Case Study
Published 02-22-22
Submitted by DOW
On the Road to Carbon Neutrality
Reducing carbon emissions isn’t just the responsible thing to do. It also can be the smart thing to do to contribute to economic growth, while mitigating climate change.
At our Terneuzen operations, Dow’s largest European manufacturing site, we have outlined a roadmap to reduce current carbon emissions by more than 40 percent by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2050. The project will not only accelerate our journey to decarbonization, but also bring important economic benefits, including the creation of vital jobs. It also will help position our Company to competitively meet steadily rising demand for sustainably produced materials for our customers and society at large.
Reducing carbon emissions isn’t new for Dow. During the past 15 years, our company has reduced overall carbon emissions by 15 percent while also growing our business. Making such changes and progress is certainly challenging for an energy-intensive company like ours. Yet, we are committed to doing more. By 2030, we are targeting a reduction in annual carbon emissions by another 15 percent and plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
To accomplish this, we are investing in optimizing current facilities, increasing renewables in our power mix and investing in new carbon-reducing technologies. In Terneuzen, our multi-generation plan combines existing technologies, such as clean hydrogen and carbon capture and storage, with emerging technologies, such as e-cracking. Each generation of improvements will build on the previous, with the first generation of the plan delivering value in Generations 2 and 3.
Here’s a look at the multi-generational plan:
"Through public-private collaboration of industry, academia, government and others, we can turn the tide on climate change and support the long-term competitiveness of industry," said Dow Benelux President Anton van Beek.
Our plants produce materials that our customers use to make products that enrich people’s lives. At Terneuzen, this includes materials for wind turbines, medical supplies, furniture, footwear, home insulation and vehicles. By adapting how we manufacture those products to help address climate change, we can help enable both green jobs and the production of thousands of consumer goods with lower carbon footprints.
Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 30 countries and employ approximately 36,000 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $43 billion in 2024. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries.Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting www.dow.com.
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