• For HUF 6 per litre, drivers can offset the emissions resulting from the use of the fuel they purchase at Shell retail sites. During a month after the launch, the offer is available free of charge to Shell ClubSmart members.
• From the funds generated thanks to the program, Shell is purchasing carbon credits in forest conservation, forestation and reforestation projects to support the world’s ecosystems.
• Shell’s aim is to become a net zero emissions energy company by 2050 at the latest

On 4 May, Shell announced the launch of its Carbon Compensation Program, which creates an opportunity for customers, drivers can offset the emissions resulting from the use of the fuel at Shell retail sites. If they decide to participate in the program when filling up at Shell, the amount of carbon emissions associated with the use of the fuel purchased is calculated, and an equivalent amount of so-called carbon credits are purchased by Shell in order to offset the greenhouse gases emitted.

It is Shell’s ambition to become a net-zero emissions energy company by 2050, in step with society. In order to achieve this goal, Shell created a strategy resting on three pillars: avoid, reduce and offset. To avoid emissions covers solutions which do not require carbon-based energy, such as electromobility, which Shell supports by the continuous expansion of its network of chargers: besides introducing Shell’s own brand of Shell Recharge in Hungary, fast chargers will also become available at Shell retail sites along highways M3 and M7 thanks to the cooperation with IONITY. To reduce emissions is made possible by offering products with lower carbon intensity. Shell’s ambition is to reduce the Net Carbon Footprint of its energy products by around 65 per cent by 2050, and by around 30 per cent by 2035.

Nature Based Solutions (NBS) as well as the Carbon Compensation Program focus on the third pillar, providing an effective solution to offset the emissions that are currently unavoidable. Offsetting means that Shell ensures the full well to wheel lifecycle emissions – that is, associated with the production, delivery, distribution and usage of the fuel are offset through the use of carbon credits – are removed from the atmosphere by investing in nature-based projects. These projects focus on wetlands (e.g. coastal restoration, peatland protection), agriculture and grasslands, blue carbon (e.g. mangroves), and of course forests. Within the forestry space, there are two main pathways: avoided deforestation and afforestation/reforestation.

Members of our ClubSmart loyalty program will enjoy Carbon Compensation Program free of charge during a first month between May 4 and June 6, 2021, when refuelling and using loyalty cards. (The promotion is not available to those completing their purchase payment with euroShell, Esso or DKV fuel cards.) For HUF 4.5 per litre plus VAT, business customers (B2B) using Shell fuel cards will be also provided the choice to compensate for the emissions resulting from the use of the fuel they purchased.

For further information, please visit our website.

According to ALTEO’s survey, when choosing a form of investment, green aspects are nearly as important in a company’s assessment a show the given company treats its employees.

The increasing importance of sustainability is well illustrated by the fact that investors place higher value at those companies of the S&P500 index – which lists the most valuable American major corporations – that operate effectively in terms of green aspects as well. It is not a coincidence that ALTEO, publishing its third integrated report this year, moves up another gear: the new generation energy supplier hopes to obtain ESG rating.

The representative country-wide survey examined the environmental knowledge and behavior of the Hungarian population, which served as the basis of ALTEO’s Sustainability Barometer, which included the attitudes of respondents related to finances. As it was expected, people are most familiar with treasury bonds and government securities (72% of respondents), time deposits and savings accounts (70%), and pension savings accounts (64%), of all investments. Time deposits and savings accounts are the most popular: 44 % of respondents already used them, followed by pension savings accounts (31%) and savings insurance (28%).

The order of importance for choosing an investment is led by profitability (55% consider it decisive), while in second place is how a given company treats its employees (48%). A great majority, 85 % of respondents, stated they also prefer financial products that take sustainability into consideration.

„Since our 2008 launch, sustainability has been present in all our business decisions” – says Attila Chikán Jr., CEO of ALTEO, who adds that in addition to the purposeful and determined continuation of their investment program lasting until 2024, the greatest implementation of ESG aspects is among the main priorities of this year in the operation of the company.

The survey was conducted by MicraMR in January of 2021, among the Hungarian population between the ages 20-65, with internet connection, using a 1,000 person sample. The survey is representative of sex, age, education and settlement.

