Global Environmental Goals

Whoever wants to enjoy long-term success has to conduct their business in a sustainable manner. BASF combines financial success with its global responsibility for environmental and climate protection. We continually optimize our processes in order to reduce emissions. We have set ourselves challenging new goals in 2008, which we intend to reach by 2020.

BASF supports the goals of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. We accept our responsibility and intend to further extend our work in the area of environmental and climate protection. Since our efforts enabled us to achieve our global environmental goals for 2012 ahead of schedule in 2007, we revised these goals at the beginning of 2008. We have now set ourselves highly challenging new goals for 2020, which we aim to achieve with a comparable portfolio. We intend to do this is by using efficient processes and technologies in our production processes. In this way, we can increase yields while at the same time reducing resource consumption, emissions and waste.

The data for the sites we acquired in 2006 have been included in our reporting for the first time in 2007.

New environmental goals

The principles of sustainable development are an integral part of our actions. BASF combines financial success with global responsibility for environmental and climate protection. We therefore endeavor to reduce emissions and make even better use of available resources. Since 2002, the constant reduction of greenhouse gases has been one of our global environmental goals. Thanks to our wealth of ideas and discipline, we have achieved many of our goals ahead of schedule. We have therefore set ourselves challenging new goals that we intend to reach by 2020.

Environmental protection costs

The costs of operating environmental protection facilities throughout the BASF Group amounted to €640 million in 2007 (2006: €657 million). We invested €103 million in new and improved environmental protection plants and facilities (2006: €116 million). These capital expenditures involved both end-of-pipe measures as well as integrated environmental protection measures. Provisions established for environmental protection measures and remediation worldwide amounted to €255 million as of December 31, 2007 (December 31, 2006: €271 million).