Dow Chemical 2009 Annual Report Download - page 20

The Dow Chemical Company
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Sustainability
There is only one planet Earth, and its resources are limited. So everything we do, and how
we do it, has an impact. As the world’s population rises and new economies emerge, society
requires novel solutions to meet its most basic needs, including energy, water, food, health
and transportation.
That’s what we do at Dow. We have some of the world’s best scientists and engineers
dedicated to solving global challenges. We focus our innovation engine on delivering new
technologies that enable our customers to meet society’s greatest needs, while at the same
time responsibly reducing our own footprint.
Water purification, crop productivity and harnessing energy from the wind and sun are just
some of the ways that Dow is committed to protecting our planet. This commitment unlocks
opportunities that are good for business and good for the world. For this reason, we’ve
elevated this commitment by making it a key corporate value in 2009.
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THE RIGHT FOCUS
Today, Dow is focusing on the areas
of greatest societal need, creating a
more sustainable tomorrow.
2015 Sustainability Goals
To ensure accountability and success, we report progress every quarter
on our 2015 Sustainability Goals. More detailed goal descriptions and
complete quarterly reports can be viewed at www.dow.com/commitments.
Product Safety Leadership
uGOAL:
Publish Product Safety Assessments for all products
Before a product is considered for market, it must meet our high standards
for both human and environmental safety. Dow’s Product Safety Assessments
(PSAs), a voluntary process for characterizing and managing product risk and
communicating non-technical product information to the public, have been
recognized as a best practice by government and industry representatives. As
a result of integrating Rohm and Haas, our overall product portfolio grew and
our total goal for PSAs increased from approximately 650 to 850. At the end of
the year, there were 231 PSAs posted on our website, reflecting an addition of
80 and surpassing our 2009 goal of 50 new PSAs. Our goal is to have publicly
available PSAs for all applicable Dow products by the end of 2015. Cumulative Product Safety Assessments
850
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Targets and combined performance
were recalibrated in 2009 to reflect
the acquisition of Rohm and Haas.