United States English Company Products & Industries We create chemistry Sustainability Contact BASF USA - Home Company / Sustainability Management and Instruments Sustainable Solution Steering Sustainable Solution Steering® Enhancing the sustainability performance of our portfolio Emphasis on contributing to specific value chain needs Society and our customers have been taking a greater interest in the business contribution to sustainability over the past decades. We are committed to understand these evolving expectations, so we might seize opportunities as well as minimize risks. Why – Objective Our customers can expect from BASF the consistent and innovative solutions they have always received. At the same time, they are looking to contribute to a more sustainable future where being environmentally and socially responsible goes hand in hand with running a profitable business. Therefore, BASF has embedded sustainability in its corporate purpose: “We create chemistry for a sustainable future.” This ambition is directly linked to a number of business factors: Growing customer needs to differentiate with sustainability New laws and standards in all value chains related to sustainability Changing societal and business environments prompting demand for sustainable products We therefore cooperate with our customers in creating and driving more sustainable solutions, which makes good business sense for both. How – Evaluation of each solution By identifying key drivers and issues in our customers’ industries, we are able to assess the sustainability contribution of each of our products in its specific application. With our approach we evaluate the entire value chain considering industry- and region-specific views in our markets. We strive to achieve a balance between the three dimensions of sustainability: Economy: e.g. potential cost savings for customers through the use of our products Environment: e.g. ensuring standards are met, developing environmentally sound solutions Society: e.g. enhancing safety in production, use or end-of-life, stakeholder perception of solutions Finally each solution is assigned to one of four categories (Accelerator, Performer, Transitioner, Challenged) according to its contribution to sustainability. Although different industries vary in their specific needs, we are able to cluster our Accelerator solutions into predefined universal sustainability benefits (e.g. resource efficiency). Steering the portfolio This detailed analysis and transparent classification allow us to both improve individual solutions and steer the entire portfolio. It also enables further integration of sustainability into our strategic, R&D and customer support processes. The goals are: Increase our portfolio of innovative and sustainable solutions making customers more successful Reduced environmental impact along the value chain, contributing to improved quality of life Better mitigation of risks associated with sustainability All of this helps us to ensure long-term business success – an integral part of our “We create chemistry“ strategy. The whole approach has been assured by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Germany (PwC). Accelerator products contribute particularly to sustainability in the value chain, and are characterized by, on average, higher growth rates and profitability. We have therefore set ourselves a concrete goal in 2015: By 2020, we aim to raise the proportion of sales from Accelerator products to 28%. For all products that are classified as Challenged and do not fulfill our major sustainability criteria, we want to develop prompt plans of action. These action plans can include research projects, reformulations or even replacing one product with an alternative product. Downloads Sustainable Solution Steering® - Brochure (504 KB) Sustainable Solution Steering® - Booklet (2.6 MB) Sustainable Solution Steering® - Methodology, process and third party assurance (2.0 MB) Some relevant numbers >> 60,000 solutions assessed > 2,000 experts involved worldwide ~ 17,000 Accelerator solutions, representing > €16 billion in sales > 60% of R&D budget spent on Accelerator projects in 2015 - 26.6% of BASF products analyzed (by sales) today already make a particular contribution to sustainability Examples for Accelerator Solutions Automotive BASF offers a broad range of Accelerators for the automotive industry: Lightweight plastic materials to minimize the weight of cars, which results in higher fuel efficiency Catalysts to decrease harmful exhaust emissions, thereby improving air quality Integrated processes shorten the coating process by eliminating the primer and a baking step, thus showing clear advantages in energy consumption, greenhouse gases and VOC emissions Innovative fuel additive packages to keep engines valves clean, thus reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions Packaging Packaging helps to minimize food losses and lengthen shelf life. BASF is working constantly to improve the capacity of its solutions to protect goods and to enhance the environmental footprint of packaging: Polyamide films for flexible packaging enable less material use compared to rigid packaging Water-based resins for flexible printing reduce air emissions compared to solvent-based technologies Bio-based or compostable materials allow for improved environmental performance in paper and plastic packaging More Examples Share Print Join the conversation Linkedin Facebook Twitter Youtube Slideshare Flickr Google+ Company Career News & Media About Us Sustainability Research BASF USA - Home Industries Agriculture Automotive & Transportation Chemicals Construction Energy & Resources Paint & Coatings Pharmaceuticals Topics Goals Climate Protection Water Human Rights Employees Global Compact Topics Chemie³ Product Stewardship Safety Summaries Eco-efficiency analysis Sustainability News Creator Space Online Copyright © BASF SE 2017 E-Business Disclaimer Credits Data protection Supplier & Partners Supplier Diversity Contact