AgBalance^® is a method to measure and assess sustainability in agriculture. BASF developed the method based on its many years of experience with the Eco-Efficiency Analysis and SEEBalance^® and in cooperation with customers and experts.

Associated companies are entities that are not subsidiaries, joint ventures or joint operations, and over whose operating and financial policies significant influence can be exercised. In general, this applies to companies in which BASF has an investment of between 20% and 50%.

A barrel of oil equivalent (BOE) is an international unit of measurement for comparing the energy content of different fuels. It is equal to one barrel of crude oil, or 6,000 cubic feet (169 cubic meters) of natural gas.

Biotechnology includes all processes and products that make use of living organisms, including plants, bacteria and yeasts, or their cellular constituents, such as enzymes.

We define capex as additions to property, plant and equipment excluding additions from acquisitions, IT investments, restoration obligations and right-of-use assets arising from leases.

Carbon management bundles our global activities and a long-term research and development program to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The objective is to achieve our climate protection target and set the course for low-carbon chemical production.

The international nonprofit organization CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) analyzes environmental data of companies. The CDP’s indexes serve as assessment tools for investors.

The circular economy concept describes the transition away from a linear model of “take-make-dispose” to a system of closed loops powered by renewable energy. The core elements of a circular economy include reusing resources, avoiding waste and optimizing product features with respect to the entire product life cycle.

CO₂ equivalents are units for measuring the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on the greenhouse effect. A factor known as the global warming potential (GWP) shows the impact of the individual gases compared with CO₂ as the reference value.

The commercial paper program is a framework agreement between BASF and banks regarding the issuing of debt obligations on the financial market (commercial paper). The commercial paper is issued under a rolling program for which the terms can be determined individually. This requires a good rating.

BASF’s Competency Model is derived from our corporate strategy and our values and translates these into specific day-to-day behavioral standards. It is applicable worldwide, creating a common framework for the conduct of all BASF employees and leaders to enable us to reach our shared goals. The eight competencies are: Drive Innovation, Collaborate for Achievement, Embrace Diversity, Communicate Effectively, Drive Sustainable Solutions, Develop Self and Others, Act with Entrepreneurial Drive, Demonstrate Customer Focus.

Compliance is an important element of corporate governance. It refers to the company’s behavior in accordance with laws, guidelines and voluntary codices.

We understand customers as all external companies (sold-to parties) that had contracts with the BASF Group in the business year concerned under which sales were generated.

The Dodd-Frank Act issued in 2010 comprises accounting and disclosure obligations for publicly listed U.S. companies regarding the use of certain raw materials that come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or its bordering countries. The companies must prove that the materials they use do not come from mines in these conflict areas. The definition of conflict minerals as per the Dodd-Frank Act includes the following materials and their derivatives: columbite-tantalite (coltan), cassiterite, wolframite and gold.

An ongoing risk management process to identify and avoid negative impacts on and by a company (for example, through human rights violations in the supply chain).

Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT): At BASF, EBIT corresponds to income from operations.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA): At BASF, EBITDA corresponds to income from operations before depreciation and amortization (impairments and reversals of impairments).

The EBITDA margin is the margin that we earn on sales from our operating activities before depreciation and amortization as a percentage of EBITDA. It is calculated as income from operations before depreciation, amortization, impairments and reversals of impairments as a percentage of sales.

The Eco-Efficiency Analysis is a method developed by BASF for assessing the economic and environmental aspects of products and processes. The aim is to compare products with regard to profitability and environmental compatibility.

We define the emerging markets as Greater China, the ASEAN countries (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam), India, Pakistan and Bangladesh; Central America including Mexico and South America; eastern Europe; the Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

The equity method is used to account for shareholdings in joint ventures and associated companies. Based on the acquisition costs of the shareholding as of the acquisition date, the carrying amount is continuously adjusted to the changes in equity of the company in which the share is held.

The European Water Stewardship (EWS) Standard enables businesses and agriculture to assess the sustainability of their water management practices. The criteria are sustainable water abstraction, maintaining good water quality, preserving conservation areas, and ensuring continuous improvement processes. The EWS standard came into force at the end of 2011 and was developed by nongovernmental organizations, governments and businesses under the direction of the independent organization European Water Partnership (EWP).

Exploration refers to the search for mineral resources, such as crude oil or natural gas, in the Earth’s crust. The exploration process involves using suitable geophysical methods to find structures that may contain oil and gas, then proving a possible discovery by means of exploratory drilling.

Formulation describes the combination of one or more active substances with excipients like emulsifiers, stabilizers and other inactive components in order to improve the applicability and effectiveness of various products, such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, paints and coatings.

Free cash flow is the cash flows from operating activities less payments made for property, plant and equipment and intangible assets.

Genome editing refers to a series of new molecular biological methods to make specific changes in the genome. Naturally occurring processes are used to make small changes to an organism’s genes to modify a specific characteristic. Such techniques have great potential for innovative solutions in healthcare, agriculture and industrial applications, for example.

