BASF is set to offer its products 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and polytetrahydrofuran (PolyTHF) as LowPCF products from early 2024. The chemical major has calculated the individual product carbon footprints (PCF) of both chemical products.

The results were compared with assessments of market-wide average carbon footprints of the corresponding products of third parties. The analysis shows that due to BASF’s production setup, the PCFs of BDO and derivatives such as PolyTHF are significantly below the global average PCF of the corresponding third-party chemicals that are all produced from fossil-based raw materials.

On its journey to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050, BASF is the first large chemical company to make available to its customers the individual PCFs of all its sales products. The PCF comprises the total greenhouse gas emissions that occur until the product leaves BASF’s factory gate for the customer: from the extraction of resources through manufacturing of precursors to the making of the final chemical product itself.

“Company CO2 emission reduction targets are playing an increasingly important role in the value chains we serve. With our LowPCF intermediates, we are supporting our customers in achieving their targets: They now have the option to consciously choose a product with a carbon footprint significantly below the global market average,” said Ketan Joshi, head of BASF’s Intermediates operating division. “By making CO2 emission data at the individual product level available to our customers, we also offer a level of transparency that is unique in the chemical industry.”