Midland, Mich. - April 23, 2012
The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: Dow) joins more than one billion people across the globe in elevating awareness of the importance of protecting our planet on the 42nd Annual Earth Day. From educational sessions and community events, to volunteering on clean-ups and implementing recycling programs, Dow employees are engaging in a variety of activities around Earth Day and around the world.
On April 23, Dow and the Chippewa Nature Center hosted an Earth Day presentation and nature learning event for the community, Dow employees and the University of Michigan students and staff. The featured presenter is Don Scavia, U-M Professor and Director of the Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute.
“This is a great time of year to think about our own personal commitments to protecting the planet,” said Neil Hawkins, Dow’s vice president of Sustainability and EH&S. “Dow people around the world are taking action in their local communities and in their jobs to be agents of positive change. We continue to point our people and our innovation engine squarely at solving environmental and social challenges, which in turn is good for business.”
In addition to specific Earth Day site activities during the month of April, several recent Dow initiatives are advancing the company’s commitments to its 2015 Sustainability Goals through strategic investments and collaboration.
Innovations for Tomorrow
In March, Dow expanded its Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge Award program, more than doubling the number of schools participating around the world. The program drives collaboration and advancement in social and environmental responsibility by inspiring and rewarding students who develop sustainable solutions.
Smart Solutions for Today
On April 17 and 18, Andrew Liveris, Dow Chairman and CEO, Neil Hawkins, Vice President of Sustainability and EH&S and Snehal Desai, Global Marketing Director for Dow Water and Process Solutions spoke and collaborated with thought leaders and shared solutions at the Fortune Brainstorm Green Conference in Laguna Niguel, California.
On March 22, World Water Day, Dow released a series of white papers on the Global Water Scarcity Challenge to increase awareness of geographic issues and solutions that can help meet the needs current and future generations.
Partners for Change
On March 12, Dow and the University of Michigan launched the Dow Sustainability Fellows Program. Dow’s gift over six years will support 300 graduate and postdoctoral scholars from natural and social sciences, engineering, business, law, public health, public policy, architecture, urban planning and other disciplines in developing cross-disciplinary solutions to sustainability challenges.
On January 24, one year after announcing a breakthrough collaboration to recognize, value and incorporate nature into global business goals, decisions and strategies, Dow and The Nature Conservancy released the initiative’s first annual Global Conservation Report.
Responsible Operations
Thursday, March 1, marked the kickoff of the 2012 Great American Cleanup - and Dow’s fifth year as a national sponsor of the Keep America Beautiful signature program. Dow sites throughout the U.S. join nearly 4 million of volunteers on beautification efforts within local communities.
On April 18-19, Dow’s Pittsburg, California operations, including over 30 Dow volunteers, hosted its annual Environmental Fair at the Dow Wetlands. More than 500 fourth grade students and their chaperones gathered for a half-day workshop to learn about wetlands, habitats, earth sciences, pollution and more.
On May 1, Dow will launch an expanded and more effective Global Waste Recycling Program to reduce the amount of non-hazardous post-consumer waste entering landfills from Dow labs and office facilities. The program also seeks to reduce and eliminate waste received from inbound supplier shipments for both raw materials and office supplies and consumables.
About Dow
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 such as electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2011, Dow had annual sales of $60 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 197 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. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
For Editorial Information:
Mike McCaffrey
The Dow Chemical Company
+1 (989) 636-3045
mmccaffrey@dow.com