The Global Product Strategy aims to establish global product stewardship standards and practices for companies. The program aims to improve the safety management of chemical substances and to support governments in the introduction of local chemical regulations.

The Global Reporting Initiative is a multistakeholder organization. It was established in 1997 with the aim of developing a guideline for companies’ and organizations’ voluntary reporting on their economic, environmental and social activities.

The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, used by many companies in different sectors as well as nongovernmental organizations and governments, is a globally recognized standard to quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions. The reporting standards and recommendations for implementing projects to reduce emissions are jointly developed by companies, nongovernmental organizations and governments under the guidance of the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The Health Performance Index is an indicator developed by BASF to provide more detailed insight into our approach to health management. It comprises five components: recognized occupational diseases, medical emergency drills, first aid, preventive medicine and health promotion.

IAS stands for International Accounting Standards.

The International Financial Reporting Standards (until 2001: International Accounting Standards, IAS) are developed and published by the International Accounting Standards Board, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The “IAS Regulation” made the application of IFRSs mandatory for listed companies headquartered in the European Union starting in 2005.

The ILO Core Labor Standards are set out in a declaration of the International Labor Organization (ILO), comprising eight conventions that set minimum requirements for decent working conditions.

ISO 14001 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that determines the general requirements for an environmental management system for voluntary certification.

ISO 19011 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that also serves as a guide for auditing management systems, for example for occupational health and safety, energy, quality and environmental management.

ISO 27001 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that determines the general requirements for an information security management system for voluntary certification.

ISO 50001 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that determines the general requirements for an energy management system for voluntary certification.

ISO 9001 is an international standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that determines minimum requirements for a quality management system for voluntary certification.

A joint arrangement refers to joint ventures and joint operations, and describes a jointly controlled arrangement of two or more parties. This arrangement exists if decisions about relevant activities require the unanimous consent of all parties sharing control.

A joint operation is a joint arrangement in which the parties that share control have direct rights to the assets and liabilities relating to the arrangement. For joint operations, the proportional share of assets, liabilities, income and expenses are reported in the BASF Group Consolidated Financial Statements.

A joint venture is a joint arrangement in which the parties that have joint control of a legally independent entity have rights to the net assets of that arrangement. Joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method in the BASF Group Consolidated Financial Statements.

The long-term incentive is a share price-based compensation program primarily for senior executives of the BASF Group and members of the Board of Executive Directors. Among other things, the program aims to tie a portion of the participants’ annual compensation to the long-term performance of BASF shares by having the senior executives make an individual investment in the company’s stock. The introduction of the new LTI also incentivizes the achievement of strategic growth, profitability and sustainability targets.

BASF uses a materiality analysis to identify and assess sustainability topics. This considers the expectations and demands of external stakeholders, as well as the expertise of members of the Stakeholder Advisory Council. Assessments prepared by our employees from various units are also taken into account. An analysis of various data sources expands on and verifies these findings.

MDI stands for diphenylmethane diisocyanate and is one of the most important raw materials for the production of polyurethane. This plastic is used for applications ranging from the soles of high-tech running shoes and shock absorbers for vehicle engines to insulation for refrigerators and buildings.

The British thermal unit (Btu) is a unit of energy observed in the Anglo-American measuring system. It is used for indicating values such as the energy content of gas. One mmBtu (million British thermal units) is equal to approximately 1,003 cubic feet of gas or 28 cubic meters of gas.

Monitoring systems and tools serve to measure and ensure the adherence to standards. One area that is monitored is our voluntary commitments, such as the adherence to human rights and internationally recognized labor standards.

The MSCI World Chemicals Index is a stock index that includes the world’s biggest chemical companies. It measures the performance of the companies in the index in their respective national currencies, thus considerably reducing currency effects.

The International Organization for Standardization defines nanomaterials as materials with one or more external dimensions on a nanoscale or with internal structure or surface structure on a nanoscale. For regulatory purposes, there are additional definitions for nanomaterials worldwide.

Naphtha is petroleum that is produced during oil refining. Heavy naphtha is the starting point for gasoline production. Light naphtha is the most important feedstock for steam crackers.

VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are organic substances that are present in the air as gas at low temperatures. These include some hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes and organic acids. NMVOCs are VOCs from which methane is excluded.

The Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series (OHSAS) includes the standard OHSAS 18001, which contains a framework for an occupational safety management system. This system can be integrated into an existing quality and environmental protection management system and certified accordingly.

The peak sales potential of the Agricultural Solutions pipeline describes the total peak sales forecast for individual products in the research and development pipeline. Peak sales are the highest sales value to be expected from one year. The pipeline comprises innovative products that have been on the market since 2019 or will be launched on the market by 2029.

Process safety incidents (PSI) is a worldwide harmonized industry metric used to report events involving the release of a substance or energy where this exceeds defined thresholds. BASF has used the criteria and reporting thresholds developed by the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) since 2018.

Propylene oxide (PO), a very reactive compound, is generated by the oxidation of propylene and is used as basic chemical for further processing in the chemical industry.

