Environment Support

BAYER AND GLOBAL WARMING

Bayer AG traces its origins from Germany. The company was founded in 1863 by dye salesman Friedrich Bayer and master dyer Johann Friedrich Weskott. The company was initially involved in the manufacture and sale of synthetic dyestuffs. In the years that followed, Bayer became an international company, and began to diversify into other fields. The company undertook some heavy research, which eventually gave rise to numerous intermediates, dyes and pharmaceuticals, particularly the development of Aspirin, which launched in 1899. Aspirin is dubbed drug of the century" and is perhaps the most popular of Bayer’s products.

Bayer has grown into a global enterprise and leader in the fields of health care and nutrition, crop protection and high-tech materials like plastics. They currently have 48 operations around the globe.

Notable individuals of Bayer:

One of the major, unforeseen consequences of technology and industrialization is environmental degradation and global warming. Its increasing effects impinge on all aspects of life - economy, health, biodiversity, and climate. Bayer takes the effects and the threats of global warming seriously. They want to establish themselves as an earth friendly company with a commitment to preserve human life and natural resources.

The "Bayer Climate Program" implements policies to balance sustainable development with the company’s economic activities to alleviate the problem of climate change. Bayer has striven to become more energy efficient in their entire production process, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. More importantly, Bayer MaterialScience has developed products that help reduce the amount of energy consumed in buildings, transport and appliances.

One of the goals of Bayer’s climate protection program is that by 2015, the specific energy consumption and the volume of specific greenhouse gas emissions per metric ton of product sold will be cut down by another 10% (based on 2005 figures).

The main cause of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels, and the research and use of alternative energy sources is a huge step towards lessening greenhouse gas emissions. Biofuels are made from plant material and recycled elements, and are thus renewable and sustainable sources of energy. Bayer Crop Science Group developed InVigor® canola seed which Bayer processes into biodiesel or biofuel. A more recent discovery in the biofuel field is the inedible Jatropha Plant. The seeds of this plant contains oil that be processed into biodiesel. Bayer CropScience AG, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), and Daimler AG plan to jointly explore the potential for a biodiesel industry based on the Jatropha plant.

Bayer also supports the unique campaign "Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign" initiated by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Of the billion trees planted in 2007, Bayer AG donated 100,000 trees to Nairobi, Kenya, where UNEP is headquartered.

Travel via cars and air transport also contributes to global warming, and as such, the Bayer Climate Program the Group has introduced measures to cut down their carbon dioxide emissions in both areas. Incentive systems will also be introduced to encourage the use of low-emission vehicles. Bayer aims to reduce air travel as well as emissions caused by company vehicles by 20%, beginning 2007 to 2012.

Bayer Environment Resources