Efficiency improvements alone will not solve all of America's climate and energy challenges, says Liveris, "but it is something that everyone can do right now to make a difference." Dow has advocated for industrial energy efficiency standards in front of the U.S. Congress, within its own industry, and with its customers, including the automobile industry. Dow has also shared its energy efficiency and conservation best practices with other companies, non-governmental and governmental organizations, and has benefited from the external advice and validation from Energy Star and the Department of Energy on energy efficiency and conservation processes.

A new global energy task force led by Dow, the Alliance to Save Energy and the United Nations Foundation was announced at the Energy Efficiency Global Forum and Exposition (EE Global) in November 2007. The new task force is dedicated to pursuing efficiency savings by the major industrial nations as well as promoting a new annual government summit to measure progress. Development of the task force was supported by an analysis commissioned by the United Nations Foundation. The report, Realizing the Potential of Energy Efficiency: Targets, Policies and Measures for G8 Countries, concluded that industrial nations can save enough energy through increased efficiency to move the world closer to an acceptable CO2 level, at a cost that would be repaid largely by energy savings in three to five years.

Next Steps

The 2015 energy intensity target of 25 percent reduction, on top of the 38 percent already achieved since 1990, is clearly a stretch goal. Dow's energy efficiency and conservation management system, with its focused, consistent and structured approach, execution throughout the organization, and proven methods for identifying and implementing improvement opportunities, has provided a solid launch pad for the company's aggressive goals for 2015. However, while the company is making progress, year on year energy intensity achievements are currently trailing the goal line (see figure 3).

In some processes, says Moore, the company is already pushing up against thermodynamic limits. He says reaching the 2015 goal will require game changing innovations, in which Dow develops energy alternatives, less carbon-intensive raw material sources, and other products and solutions not yet imagined.

While Dow's comprehensive Energy Efficiency and Conservation Management System has proved to be an effective vehicle for bringing in a massive harvest of incremental efficiency gains, cultivating game changing innovations requires a different approach says Moore: "Energy efficiency opportunities can be found everywhere, if you look hard enough, but with game changing breakthroughs one, two or three will be a step change. Finding those will be what differentiates Dow."

Dow has therefore committed to invest a significant portion of its research and development to support and develop alternative energy, less CO2-intensive raw material sources, and other breakthrough solutions to contribute to the necessary slow, stop and reverse of non-renewable energy use and climate change, both through the manufacture and use of its products.

Energy Savings Beyond the Fenceline

In addition to energy savings within its own manufacturing processes, Dow has also been developing products that reduce emissions during their use phase.

Products such as thermal insulation, solar panels, diesel filters, more efficient wire and cable formulations for power transmission, and lightweight adhesives for the automotive industry enable Dow customers and users to reduce their own energy use and emissions.

GHG emission reductions achieved through the use of Dow products more than offset the GHGs produced during the manufacture of those products. For example, Dow Automotives solutions reduce vehicle weight, thereby improving fuel economy. Products from Dow Building Solutions save energy. One square foot of one-inch-thick Styrofoam can save 1 ton of CO2 emissions over the average life of a house.