REACH is a European Union regulatory framework for the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals, and was implemented gradually by 2018. Companies are obligated to collect data on the properties and uses of produced and imported substances and to assess any risks.

Renewable raw materials are products made from biomass such as sugars, starches and vegetable oils that are not used as food or feed, but as feedstock or to generate warmth, electricity or fuels.

Responsible Care^® refers to a worldwide initiative by the chemical industry to continuously improve its performance in the areas of environmental protection, health and safety.

Profits generated can be used in two ways: distribution to shareholders or retention within the company.

Return on capital employed (ROCE) is a measure of the profitability of our operations. This is calculated as the EBIT generated by the segments as a percentage of the average cost of capital basis. The average cost of capital basis corresponds to the operating assets of the segments plus the customer and supplier financing not included there and is calculated using the month-end figures.

The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that develops industry-specific sustainability reporting standards. These aim to create transparency around material dimensions of sustainability: economic, environmental and social impact.

SEEbalance^® is the SocioEcoEfficiency analysis developed by BASF. It can be used to evaluate and compare the environmental impact, costs and social aspects of products and manufacturing processes. SEEbalance^® makes sustainable development measurable and manageable for companies by combining the three dimensions of sustainability – economy, environment and society – in an integrated product assessment tool.

Special items arise from the integration of acquired businesses, restructuring measures, impairments, gains or losses resulting from divestitures and sales of shareholdings, and other expenses and income that arise outside of ordinary business activities.

A spot market is a market where an agreed-upon deal, including delivery, acceptance and payment, occurs immediately, as opposed to forward contracts, where the delivery, acceptance and payment occurs at a point in time after the conclusion of the deal.

A steam cracker is a plant in which steam is used to “crack” naphtha (petroleum) or natural gas. The resulting petrochemicals are the raw materials used to produce most of BASF’s products.

We use Sustainable Solution Steering to review and guide our product portfolio in terms of sustainability. The four categories – Accelerators, Performers, Transitioners and Challenged – indicate how our products and solutions already comply with sustainability requirements and how we can increase their contribution.

The Task Force on Climate-related Disclosures (TCFD) established by the G20 Financial Stability Board promotes the disclosure of information and data relevant to climate change by companies, and develops corresponding recommendations. The objective is to improve market participants’ understanding of material climate-relevant risks and enable them to better assess the opportunities and risks of climate change. BASF supports the recommendations and is involved in the work of the Task Force.

TDI stands for toluene diisocyanate and is a raw material for the production of polyurethane. It is used primarily in the automotive industry (for example, in seat cushions and interiors) and the furniture industry (for example, for flexible foams for mattresses or cushioning, or in wood coating).

BASF considers all direct suppliers of the BASF Group in the business year concerned as Tier 1 suppliers. These are suppliers that provide us with raw materials, investment goods, consumables and services. Suppliers can be natural persons, companies or legal persons under public law. Suppliers usually work together with other suppliers, which are categorized as Tier 2, Tier 3, etc. based on their role in the value chain.

Global initiative of various companies from the chemical industry for the global standardization of supplier evaluations to improve sustainability in the supply chain.

Traits are commercial plant characteristics, such as an inherent resistance to certain herbicides or an inherent defense against certain insects.

TUIS is a German transport accident information and emergency response system jointly operated by around 130 company fire departments within the chemical industry and specialists. The member companies can be reached by the public authorities at any time and provide assistance over the telephone, expert on-site advice or special technical equipment.

In the United Nations Global Compact network, nongovernmental organizations, companies, international business and employee representatives, scientists and politicians work on aligning global business with the principles of sustainable development.

The U.N. officially adopted its Sustainable Development Goals (U.N. SDGs) in September 2015. These replaced the previous Millennium Development Goals. The 17 SDGs provide a framework for bringing together U.N. member states, NGOs, industry associations and employee representatives, academia, politics and business to combat international challenges such as poverty, food and water scarcity, and climate change.

A value chain describes the successive steps in a production process: from raw materials through various intermediate steps, such as transportation and production, to the finished product.

BASF developed the Value to Society approach in cooperation with external experts to measure and assess in monetary terms the economic, ecological, and social impacts of its business activities along the entire value chain.

In the BASF Verbund, production facilities and technologies are intelligently networked, with high-output chemical processes that use energy and resources efficiently. The by-products of one plant serve as feedstock elsewhere, creating efficient value chains – from basic chemicals to high value-added solutions such as coatings or crop protection products. Our Verbund concept – realized in production, technologies, the market and digitalization – enables innovative solutions for a sustainable future.

We calculate the water consumption of the BASF Group as the sum of evaporation in cooling processes, water content in sales products, and other water use at the sites.

We report on water stress areas as regions in which 40% or more of available water is used. Our assessment is based on Aqueduct 3.0 (WRI, 2019). Our sustainable water management goal also takes into account all sites that we defined prior to 2019 as sites in water stress areas in accordance with Pfister et al. (2009), as well as the Verbund sites.