Chemicals company Dow has announced aggressive new commitments to address both climate change and plastic waste
The company also issued its 2019 Sustainability Report for the 17th consecutive year, outlining progress and results aligned to its 2025 Sustainability Goals.
Jim Fitterling, Dow chairman and CEO, said, “Climate change and plastic waste are among the greatest technical, social, and economic issues the world has ever faced, and our products and technology are critical to addressing both.
“At Dow, we have a responsibility and an opportunity to lead in addressing these global challenges. A sustainable future is attainable, but only if we continue to tackle these issues head-on, hold ourselves accountable, and work together to enable new science- and technology-based solutions that directly address both climate change and plastic waste.”
By 2030, Dow will reduce its net annual carbon emissions by five million metric tonnes, or 15 per cent from its 2020 baseline. Dow will help ‘stop the waste’ by enabling one million metric tonnes of plastic to be collected, reused or recycled through its direct actions and partnerships. The company is investing and collaborating in major technologies and infrastructure to significantly increase global recycling.
By 2035, Dow will help ‘close the loop’ by having 100 per cent of its products sold into packaging applications be reusable or recyclable.
Dow has entered into new renewable power agreements for its manufacturing facilities in Argentina , Brazil, Texas and Kentucky, securing 338 more megawatts of power capacity from renewable sources, which is expected to reduce CO2e by more than 225,000 metric tonnes. The company is on track to go beyond its target of generating 750 MW of renewable power by 2025.
Dow has also introduced a new line of mechanically recycled plastic resins for flexible and rigid plastic packaging applications that can reduce application carbon and energy footprints by up to 20-30 per cent.
Mary Draves, Dow vice-president and chief sustainability officer, said “Reducing the impact of climate change and eliminating plastic waste are societal challenges that are closely linked. As a producer of technologies that are essential to a low carbon economy, we are developing and investing in new production processes that are low-emission and optimally efficient. And we are now looking at waste as a resource that will enable us to continue to innovate sustainable materials.
Dow will also collaborate with leading academics, NGOs, auditing experts, technology partners and others in industry to incentivise the development and commercialisation of low-carbon products and technologies that ultimately lower global GHG emissions and to ensure that companies are able to account for those GHG reductions.
