Sustainability is a journey. It is driven by visions of flourishing and equitable societies and ecosystems. Not all the visions can be met – the laws of thermodynamics still must still be obeyed! Still, visions of the future can provide inspiration and frameworks to guide choices and actions. Dow has used them to chart our path towards sustainability for more than 20 years. Our 2005 Environment, Health & Safety
(EH&S) Goals, launched in 1995, focused on the “footprint” of our operations and led to tremendous improvements in safety and energy use, ultimately saving $5 billion from a $1 billion investment in energy, water and waste reduction. The 2015 Sustainability Goals expanded Dow’s focus to include the “handprint” of our products, looking beyond our own operations to the positive impact of our products and services in helping our customers and society improve their footprint as well. Announced this year, our third set of decade-long sustainability targets – Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals – further expand our focus to include creating a new “blueprint” for sustainability, seeking to redefine the role of business in society by unlocking the potential of people and science, valuing nature and collaborating courageously. Developing high-level goals and specific targets to measure progress have been instrumental in driving positive behavior change. This presentation will describe both successful metrics we have used, including our “Sustainable Chemistry Index,” and targets that are being established for 2025.
See more of this Group/Topical: Sustainable Engineering Forum