Ciba Specialty Chemicals achieves further progress in environmental and safety performance

03-Jul-2001

Ciba specialty chemicals has made good environmental and safety progress since 1997 and aims to make more progress in the future. Ciba's Chairman and CEO, Armin Meyer says: "We met our energy reduction goal, we have made great strides in improving lost-time accidents and we have succeeded in continuously reducing emissions. Now, it's time to "raise the bar" with new goals for 2003". The Environment Health and Safety Report 2000 for Ciba Specialty chemicals, just published, illustrates the progress made by the company in the areas of environmental and safety performance since 1997, outlines the targets set for the next three years from 2001 to end 2003 and shows how Ciba's people and products are contributing to performance. The company reduced energy used per ton of product produced by 10.3%, achieving goals for the period 1997 to 2000 to reduce energy used by 10%. Lost-time accident statistics showed a reduction of over 50% in 2000 over those in 1997 and 22 sites around the world achieved zero lost-time accidents in 2000. In 1997 Ciba embraced the ideal of no lost-time accidents in the workplace with a concrete target of zero worldwide. Regarding the target to continuously reduce emissions, improvements have been achieved since 1997 in halogenated and non-halogenated Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions, dust emissions and chlorofluorcarbons. The goals for 2001 to 2003, as outlined in the report, have been set to achieve further progress in a program called "0-10-10":

The target of zero lost-time accidents continues worldwide

Energy usage should be reduced by 10% regardless of changes in production quantities

Ciba is also aiming for 10% greater material use efficiency

These targets come on top of Ciba's adherence to strict, global internal policies and procedures as well as its continued commitment to the chemical industry's voluntary best practice achievement program, Responsible Care®. "We have learned that what is good for the environment is good for business," says Chairman and CEO Armin Meyer in the report. "The global drive for lower emissions is also good for Ciba because, whether it be a reduction in solvent emissions from automotive coatings, low salt dyes for the textile industry or chemicals for the treatment of waste water, we are a global leader in providing more environmentally-friendly products for our customers." The 2000 Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Report, as well as providing detailed data on Ciba's inputs, emissions and trends in performance, also features interviews with employees around the world on their day-to-day work, taking into account environmental and safety considerations. Interviews have been carried out with people with responsibilities for EHS in Switzerland, China, Brazil, USA, South Africa and Mexico.

https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/3734/ciba-specialty-chemicals-achieves-further-progress-in-environmental-and-safety-performance.html