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Newsletter |
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April 2004 |
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Our newsletter "Sustainability and BASF" reports on related projects, workshops and other news and will now appear three times a year.
If you would like to receive this free newsletter by mail, simply drop us a line.
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FDI conferenz
More than 200 representatives from the political, business and social world took part in an international conference on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Berlin at the end of the January. The event, jointly hosted by BASF, the Brazilian embassy, the OECD and the Evangelische Akademie Loccum, a church-sponsored think tank, addressed the issue of FDI and its role in generating momentum for sustainable development. German foreign minister Joschka Fischer looked at corporate responsibility in the context of the key issues facing the world today. BASF vice-chairman Eggert Voscherau emphasized that BASF invested almost EUR 3 billion in newly industrializing countries in the last 10 years. José Artur Denot Medeiros, the Brazilian ambassador to Germany, described the situation through the eyes of a newly industrializing country and recipient of substantial amounts of foreign direct investment. Another keynote speaker was Oded Grajew, president of the Ethos Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility, São Paulo, and co-founder of the World Social Forum. In four subject-specific workshops, the conference participants used case studies to discuss the options open to transnational companies when investing abroad.
http://www.sustainability.basf.com/en/sustainability/oekonomie/fdi/konferenz-berlin.htm
BASF conducts training events on compliance and SD
With effect from March 2004, all newly appointed exempt employees and university graduates are required to attend a workshop on BASF Group’s Values and Principles, sustainability and compliance. The specially designed one-day seminar is intended to introduce participants to the various aspects of these issues and to make them aware of their importance. Case studies are used to present problem scenarios and possible solutions.
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New concept for BASF's 2003 corporate report
This year for the first time, BASF Group’s corporate report contains information on the economic, environmental and social aspects of the company’s operations in a single report. Numerous examples document how BASF incorporates sustainability into its business processes. Last year, BASF published environmental goals for the first time. Although the goals are long term, the first successes have already been achieved: greenhouse gas emissions per metric ton of sales product fell by 7.2 percent compared with 2002. The number of lost time accidents was down 27 percent over the previous year.
http://www.basf.de/corporate-report
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Benefits of fuel additives confirmed by eco-efficiency analysis
Fuel additives protect certain engine parts and keep them clean. This lowers fuel consumption and prevents premature engine wear. A vehicle fleet test revealed that the use of a BASF high performance additive led to a two percent reduction in fuel consumption across the entire vehicle fleet. A detailed assessment using eco-efficiency analysis showed the environmental benefits of fuel additives over the entire life cycle. The use of additives saves around 2.5 million metric tons of fuel - and thus 7 million metric tons of CO2 - in Europe annually. Additives also make economic sense, since the cost savings for fuel are significantly higher than the costs of the additives.
http://www.media.basf.com/basfcorp/img/produkte/innovationen/felder/
mobilitaet/e/Charts_MrEichenauer.pdf
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Study by Observatório Social on BASF operations in Brazil
Observatório Social (Social Observatory Institute) is a Brazilian organization that tracks and investigates how multinational companies comply with international labor standards. In autumn 2003, Observatório Social carried out a case study in collaboration with BASF. The study investigated employee relations at BASF’s Brazilian operations with respect to the Global Compact principles on labor standards. The results showed that BASF complies with the four principles in question and implements improvements above and beyond these. The study was presented at the Global Compact Learning Forum in December 2003 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
http://www.globalcompact.org/
-> Learning / Case Studies List /
-> Study: "BASF and the Implementation of the Labour Principles (English)" (2004/02/26)
BASF India joins in the fight against corruption
BASF India’s project "Fighting Corruption in Public Life" is intended to tackle the problem of corruption. Together with the Indian Vigilance Commission, BASF published a handbook on fighting corruption aimed at the public. The aim of the "Millions Minds Project" is to sensitize a million people in India to the issue. Additionally, all BASF employees in India are encouraged to join the company’s PAC (People Against Corruption) initiative. BASF India also supported a nationwide billboard campaign by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
http://www.corporate.basf.com/en/sustainability/service/regionen/asien/040130.htm
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Business Council for Sustainable Development in China gegründet
BASF East Asia is one of the 11 founding members of the China Business Council for Sustainable Development (CBCSD), set up in Beijing in January and aimed at implementing sustainable practices in Chinese industry. Council members are committed to promoting sustainable development through environmental protection, corporate responsibility, economic growth and social justice. Various forums are intended to foster partnerships, exchanges and mutual learning. The CBCSD is affiliated to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), a coalition of 170 international companies from more than 30 countries and 20 different industrial sectors.
http://www.sustainability.basf.com/en/sustainability/service/regionen/asien/040116.htm
http://www.wbcsd.org/plugins/DocSearch/details.asp?type=DocDet&DocId=MzY2MQ
BASF Pakistan receives award for equal opportunities in the workplace
BASF Pakistan has received an award for gender sensitive management. The award was made by the Alliance Against Sexual Harassment (AASHA) and the Workers Employers Bilateral Council of Pakistan. Measures adopted by BASF included equal opportunities in recruitment, professional development and remuneration. There is a special committee that acts as a point of contact for women’s issues. BASF also provides a transportation service that takes women employees safely to and from work. In addition, women employees are involved in important company decisions through the works council.
http://www.corporate.basf.com/en/sustainability/service/regionen/asien/031217.htm
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News
How environmental risks are perceived in two industrial cities
The University of Newcastle has carried out a comparative study of perceptions of environmental quality and risk in industrial settings in Britain and Germany. The two sites are Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth in Scotland and Ludwigshafen on the Rhine. Both of these places are dominated by long established petrochemical industries: BP in Grangemouth and BASF in Ludwigshafen. The inhabitants of Grangemouth are much more distrustful of their industry than the inhabitants of Ludwigshafen. A deeply rooted feeling of trust in industry still exists in Ludwigshafen, although there are signs that it is waning.
www.ncl.ac.uk/geps/research/soc/current/kulturelles.htm, www.agf.org.uk./pubs/pdfs/1294brochure.pdf
Environmental and social criteria for project financing
Borrowers must now provide evidence of compliance with specific environmental and social criteria when negotiating credits in excess of EUR 50 million for the construction of dams, power plants, pipelines and other large-scale projects.
20 big, international banks have adopted the Equator Principles according to which they seek to ensure that the projects they finance are developed in a manner that is socially responsible and reflect sound environmental management practices. The principles were drawn up in conjunction with the IFC, a subsidiary of the World Bank, and are based on the Bank’s environmental and social standards. They include sensitive issues such as involuntary resettlement in dam construction projects; the use of hazardous substances such as cyanide in gold mining; protection of human health, cultural properties and biodiversity, including endangered species and sensitive ecosystems; and impacts on indigenous peoples and communities.
http://www.equator-principles.com/
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