Glossary and Trademarks

C

CO₂ equivalents

CO₂ equivalents (CO₂e) 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.

E

Eco-Efficiency Analysis

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.

F

Formulation

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.

G

Genome editing

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.

P

Peak sales potential

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 2022 or will be launched on the market by 2032.

S

SEEbalance^®

SEEbalance^® is the Socio-Eco-Efficiency 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.

Steam cracker

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.

T

Traits

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

V

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.

Verbund

In the BASF Verbund, plants are intelligently connected. In this system, chemical processes consume less energy, produce higher product yields and conserve resources. 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.