BASF achieves positive results on environment, health and safety goals

• Water emission reduction targets reached ahead of schedule and partly exceeded

• Further progress on environment and health goals and in safety

BASF aimed to achieve an 80% reduction in emissions to water of organic substances and nitrogen and to reduce heavy metal emissions by 60% compared with baseline 2002. These targets were all achieved in 2014 and exceeded in some cases. Organic substance emissions declined by 80% (2013: 79%), nitrogen emissions by 85% (2013: 87%) and heavy metal emissions by 64% (2013: 65%). Another BASF goal is to introduce sustainable water management in accordance with the European Water Stewardship Standard at all production sites in water stress areas by 2020. The percentage of certified sites rose from 11% in 2013 to 30%. “These excellent figures are the result of our efforts of the past years to make our production even more environmentally compatible,” said Dr. Ulrich von Deessen, head of the Environment, Health and Safety Center of Expertise and BASF’s climate protection officer.

In 2014, 26% less drinking water was used for production than in baseline 2010 (2013: 25%). An improvement was also made in the emission of air pollutants, which declined by 63% last year versus 2002 (2013: 62%).

Health and safety goals

Positive trends were also evident for the health and safety goals. The number of transportation accidents continued to decline and was 64% below the baseline 2003 figure (2013: 61%). The rate of workrelated accidents per million hours worked was 1.5 in 2014 (down 54.5% versus baseline 2002), indicating no further improvement on the previous year’s good performance (2013: 1.4). “We are on the right track in the area of occupational safety. However, it is important for us that we continue to strengthen our safety culture – because one accident is one too many,” von Deessen said.

BASF measures its health performance on the basis of the Health Performance Index (HPI). The HPI has five components: confirmed occupational diseases, medical emergency drills, first aid training, preventive medicine and health promotion. Each component contributes up to 0.2 points to the overall result. The highest overall score is 1.0. BASF’ss aim is to achieve annual target scores above 0.9. The company succeeded in doing so in 2014 with a score of 0.91 (2013: 0.89). Last year’s main health management topic was the back health of BASF employees.

By 2020, BASF will conduct risk assessments for all products sold by BASF worldwide in quantities of more than one metric ton per year. These are intended to support appropriate use that involves no risk to people or the environment. Since last year, assessments of this kind have been available for more than 62% of products (2013: 56%).