The Sustainability Consortium is an independent organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives innovation to improve consumer product sustainability. BASF Corp. 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 Corp. "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 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.
In 1996 BASF developed Eco-Efficiency Analysis which is a life-cycle approach to quantifying the sustainability of products, processes or whole system solutions taking into account 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 (TV Berlin).
