For the second year running, materials manufacturer Covestro and UN Environment are calling on young innovators across the globe to submit their creative solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Representing every global region, seven applicants with the most promising solutions will be recognized as Young Champions of the Earth. The world’s pre-eminent environmental honor for young people was awarded last year for the first time. Each winner will receive $15,000 in seed funding, customized training, participation in a high-level U.N. meeting and global publicity.

In parallel, up to 50 applicants will be granted privileged access to an online mentoring program. A community of experts drawn from 16,000 Covestro employees will become mentors dedicated to strengthening the viability and impact of the mentees’ ideas.

By providing such technical and financial support, Covestro and UN Environment will help young people scale up their big ideas into real workable solutions for environmental problems and, in doing so, inspire others to take action.

“It’s not just a pleasure for us to continue to support UN Environment with the Young Champions of the Earth program, but a necessity because sustainability, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, play such a huge part in what we do every single day at Covestro to tackle some of the complex environmental challenges we all face,” says Patrick Thomas, Covestro CEO.

"There is not a single environmental problem today that we cannot innovate our way out of. It's therefore essential that we do our best to empower and inspire young entrepreneurs," says Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment.

"When we tap into that creativity, we can unearth fresh thinking and new possibilities for the sustainable future of our Earth. Young people are the leaders of today, not just tomorrow. They are the key to a clean, green and pollution-free planet."

Interested environmentalists between the ages of 18 and 30 are encouraged to submit their big ideas here by midnight GMT on 2 April 2018.

For further information see http://web.unep.org/youngchampions/.

About Covestro LLC:

Covestro LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business, which is among the world’s largest polymer companies with 2017 sales of EUR 14.1 billion. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, construction, wood processing and furniture, electrical and electronics, and medical industries. Other sectors include sports and leisure, cosmetics and the chemical industry itself. Covestro has 30 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 16,200 people at the end of 2017.

Find more information at www.covestro.us

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

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Covestro LLC

Covestro LLC

Covestro LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance polymers in North America and is part of the global Covestro business. Covestro manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical and sports and leisure industries. i³ (ignite, imagine, innovate) is Covestro LLC’s companywide corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative that aims to spark curiosity, to envision what could be and to help create it. Built on the three pillars of philanthropy (i³ Give), employee volunteerism (i³ Engage) and STEM education (i³ STEM), i³ seeks to create sustainable and lasting impacts.

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