BASF committed to CSR principles

The company upholds sustainable development through educational programmes

“BASF defines sustainability as balancing economic success with social and environmental responsibility. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is therefore an important factor to help us bring sustainability to life,” said Petrus Ng, managing director of BASF Vietnam.

Being aware of the crucial role of CSR in stable development, the company has been working with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training since 2011 to bring Kids’ Lab, an interactive education programme, to almost 2,000 primary students and needy children. Through fun hands-on experiments, Kids’ Lab introduces schoolchildren to the fascinating world of chemistry and its important role in daily life. The upcoming event takes place in early November, bringing this joy to 500 other kids in the city.

In September, to celebrate BASF’s 150th anniversary, BASF Vietnam inaugurated a kindergarten renovation project in a remote area of the Mekong Delta to enhance the learning facilities, hygiene, and safety conditions of the school. This is part of a three-year joint initiative between BASF and its customer Nippon Paint to fund school renovation and painting projects in needy areas of Vietnam. This year, the programme also offers painting sponsorship to three other schools in the Mekong Delta. A total of over 1,000 square metres will be painted with low odor products, minimising the impact on health and environment.

Petrus Ng noted, “CSR is an excellent tool to build the best team, as this offers our employees an opportunity to give back to the community while working better together. Our passionate team has been actively involved in our activities. A cross-country team from Vietnam, the US, and Germany was selected as one of the Top 150 winning teams of the BASF global volunteering competition, one of the core activities to celebrate our 150th anniversary.”

“BASF will keep pursuing the implementation of CSR by encouraging an interest in the natural sciences at an early age worldwide. A young, well-educated generation is important for BASF. Therefore, education and training will remain central elements of our social responsibility. We would also like to engage many more customers who share vision and passion in making our neighbourhood a better place,” he added.n