Sustainability 2014 Annual Sustainability Report | 7 Introduction
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2014 Annual Sustainability Report 2014 Sustain abilit y for Human Progress ScienceDow Achieves Sustainability Milestone with “Breakthrough to World Challenges” Dow Delivers Transportation Solutions that Enable Sustainability BETAMATE™ Structural Adhesives have been named Dow’s third “Breakthrough to World BETAMATE™ Challenge,” meeting a milestone set by the Company as part of its 2015 Sustainability Goals. STRUCTURAL ADHESIVES A DOW BREAKTHROUGH ADDRESSING TWO A recent recipient of a 2014 R&D 100 Award and two 2014 Automotive News PACE Awards, OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST CHALLENGES: 1. ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE BETAMATE™ Structural Adhesives are used to bond the body structure of automobiles 2. SAFETY & HEALTH during assembly, which enables improved vehicle safety and durability while optimizing weight reduction and providing greater design flexibility. 23 7 BILLION KG BILLION METERS 2.6 CARBON DIOXIDE BETAMATE STRUCTURAL BILLION GALLONS AVOIDANCE ADHESIVE APPLIED OF GAS SAVINGS ™ BETAMATE Structural Adhesives allow for the assembly of dissimilar materials where SAFETY BENEFITS: BETAMATE INCREASED VEHICLE STIFFNESS, 1999 :STRUCTURAL ADHESIVES CRASH RESISTANCE, STRENGTH & DURABILITY traditional joining techniques such as welding and riveting are limited in their applicability. INTRODUCED BY DOW AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS Structural adhesives also enable increased load-bearing capability and improved static and dynamic stiffness, leading to improved safety and crash behavior, reduced vibrations BETAMATE SUSTAINABILITY 50 METERS OF BETAMATE APPLIED TO ONE and noise, optimized ride, excellent driving and handling, and enhanced durability MIDSIZE VEHICLE OPERATED FOR ONE YEAR for extended vehicle life span and long-term value. Since their introduction in 1999, 10 KG REDUCTION OF BETAMATE™ Adhesives have already contributed to an estimated 23 million metric tons PRIMARY MASS of CO emission avoidance and 10 billion liters of gasoline savings. 2 17 KG TOTAL WEIGHT SAVINGS WITH MASS DECOMPOUNDING With this “Breakthrough,” Dow delivers on a target established in 2006 as part of its 2015 0.62% Sustainability Goals, an aggressive set of 10-year targets that seeks to improve sustainability IMPROVEMENT IN FUEL EFFICIENCY in seven core areas: Sustainable Chemistry; Addressing Climate Change; Energy Efficiency 32.6 KG and Conservation; Product Safety Leadership; Contributing to Community Success; Local REDUCTION IN CARBON DIOXIDE Protection of Human Health and the Environment; and Breakthroughs to World Challenges. EMISSIONS The latter commitment identifies products and technologies that deliver significant BETAMATE FLEET SAVINGS 100,000 VEHICLES PER YEAR contributions to society over time. OPERATED FOR 5 YEARS MORE THAN MORE THAN To be selected, each of Dow’s Breakthrough technologies were subjected to a rigorous 16 1.8 evaluation process. The process evaluates many candidates in Dow’s business portfolio MILLION MILLION KG OF CARBON DIOXIDE GALLONS OF FUEL against a variety of criteria, from positive impact on millions of human lives, to minimal SAVINGS SAVINGS environmental impact throughout the product’s lifecycle. BETAMATE BONDS JOINING SOLUTIONS FOR DISSIMILAR SUBSTRATES CO M M U PO IN S M IT U E L S A S T E M E U L I & S E A H N G S A S M BETAMATE WINS GLOBAL AWARDS FOR INNOVATION, LIGHTWEIGHTING AND SUSTAINABILITY AS MORE CARS ARE ADDED TO THE ROADS... AND GLOBAL ECONOMIES CONTINUE TO GROW... BETAMATE COULD IMPROVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF CONSUMERS' LIVES. ™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Form no. 299-52305-914 HMC 2 | The Dow Chemical Company Dow Helps Deliver Breakthrough Hygiene Solution Handwashing with soap is a proven way to prevent the spread of life-threatening diseases, especially among children. In fact, nearly two million children under the age of five die each year from infectious diseases. Dow is highlighting its technology leadership through a research and development (R&D) collaboration on Lifebuoy™ Soap from Unilever, which is expected to deliver a positive impact on health and hygiene around the world. Due to its broad global impact on health and hygiene, Dow has named the technology as its fourth “Breakthrough to World Challenges.” WHY IS LACK OF GLOBAL HANDWASHING AN ISSUE? With this breakthrough, Dow exceeds the target established in 2006 as part of its 4859% 760,000 In West and Central Africa, CHILDREN UNDER 5 DIE DUE TO 1 handwashing with soap has 2015 Sustainability Goals. DIARRHEAL DISEASES been shown to reduce the rate of diarrheal disease. ™ 1.1 million Lifebuoy™ Soap, the world’s #1 germ protection soap, is formulated with POLYOX CHILDREN UNDER 5 DIE FROM 50% 2 In Pakistan, handwashing with soap has been shown to PNEUMONIA reduce pneumonia-related Water-Soluble Polymers from Dow, resulting in a soap that lasts longer, provides infections in children under 5.3 better value and feels great on your skin. Lifebuoy™ Soap equips more people with a first line of defense against illnesses through handwashing. By enabling a