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Bayer’s
efforts for sustainable development |
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Bayer exercise the greatest possible
care towards humankind and the environment.
The efficient deployment of resources
and energy is at the heart of our environmental
protection activities in day-to-day
production. We also take very seriously
any risks emanating from our products
and production processes and evaluate
them early in order to develop measures
to control them or find alternatives.
In the area of climate protection, we
have set ourselves particularly ambitious
targets and have already partly achieved
them. |
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Future-oriented climate protection |
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In the environmental protection activities
in its production plants Bayer focuses
strongly on climate protection, one
of the world’s biggest challenges.
In the 2004/2005 period covered by
the Report, the absolute greenhouse
gas emissions at Bayer dropped to
5.6 millions metric tons of CO2 equivalents
in 2004 and 3.9 million metric tons
of CO2 equivalents in 2005. In total,
greenhouse gas emissions throughout
the Bayer Group decreased by over
70 percent from 1990 to 2005 –
from 15 million metric tons to 3.9
million metric tons of CO2 equivalents.
The key factors contributing to the
reduction in environmental impact
of over 5.5 million metric tons of
CO2 equivalent were our wide-ranging
investments and technological innovations.
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The most important single measures
were:
- Incineration of N2O generated during
the production of adipic acid (now part
of Lanxess operations) – since
1993, this has eliminated approx. 4
million metric tons of CO2 equivalents
a year;
- Incineration of N2O generated during
the production of adipic acid (now part
of Lanxess operations) – since
1993, this has eliminated approx. 4
million metric tons of CO2 equivalents
a year;
- In 2003, Bayer trod new ground with
an innovative electrolysis process for
producing chlorine from hydrochloric
acid. The oxygen depolarized cathode
technology consumes up to 30 percent
less electrical power than the conventional
diaphragm process.
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In December 2005, at the Climate Summit
in Montreal, Bayer was presented with
the “Low Carbon Leaders Award”
by The Climate Group, an international
climate protection organization founded
in 2004, in recognition of its achievements
in this sector. It met with a certain
amount of criticism among the general
public because the reduction in emissions
is attributable not only to energy-efficient
measures and the use of new technologies,
but also to organizational changes.
In this context, however, it is also
relevant to look at energy consumption:
In the Bayer Group, worldwide energy
consumption has been reduced by around
ten percent since the beginning of the
1990s. Evidence of the careful handling
of resources and of increasing energy
efficiency is provided above all by
the fact that the reduction in energy
consumption in relation to product volume
declined by over 40 percent between
1990 and 2004. |
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Energy savings: Bayer materials
utilize the potential |
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Our responsibility for the global
climate goes beyond optimizing our production
processes. The products themselves also
make an important contribution to lowering
energy consumption. Our polycarbonate,
for example, is frequently used as a
substitute for glass and metal in vehicle
parts, reducing the overall vehicle
weight and thus lowering fuel consumption.
Our polyurethane also reduces energy
consumption, whether in the form of
an insulating material in refrigerators
or as heat insulation in buildings.
Its outstanding insulating properties
help to cut energy consumption very
significantly. The total volume of polyurethane
produced every year by Bayer and used
in refrigerators alone helps to save
around 11 million metric tons of CO2.
As far as the insulation of buildings
is concerned, a similar calculation
shows an annual worldwide CO2 saving
of between 80 and 175 million metric
tons. If we add together all the energy
savings resulting from the use of the
polyurethane and polycarbonate, we obtain
a figure that exceeds the energy required
to manufacture them several times over. |
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Efficient utilization of resources
- Efficient resource management |
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For Bayer, the efficient utilization
of resources makes an important contribution
to sustainable development. To reduce
the consumption of energy and raw materials
at its production plants – and
thus cut emissions at the same time
– Bayer utilizes every existing
possibility for process optimization.
That we are successful in this, and
that resource productivity has risen
consistently in the last few years as
a result, is shown by the environmental
statistics for solid waste, wastewater
and energy. |
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Energy: Process for using
biogas from sewage sludge |
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At present, Bayer Industry Services
is working on a new process to reduce
sewage sludge. The project, which was
launched in Leverkusen in 2005, aims
to treat sewage sludge in such a way
that biogas can be obtained from the
organic content and used to generate
energy. The residual inorganic content
would then be deposited on a hazardous
waste landfill. The European Commission
is supporting the development of the
process (which is based on three stages)
as part of its “Life” environment
program. |
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Processes and production facilities
- Safe production |
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Safe production plants, equipment
and supplies are essential for successful
manufacturing. Our specialists develop
and build safe processes and production
facilities throughout the world. And
they also look after their operation,
working in accordance with the very
latest safety standards. There is probably
no other segment that works within such
a tight framework of legal regulations
and controls. Our management systems,
internal directives and tools for preventive
and comprehensive product evaluation
ensure that we comply with all the necessary
aspects of safety, both during production
and in transport. |
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Safety at the workplace: Focus
on avoiding accidents |
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In the field of occupational safety,
our safety experts are on hand to prevent
illnesses and accidents by implementing
preventive and protective measures.
Proof of the high level of safety at
Bayer is provided by the excellent statistics
for occupational injuries. Occupational
injuries were reduced again during the
period covered by the Report. As far
as incidents at our sites are concerned,
we do everything we can to improve the
work processes so that comparable incidents
can be excluded in the future. |
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Health management: Wide-ranging
services |
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All Bayer sites offer their employees
a comprehensive range of health care
services, extending from basic care
from company physicians, through acute
medicine and investigative medicine,
to psycho-social consulting, addiction
consulting and addiction therapy. Our
company health management system extends
beyond health care at the place of work,
also aiming to increase motivation and
encourage and maintain the physical,
mental and social well-being of the
workforce. |
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