BASF Report 2021

Content and Structure

The BASF Report, which is published each year in English and German, combines the major financial and sustainability-related information necessary to comprehensively evaluate our performance. We select the report’s topics based on the following principles: materiality, sustainability context, completeness, balance and stakeholder inclusion. In addition to this report, we publish further information online. The relevant links can be found at the end of each chapter.

Our sustainability reporting has been based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines and standards since 2003. We have applied the “Comprehensive” option since 2017.

We have been active in the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) since 2014 and have supported the work of the Value Reporting Foundation, formed by the merger of the IIRC and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), since 2021. This involvement gives us the opportunity to discuss our experiences of integrated reporting with stakeholders and at the same time, receive inspiration for enhancing our reporting. BASF’s report addresses elements of the IIRC framework by illustrating how we create value, for example. The information contained in this report also serves as a progress report on BASF’s implementation of the 10 principles of the U.N. Global Compact.

The GRI and Global Compact Index can be found in the online report. It provides an overview of all relevant information to fulfill the GRI indicators and shows how we contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principles of the U.N. Global Compact. The results of the limited assurance of this information conducted by KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft can also be found there. We also publish online additional information on sustainability in accordance with the industry-specific requirements of the SASB.

The information on the financial position and performance of the BASF Group comply with the requirements of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and, where applicable, the German Commercial Code (HGB), German Accounting Standards (GAS) and the guidelines on alternative performance measures from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). Internal control mechanisms ensure the reliability of the information presented in this report. BASF’s Board of Executive Directors confirmed the effectiveness of the internal control measures and compliance with the regulations for financial reporting.

Material topics along the value chain form the focal points of reporting and define the limits of this report. We take three dimensions into account in identifying and evaluating material topics: the impact on BASF, the impact of BASF and relevance for our stakeholders.

For more information on our sustainability reporting, see:

Value chain
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.