BASF joins The Sustainability Consortium
Posted on 19. Mar, 2010 by admin in News-Chemical
BASF today announced that it is the first chemical company to become a member of The Sustainability Consortium, an independent organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific
foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product
sustainability.
The company joins other retailers and consumer product manufacturers that have become members of the Consortium and its product life cycle mission, including social and environmental considerations.
“At BASF, we are committed to leading industry toward greater sustainability, transparency and responsible interaction with both the
environment and society,” said Kurt Bock, CEO, BASF Corporation.
“The mission of The Sustainability Consortium aligns well with that
commitment — we are pleased to join a coalition of companies and
individuals similarly dedicated to the advancement of sustainable
consumer products and supply networks.”
In keeping with its long-standing strategic commitment to sustainable
development, BASF developed its Eco-Efficiency Analysis in 1996.
This life-cycle approach to quantifying the sustainability of products,
processes or whole system solutions accounts for both economic and
environmental impact.
Since the introduction of this tool, BASF has performed more than 400 comprehensive analyses for its business units, external partners and customers. NSF International validated BASF’s Eco-Efficiency Analysis methodology in 2009 and it has also been certified by the German Association for Technical Inspection (TÜV Berlin).
The Consortium was established as a means to tackle the challenge
of sustainability in the face of unprecedented growth. As consumers
become more sophisticated about their purchasing decisions, and as
natural resources become more limited, the Consortium is dedicated
to driving innovation so that consumers are empowered to consume in
a more sustainable way.
“We are pleased to welcome BASF into the Sustainability Consortium,
and we look forward to a fruitful and productive partnership ahead,”
said Dr. Jay S. Golden, Co-Director of the Sustainability Consortium.
“BASF will contribute an experienced team of experts collectively
focused on a scientific approach to sustainable consumption.
Together we will spur a new generation of products and supply
networks that address environmental, social and economic
imperatives.”
In 2008, a lifecycle analysis was conducted on BASF products to
assess related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and savings– from
sourcing of raw materials to manufacture to product disposal. This
pioneering carbon footprint study, which was validated by the Eco-
Institute in Freiburg, Germany, concluded that the net reduction of
GHG emissions resulting from the use of BASF’s products outweighed
emissions related to production, transport and disposal by a factor of
3:1. The study was updated in October of 2009 and produced similar
results.
Moving forward, BASF will strive to maintain or improve this ratio.
Co-administered by Arizona State University and the University of
Arkansas, the Consortium will research and publish findings on the
life cycle impacts of various product categories. Together, the
Consortium will provide decision and policymakers with a broader
understanding of how new and innovative organizational strategies
and technologies can assist in meeting various environmental,
economic and social objectives.
Learn more about the Sustainability Consortium at www.sustainabilityconsortium.org.
The Sustainability Consortium is a part of the Global Institute of
Sustainability at Arizona State University (ASU); and the Applied
Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas. You can find
more information about these institutes on the internet at
http://sustainability.asu.edu and http://asc.uark.edu.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] Read the rest of the article here. [...]