HELPING DELIVER MORE SUSTAINABLE OLYMPIC GAMES, DOW BECOMES THE OFFICIAL CARBON PARTNER OF SOCHI 2014
Dow (NYSE: DOW), Worldwide Partner and the Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Games, was announced on March 13 by the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee as the Official Carbon Partner of the XXII Olympic Winter Games, to be staged from February 7–23, 2014. The direct carbon footprint associated with the delivery of the Games will be mitigated through the implementation of energy-efficient technologies, with improved greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions performance in the key areas of infrastructure, industry and agriculture. All projects will be implemented in the Russian Federation, generating savings and long-lasting benefits to the host country’s economy.
From the very beginning of its journey to host the Olympic Winter Games for the first time in Russian history, Sochi 2014 has set the bold goal of delivering the Games with minimal impact on the climate. In order to help the Organizing Committee fulfill its vision toward generating change and raising awareness around climate change in Russia, Dow will work with local companies and marketing partners of Sochi 2104 to mitigate the estimated carbon footprint associated by the Organizing Committee with the hosting of the Games.
«We aim to be the most innovative Olympic Winter Games in history, and our long-lasting positive impact will leave behind an unparalleled heritage not only to Sochi and the Krasnodar Region, but to Russia and its people for generations to come,» said Dmitry Chernyshenko, president of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Organizing Committee. «With its vast experience, world-class leadership in the industry and a wide range of innovative solutions, Dow is the trustworthy partner to help us on our journey to deliver more sustainable and innovative Games.»
The energy-efficient projects planned for implementation in Russia will enable the Organizing Committee to mitigate its carbon footprint and will also bring benefits to the country’s economy in the long term by targeting upgrades in building infrastructure, optimization of farming practices and enhancements on industrial processes. «We are very excited with the opportunity to work with Sochi 2014, Dow customers, and Olympic Partners to contribute to the sustainability vision of the first Olympic Winter Games in Russia - a country where Dow will celebrate a 40 year presence in 2014,» said George Hamilton, vice president, Dow Olympic Operations. «As the Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Games, our commitment is to enable higher-performing and more sustainable Games.»
Dow’s unique capabilities to support Sochi 2014 are demonstrated by a track record of enabling emissions reductions for its customers and improving the Company’s performance at its operations worldwide. «Since 1990, Dow products and technologies have helped our customers avoid over 1 billion tons of GHG emissions. During the same time period, we aggressively managed our own footprint by preventing more than 270 million metric tons from entering the atmosphere,» said Neil Hawkins, vice president, Global EHS & Sustainability at Dow. «We are proud to see our portfolio of solutions enabling impressive energy savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by our customers around the globe. Now we are looking forward to further leveraging our expertise and technologies to help Sochi 2014, and Russia, to achieve a more sustainable, lower emissions future.»
Public engagement will play an important role on the journey to help transform Sochi 2014 into Games with minimal impact on the climate. As the Official Carbon Partner, Dow will work with the Organizing Committee and other partners to engage Olympic fans around the world to learn how to improve their own carbon footprint and conserve energy. Dow will also partner with Offsetters Climate Solutions, the Official Supplier of Carbon Offsets of the Vancouver Organizing Committee in 2010, to develop the measurement tools to account for the carbon benefits of the solutions implemented in Russia. ERM, a leading global provider of environmental, health, safety, risk, and social consulting services, will provide critical review and assurance for the partnership.
«One of our key goals with this project is to highlight the science behind our solutions to go beyond business as usual and accelerate the adoption of more efficient technologies across Russia,» said Peter de Groot, Dow Russia general manager. «Dow’s vast portfolio of innovative, technology-based solutions, combined with the highly-valuable contributions from our partners, will enable Sochi 2014 to deliver on its carbon commitments. Through industry-leading expertise and strategic partnerships, Dow will bring to the Olympic stage, once again, the power of Solutionism.»
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity. Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors. In 2012, Dow had annual sales of approximately $57 billion and employed approximately 54,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 188 sites in 36 countries across the globe. References to «Dow» or the «Company» mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted.
With almost 40 years of continued presence in Russia and CIS, and supported by its experience, size and global presence, Dow is passionately committed to further developing closer partnership with the local companies to keep growing the business, while significantly accelerating the growth of the chemical industry in the region and to jointly increasing its competitiveness in an international context. In 2012, Dow had annual sales of over 700 mln. USD and employed approximately 260 highly qualified specialists in Russia and CIS. In addition to its representation offices in Moscow and Sochi (Russia), Kiev (Ukraine) and Astana (Kazakhstan), the Company has two manufacturing facilities in Ramenskoye (Moscow Region) for the production of additives for paints and coatings, and in Vladimir where the Dow Izolan joint venture company inaugurated in 2009 its new, large and state-of-the-art manufacturing plant for the production of polyurethane systems.
