Making the world a better place for all people; that is the overarching aim of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of Agenda 2030. The agreement was adopted by 193 companies at the Sustainable Development Summit on September 25, 2015. Among other things, it aims to end poverty, hunger and inequality, halt climate change and promote environmental protection. Other goals include access to health care and education, as well as the establishment of strong institutions and partnerships.

“Business is a vital partner in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Companies can contribute through their core activities, and we ask companies everywhere to assess their impact, set ambitious goals and communicate transparently about the results.”

Ban Ki-Moon
UN Secretary-General 2007-2016

SUSTAINABILITY CONNECTS PEOPLE

It is the task of all in society – be it government, civil society or business – to promote sustainable development. LANXESS is therefore supporting the 17 SDGs and thinking and acting with sustainability in mind, for example through stable procurement, safe and sustainable sites, a sustainable product portfolio, climate protection and energy efficiency.

However, sustainability starts with procurement. As a founding member of the “Together for Sustainability” initiative, LANXESS promotes the uniform evaluation of suppliers based on sustainability criteria, together with partners from the chemical industry. The aim is for every buyer to be able to recognize quickly and easily the supplier’s position toward its products in terms of human rights, working standards, occupational safety, environmental protection and business integrity.

Between 2007 and 2016, LANXESS already saved 13.8 million metric tons of climate gas emissions. However, it does not stop there: CO₂ emissions are set to drop by 25 percent in comparison with the base year 2015.Other examples of this include two new nitrous oxide reduction units at the production site in the Uerdingen district of Krefeld. The first thermal nitrous oxide reduction unit began operation there back in 1992, and since then it has accounted for emissions cuts of approximately 85 percent. The second unit went online in 2009. In a thermal process, nitrous oxide is split off from the waste gas stream generated by adipic acid production and is broken down into oxygen and nitrogen at temperatures of over 1,000 °C. The heat that this creates, in turn, generates steam that is fed into the site’s supply network. Another example can be found in Brazil. At the LANXESS site of Porto Feliz, a cogeneration plant provides the site with electricity and steam. What makes it so special is that the plant is powered by a by-product of sugar production. This also enabled emissions at the site to be substantially reduced.

However, it is not just in production that the company is keen to improve living conditions. Products from LANXESS also help to enhance quality of life and promote the Sustainable Development Goals. Here are a few examples:

This masks a person’s characteristic odor so bugs such as ticks and mosquitoes can no longer sense people. The product is even recommended by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO).

For more informations about Icaridin see here.

These range from city wastewater recycling and water treatment in industries to seawater desalination on land. Technologies like these are especially important in areas with a dry climate or with limited access to clean water.

One example is Lazorde Bay, located west of Alexandria, Egypt. Here, a water treatment system with 48 Lewabrane^® membrane elements converts 900 cubic meters of water from the Mediterranean Sea into water of potable quality every day.

THE SDGS – CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY

Much has been achieved already in terms of sustainable development – and every contribution in terms of climate protection, improving living conditions and saving valuable resources counts.