Operations | 0.76 |
| 6 | Business Travel | 0.12 |
| 7 | Employee Commuting | 0.20 |
| 8 | Leased Asset Upstream | 0.15 |
| 9 | Transport Downstream | 1.49 |
| 11 | Use of Sold Products | 3.01 |
| 12 | End-of-life treatment of sold products |
24.23 |
| 15 | Investments | 2.56 |
Further information on our corporate carbon footprint can be found in our BASF group report.