Sustainable Development Report 2015

www.essensciaforsustainability.be

People Planet Prosperity Products

ABOUT THIS REPORTThis fourth biennial sustainability report illustrates, on the basis of many ex-amples and good practices, the strong commitment of the chemical and life sciences industry towards the three most significant pillars of sustainable de-velopment: People, Planet and Prosperity.

This is supplemented by a fourth chapter for Products. Hereby showing that the chemical, plastics and pharmaceutical industry is constantly developing innovative products that are not only safe to use but also offer sustainable solutions for the major global challenges our society is facing.

This leaflet is only a brief summary of the sustainable development report. The full version is exclusively available online in Dutch, French and English. The different chapters are easily downloadable, enabling readers to create their own customized reports.

What’s new in the 2015 report?The current issue of the sustainable development report presents a new indicator on resource efficiency. For the chemical and life sciences industry, it is self-evi-dent to treat raw materials in a sustainable manner by optimizing the production processes, transforming to a circular economy and exploring the opportunities of industrial biotechnology.

As a result, the production index has increased by 41% over the past eight years, whereas the proportion of energy used as a raw material has decreased by 8%. These figures show clearly that an increasing amount of value is being created per quantity of raw material used.

Furthermore, essenscia fully subscribes to the new United Nations’ global goals for sustainable development. These goals are stated in the present report when they are related to the indicators used.

EDITORIALThe chemical, plastics and pharmaceutical industry is playing a leading role within our society, striving to become more sustainable. The solutions it offers are numerous and varied. Agriculture, mobility, health care, household goods, the construction sector, the climate ... all of these are areas where the contri-butions by chemistry and life sciences are of paramount importance towards the creation of a better and more sustainable future.

Chemistry is a fantastic science that enables us to modulate and adapt matter in function of its capacity to enhance our societal well-being in a constantly changing world. The risks that accompany innovation need to be assessed ob-jectively and correctly estimated within a framework of preventative parameters.

The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is investing major sums in research and development in order to be able to offer guarantees in a number of essential areas such as maximum consumer safety, minimum environmental impact and a more efficient performance in order to improve everyone’s quality of life.

The industrial activities within the Belgian chemical and pharmaceutical sector continue their progress towards sustainable development. And this journey is never quite at an end. Our online report offers you, by means of a simple, easily accessible structure, an overview on the advancement that has been realized in Belgium by an industry that remains convinced of its undoubted growth potential within our country.

Yves Verschueren, Managing Director essenscia

Our industry in a nutshell

88,225jobs

145,000indirect

employment

64.2billion ¤turnover

23billion ¤

trade balance

3billion ¤

R&D-expenditures

Yves Verschueren, Managing Director essenscia

An innovative industry with the aim to create a better and more sustainable future

Discover the full report on www.essensciaforsustainability.be

ProductsA wide range of innovationsfor a sustainable future and a better quality of life

People Planet Prosperity Products

Sustainable constructionTo provide comfortable living

Thermal insulation, window frames, piping and membranes, intelligent coatings and paints, construction materials, solar panels and materialsfor renewable technologies

Product safetyTo avoid risks both for mankindand the environment

Risk management, safe use icons, substitution, training throughout the supply chain, awareness campaigns, stewardship programs

Water is lifeTo guarantee better water quality

High grade water technology, wastewater treatment, sustainable water use, water resources preservation, plastic piping for zero water loss

Sustainable agricultureTo support sustainablefood production

Fertilisers, crop protection, nutrient additives, phytopharmaceuticals,packaging for enhanced food conservation

Health and well-beingTo build a better and longer life

Innovative vaccines, effective medicines, antimicrobial products, detergents

Inventing tomorrow’s solutionsTo be a frontrunner in innovation

Industrial biotechnology, new energy solutions, biobased resources, light weight solutions in aeronautics and automotive, hydrogen fuel,new generation inks

Sustainable useTo ensure a well-informedand sustainable use of our products

Minimal dosing, sustainable sourcing, resource effi ciency, recycling and recovery, circular economy, waste to chemicals

ProsperityAn important pillar of the Belgian economy thanks to innovation

Belgium remains the world championin chemicals, plastics and biopharmaceuticals

on a per capita basis, accounting for almostone third of the total value added

in the manufacturing industry

Attracting forward-looking industrial investments: 1.78 billion ¤ on average per year

over the last 10 years, hereby covering30% of the Belgian total in 2013

Our industry is number 1in Belgium for export

generating a structural positive trade balance of 23 billion ¤

The most innovative sectorin Belgium with more than3 billion ¤ spent on R&D,

covering nearly half of all privateR&D-expenditures in Belgium

21

3

Breaktrough research leads to almost ‘a patent per working day’, counting for 35% of all granted patents in Belgium

258 patentsper yearx2

since2003 N°1

1.78billion ¤ 1.78billion ¤

PeopleEmbracing human capital to keep our industry at the top

Almost half of all employees have a higher degree (university and higher education) resulting

in a highly skilled workforce

Permanent education is key. In 2013, 62% of all employees

followed a training program

Safety remains a top priority. The rate of accidents at workis nearly half of the average

in the manufacturing industry

Expanding our share inthe industrial employment

2003 2013

16%18,1%

43%of

theresearchers

46%

62%

Promoting diversityand gender equality

aged 50+

Welcoming young talent to compensate for retirements

Focussing on energy effi ciency. Since 1990 the total production

of our industry has tripled, whereas energy consumption has only grown by one third

Since 1990 our industry has managed a signifi cant decrease

of greenhouse gas emissions per production volume unit

PlanetLeading the way in energy effi ciency and environmental care

Improving water quality by reducing the specifi c COD

(chemical oxygen demand) in process wastewater with more

than 90% since 1987

Recovering industrial waste either as materials or as energy.

Waste recovery doubledthe last decade

-90%COD

70%

energyeffi ciency -84%

-80%

CO2

Producing more with fewer resources. In the past 8 years

production rose and the use of resources decreased

thanks to resource effi ciency

Limiting acidifying emissionsto barely 3% of the total

for Belgium

Production +41%

Resources -8%

1987 2013

+

essenscia

Belgian Federation for Chemistryand Life Sciences Industries

Diamant BuildingBoulevard Auguste Reyerslaan 80B-1030 Brussels

T + 32 2 238 97 11F + 32 2 231 13 01

info@essenscia.bewww.essenscia.be

www.facebook.com/essenscia

essenscia_NLessenscia_FR

Discover the full report onwww.essensciaforsustainability.be

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