PARENT SESSION

WP12A Studies on Social Impacts
C120-122
1:20 PM - 4:40 PM, Wednesday

() SEEbalance®–Sustainability Management Using BASF′s Socio–eco–efficiency Analysis.

Kicherer, A¹, Schmidt, I², Wall-Markowski, C³, ¹ BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany² Karlslruhe University, Karlsruhe, Germany³ BASF Corporation, Mount Olive, New Jersey, USA

ABSTRACT- In connection with globalisation and the discussion of sustainable development, corporate sustainabil-ity is gaining strategic relevance for companies. Increasing eco–efficiency and socio–efficiency are key strategies here, which can also be used to improve products and manufacturing processes profitably. The desired objectives will, however, be measurable and controllable for the company only if suitable controlling instruments are developed. Therefore BASF is cooperating with Karlsruhe University and the ko–Institut e.V., Germany, in developing a method for measuring social aspects of sustainability with the aim to incorporate them into the existing BASF eco–efficiency analysis. Based on the principles of the BASF eco–efficiency analysis on the one hand, and a product–related specification of the social sustainability dimension on the other hand, a social life cycle assessment procedure has been developed which now is to be tested and discussed. The new integrated instrument, the so–called SEEbalance®, will be applied at BASF in order to improve the performance of the company′s product portfolio and manufacturing processes and to market advantageous products. The presentation will cover the concept of the new methodology. SEEbalance®is a comparative life cycle assessment tool that consists of three main aspects: costs, environmental impact and social effects of different product or process alternatives are examined and compared. Socio–eco–efficient solutions combine a relatively good environmental performance with high social benefit and at the same time low costs for the end customer. Social criteria for the evaluation of products and processes are proposed. The developed method for the social life cycle assessment is based on an industrial sector analysis of statistical data. The final aggregation and presentation of the results is done in an analogous manner as in the eco–efficiency analysis.

Key words: eco–efficiency, social, SEEbalance®, sustainability