By 2050, nearly ten billion people will live on Earth. While the world’s population and its needs are expected to continue to grow, the planet’s resources are finite. Population growth is associated with enormous global challenges and, at the same time, represents opportunities, especially for chemical.
With this perspective, we work to influence the production chain and be a driving force for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We understand that this is possible because chemistry is an enabler for a sustainable future. In our business practices, the SDGs contribute to decision-making and guide us in developing innovative solutions that have a positive impact so that everyone can achieve these global goals.
One example is the solutions for the construction sector – a very important segment considering that, in the next 30 years, more than 70% of the world's population will live in cities – which are related directly with the objectives 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities; and 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production.
Water is the second most used input in construction after cement, which, in turn, is one of the largest sources of CO emissions.2. According to data from the Polytechnic School of USP, to make one cubic meter of concrete, for example, an average of 160 to 200 liters of water are used.
To reduce this number, BASF developed the MasterGlenium® hyperplasticizer, which increases the efficiency of cement hydration and reduces water use by more than 40% compared to conventional processes (SDG6). Sustainability is also promoted by reducing cement consumption and, consequently, reducing greenhouse gas emissions (SDG13). One example is the work carried out in the construction of large hydroelectric plants. In just one project, it was possible to achieve savings of more than 188 thousand liters of water and 273 thousand tons of cement, in addition to avoiding the emission of 150 thousand tons of CO2.
The preservation of the facades of houses and buildings is another example, as it requires hundreds of liters of water for cleaning. Suvinil Sempre Nova paint, for painting external areas, has nanoparticle technology, exclusive to BASF, and repels dirt, allowing the walls to be cleaned only with rainwater (SDG6).
Additives for the manufacture of draining floors allow the collection and reuse of rainwater. In BASF's eco-efficient house – CasaE, water passes through the floors – which have up to 90% of permeability – and is stored in reservoirs, to be reused in cleaning the external area and watering the gardens (SDG6).
Other construction materials can generate savings if their entire life cycle is taken into account. A study carried out by Fundação Espaço ECO® – an OSCIP established by BASF and which acts as a sustainability consultancy (SDG17) – with 18 products present in CasaE, showed a reduction of 64% in the consumption of advisory water, when compared to equivalent products in a traditional building in 40 years. This reduction is equivalent to the supply for more than 2 thousand inhabitants in one day. Or, it corresponds to the volume of water consumed in 443 baths or in 192 cycles of a washing machine. When energy consumption is evaluated, the savings are equivalent to the consumption of 9,063 homes in one day.
These are examples of how sustainability is strategically embedded in BASF's business and how we support the United Nations in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, which create the framework for sustainable business practices across the economic, social and environmental pillars.
