BASF is evaluating its office buildings worldwide in terms of sustainability. This year, the company has already assessed economic, environmental and social criteria of seven buildings in Europe, Asia, North and South America.

The assessment method of BASF is based on standards of sustainable building labels and on the system of the German Sustainable Building Council, of which the company is a founding member. First, the general state of construction concerning the basic structure and sustainability of the building are determined. Then, for example, the condition of windows and the energy consumption of the building are evaluated, as well as whether lighting and room temperature are adjusted to the well-being of employees.

The results are integrated into a report. It contains recommendations on how the building can be optimized, provided that they are economically feasible. “With this project, we are setting a benchmark for the chemical industry. We are one of the first companies to analyze sustainability criteria of its buildings worldwide,” said Margret Suckale, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE.

Approximately 150 BASF-owned office buildings with a floor area of over 1,000 square meters are being analyzed in 50 sites. In the first half of 2013, BASF has examined offices in Ludwigshafen, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Wyandotte, Michigan; Demarchi near São Paulo, Brazil; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia together with the international consulting and engineering company Drees & Sommer.

The results were varied. The suggestions ranged from small modifications in building equipment to insulating façades. “For structural alterations, we will favor BASF products. They help us for example to increase energy efficiency in the buildings,” explained Claudia Neumann-Liedemit, Project Leader in the Group Real Estate & Facility Management of BASF.

The project is one step further toward achieving BASF’s ambitious sustainability goals. In 2011, BASF signed the “Manifesto for Energy Efficiency in Buildings” issued by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), an association of 200 leading global companies which promote sustainable development.