Preserving and increasing biodiversity, and specifically protecting pollinators is one of the key topics of Syngenta‘s sustainable plan, The Good Growth Plan since 2013. In line with this, and with the aim of drawing public attention to the importance of the topic, Syngenta Hungary, in cooperation with the NGO Mondolo, has started a community and awareness-raising project focusing on pollinators.

The aim of the initiative is to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, to make their habitat known and to bring them closer to the urban population, and in the meantime to bring’ some nature into the city, increase green covered area.

As part of the project, we have planted bee pastures and installed bee hotels in several locations in Szeged (3rd biggest city of Hungary, located in the southern part of the country), and a street artwork will be completed in June with the support of Syngenta, which will also focus on bees and other pollinators. Thematic pollinator microsite and a community event for pollinator pasture seeds mix distribution to local people to be able to establish their own pollinator pasture at home are also parts of the project.

Beyond our key NGO partner Mondolo, several other partners are participating in the initiative, such as Szeged Central Heating Ltd., Szeged Environmental Management Nonprofit Ltd., Szeged Botanic Garden, Szeged University and Ferenc Móra Scientific Museum Szeged.

Target of net zero CO2 emissions globally by 20501
◼ Significant 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions already by 2030
◼ Investments of up to €4 billion planned by 2030

BASF is setting itself even more ambitious goals on its journey to climate neutrality and wants to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Based on the most recent progress in developing low-emission and CO2-free technologies, the company is also significantly raising its medium-term 2030 target for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions: BASF now wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions worldwide by 25 percent compared with 2018 – and to achieve this despite targeted growth and the construction of a large Verbund site in South China. Excluding the effects of the planned growth, this means cutting CO2 emissions in half in the current business by the end of this decade. Overall, BASF plans to invest up to €1 billion by 2025 to reach its new climate target and a further €2 billion to €3 billion by 2030.

In 2018, BASF Group’s worldwide emissions amounted to 21.9 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents. In 1990, this figure was roughly twice as high. The new 2030 emissions goal represents a reduction of approximately 60 percent compared to 1990 levels, which exceeds the European Union’s target of minus 55 percent. “The new climate goals underscore our determination and BASF’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. Climate change is the greatest challenge of the 21st century. In response, we must adapt our processes and our product portfolio. We need to accelerate this transformation now. We must first concentrate on the initial steps of this journey, not the final ones. That is why BASF will increase its use of renewable energies. And we will accelerate the development and deployment of new CO2-free processes for the production of chemicals. With transparency and offerings to systematically and incrementally reduce the carbon footprint of BASF products throughout the entire value chain, we help our customers in all industries to reduce the carbon footprint of their own products,” said Dr. Martin Brudermüller, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE.

BASF to replace fossil fuels with new technologies

At the heart of the long-term transition toward net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 is the use of new technologies, which will replace fossil fuels such as natural gas with electricity from renewable sources. Most of these technologies are being pioneered by BASF in collaboration with partners and are currently in a pilot stage. Broad scaleup of these technologies will only be fully realizable after 2030. In order to accelerate the avoidance of CO2 emissions prior to that date, BASF also continues to systematically implement continuous improvement processes for existing production plants. In addition, BASF will progressively switch to renewable sources to meet its electricity needs and intends to invest in wind parks to facilitate this. One of the most important new technologies that BASF is currently developing are electrically heated steam crackers for the production of basic chemicals such as ethylene, propylene and butadiene. These chemicals are building blocks for numerous value chains and are essential for chemical production. Hydrogen is another important feedstock for many chemical production processes. To achieve CO2-free production of hydrogen, BASF is pursuing two processes in parallel: the commercially available water electrolysis and methane pyrolysis, for which BASF has developed a new process technology. Another important lever to increase energy efficiency is the use of electrical heat pumps to produce CO2-free steam from waste heat. BASF’s goal is to work with Siemens Energy to gradually ramp up this technology to industrial scale and use it for waste heat recovery at entire sites.

