Germany-headed global chemicals major BASF SE (BASF) has announced that it has reached an important milestone on its path towards sourcing sustainable palm. The company achieved its commitment to procure palm kernel oil exclusively from sources certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) by 2020.
Last year, BASF purchased 227 213 tonnes of certified sustainable palm kernel oil (PKO) representing 100 percent of BASF’s total volume as RSPO certified. In addition, BASF also made further progress in developing transparent supply chains. The company was able to trace almost 95 percent of its global palm footprint – totaling 441 107 tonnes – back to the oil mill level.
Additionally, as in previous years, BASF published its product carbon footprint (PCF) for sourcing certified sustainable palm kernel oil (CSPKO). Compared to conventional sourcing, BASF avoided more than 300 000 tonnes of CO2 emission in 2020.
RSPO-certified production of palm kernel oil shows around 36 percent lower global warming impact than non-certified production. The PCF is calculated according to the requirements and guidelines for quantification as stated in ISO 14067:2018-08 – “Greenhouse gases – Carbon footprint of products”.
Further commitment
While having reached this important milestone, BASF is now fully focused on the other part of its 2015 commitment: to also include the commitment of certified sourcing to those significant intermediates which are based on palm oil and palm kernel oil by 2025, e.g. fatty alcohols and fatty acids.
Palm kernel oil and its primary derivatives are amongst BASF’s key renewable raw materials. They are mainly used to produce ingredients for the cosmetics, detergent- and cleaner industries, as well as in human nutrition.