longer lasting and better quality bar of soap, POLYOX Polymers support Unilever’s WHAT CLEAN HANDS PROVIDE: Sustainable Living Plan targets. Dow collaborated with the Unilever R&D team on controlled release technology to design a bar of soap formulated to stay intact while releasing ingredients slowly and at the right time. Handwashing with soap is Handwashing helps prevent the $3.35 (USD) investment in Global Handwashing Day is dedicated to raising global awareness of the importance among the most effective and common cold, the flu, SARS and good handwashing practices = inexpensive ways to help prevent other infectious diseases. • $11 investment in latrine a range of disease when compared construction. of handwashing with soap and water. Dow joined forces with the Global Public-Private to vaccines. • $200 investment in house- hold water supply. Partnership for Handwashing with Soap to promote this simple, healthy practice on • Thousands of dollars in immunization.4 an international scale. The campaign was initiated to reduce childhood mortality rates related to respiratory and diarrheal diseases by introducing a simple lifestyle change. STEPS TO PROPER Every year, 1.7 million children die before the age of five as a result of diarrhea and HANDWASHING pneumonia. With regular handwashing, the mortality rate from preventable diseases Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off can be reduced by nearly 50 percent. Handwashing with soap is among the most tap and apply soap. effective and inexpensive ways to stop the spread of preventable diseases, which can Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. save lives – cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost one-half and deaths from acute Scrub your hands for 20 seconds or longer (equivalent to singing the respiratory infections by nearly one-quarter. Happy Birthday song twice). Rinse your hands well under clean, Rinsing with non-potable water running water. 5 is still more beneficial than not Dow’s “Breakthrough to World Challenges” commitment identifies products and washing your hands. technologies that deliver significant contributions to societal challenges over time. To be selected, breakthrough technologies are subjected to a rigorous evaluation process that measures many candidates in Dow’s business portfolio against a variety SOAP AND WATER ARE KEY TO HEALTHY HANDWASHING of criteria, from positive impact on Although people around the world millions of human lives, to minimal clean their hands with water, very few use soap which removes germs much environmental impact throughout the more effectively.6 Dow POLYOX™ Water Soluble Polymer Soap breaks down grease, dirt, product’s lifecycle. Dow’s previously germs and bacteria from the skin so Leading soap manufacturers it can be easily removed when you use technologies like Dow wash your hands. POLYOX™ Water Soluble announced breakthroughs include Polymers to help make soaps feel softer on the skin Omega-9 Oils, DOW FILMTEC™ ECO The simple act of handwashing with and last longer. This can an affordable, effective soap can create affordable hygiene reduce the spread of preventable solutions for economically challenged regions because Reverse Osmosis Elements and disease by as much as healthy living should not be a 7 BETAMATE™ Structural Adhesives. 4550% luxury – it is a necessity. For more information, visit 1 http://www.who.int/medicentre/factsheets/fs330/en/ www.cleanhands.dow.com. 2 http://www.who.int/medicentre/factsheets/fs331/en/ 3 http://globalhandwashing.org/why/health-impact 4 http://www.unicef.org/wcaro/overview_4553.html 5 http://cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html 6 http://cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html 7CHERG 2010. Sandy Cairncross, Caroline Hunt, Sophie Boisson, Kristof Bostoen, Val Curtis, Isaac CH Fung, and Wolf-Peter Schmidt Water, sanitation and hygiene for the prevention of diarrhoea.Int. J. Epidemiol. 2010 39: i193-i205 cleanhands.dow.com 2014 Annual Sustainability Report | 3 Combining the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Dow Chemical Company 2014 Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Report Including: UN Global Compact – Communication on Progress 4Except | The as Dow otherwise Chemical indicated Company by the context, the terms “Company” or “Dow” as used herein mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries. Finding what is of Dow attains an external interest to you. verification Following this page is a high-level table of contents that Dow is fully committed to transparency and outlines the color-coded organizational structure of the report. accountability. Transparent, in depth reporting assures that the public, as well as the entire Dow Summary of 2014: This 14-page summary is a convenient way enterprise, is aware of the Company’s goals and to learn more about Dow and its commitment to sustain-ability. priorities. This is one of the reasons this report Download this PDF for a quick read on what happened at the has been prepared in accordance with the Global Company in 2014. Please consider the environment and only Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 Sustainability Reporting print the pages that you will need offline.