BASF expects that this switch to climate-neutral production processes will lead to a sharp increase in electricity demand at the group’s major sites, including the largest production site in Ludwigshafen, in the coming decade. From around 2035, the group’s electricity demand is expected to be more than three times higher than it is today. “This will require investments for the development and construction of new production plants. A precondition for the transformation of chemical production is the reliable availability of large quantities of renewable electricity at competitive prices. At the moment, that is not the case in Germany. BASF therefore aims to participate in investments in renewable energy generation facilities to meet its own demand. Regulatory framework conditions are also essential for making this transformation economically feasible,” added Brudermüller.

BASF working on numerous flagship projects

In addition to the planned investments in renewable energies, BASF is pursuing a number of specific flagship projects:

• Together with SABIC and Linde, BASF is working on the realization of a pilot furnace for the world’s first electrically heated steam cracker. Compared to conventional crackers, this would enable nearly CO2-free production of basic chemicals. If the necessary funding is granted, start-up of the pilot plant is slated to begin as early as 2023.
• BASF is developing methane pyrolysis technology for the CO2-free production of hydrogen from natural gas. Compared to other processes for emission-free hydrogen production, methane pyrolysis requires only around one-fifth as much electrical energy. A pilot reactor has been constructed in Ludwigshafen and is being started up. Funding for this project was provided by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
• In collaboration with Siemens Energy, BASF is currently investigating possibilities for the construction of a PEM (proton exchange membrane) water
  electrolysis system with a capacity of 50 MW for CO2-free production of hydrogen from water and electricity at the Ludwigshafen site. This CO2-free hydrogen would be primarily used as a raw material in the Verbund but would also be used to a limited extent to support the launch of the mobility market in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region.
• At the Antwerp site, BASF is planning to invest in one of the largest carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects under the North Sea. Together with partners in the Antwerp@C consortium, this creates the opportunity to avoid more than 1 million metric tons of CO2 emissions per year from the production of basic chemicals. A final investment decision is targeted for 2022.

Competitiveness must be maintained

BASF has set itself an ambitious goal of climate neutrality by 2050 because the company is convinced of the long-term strategic necessity as well as the technical feasibility. However, most of the new technologies are not yet competitive under today’s framework conditions. Since it is very capital-intensive to replace existing highly efficient production processes with new plants, BASF is trying to secure funding from European and national programs such as IPCEI (Important Projects ofCommon European Interest).

“We are convinced that ultimately all players involved will work together to make this once-in-a-century transformation economically successful. This also includes consumers accepting higher prices for CO2-free products throughout the value chain to offset higher operating costs and additional investments. To achieve this, we need new cooperation between industry and policymakers that leads to positive, outcome-oriented regulations and preserves our international competitiveness,” said Brudermüller.

Unilever has so far donated more than 300 million HUF to help fight the epidemic in Hungary. In April, it offered 1,000 gift packages to the staff of the Hungarian Central Honvéd Hospital and 4,600 Lifebuoy Total hygienic hand gels to the staff of the National Ambulance Service.

“Although Unilever’s important businesses such as ice creams and professional catering products have been negatively affected by the pandemic restrictions, we felt it was our duty to continue to support and acknowledge the work of those fighting in the frontline,” said Unilever Hungary CEO Alberto Di Leo.

The company wanted to thank the employees of the Honvéd Hospital for their commitment by donating 1000 gift packages to the employees of the hospital. The donation, worth around 5 million HUF in total, was handed over on 23 April 2021 with the assistance of Waberers, their partner in logistics.

Earlier this month, the company contributed to the safety of colleagues of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) with a donation of around 4.5 million HUF, consisting of the recently re-launched Lifebuoy products.

The Lifebuoy Total Hygienic Hand Gel products donated to the NAS are formulated with antibacterial ingredients, alcohol and vitamins E and B3 to help remove bacteria and protect hands from drying out. The hand gel comes in a handy travel pack: easy to use anywhere, anytime, without water.

“The comrades of the National Ambulance Service make tremendous efforts every day, so it is especially gratifying to see the cooperation and support from companies and civilians,” said Pál Győrfi, spokesman of the National Ambulance Service.