At the first-ever Clean Energy Ministerial in Washington D.C., representatives from 23 countries and the European Commission launched a new public-private partnership to accelerate energy efficiency improvements. The Dow Chemical Company's industrial complex in Guarujá, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, is among those participating from Dow in the new Global Superior Energy Performance (GSEP) Partnership.
The GSEP Partnership is a public-private effort bringing together businesses, governments, and other organizations to accelerate energy efficiency in commercial buildings and industrial facilities. It comprises a series of guidelines and regulations aiming to set new standards in terms of energy conservation. GSEP has as one of its foundational elements the adoption and implementation of an Energy Management Standard - ISO 50001. Participation by Dow's Guarujá operation has earned the Company recognition as one of the first companies to be involved at an international level.
"As the GSEP Partnership is aimed at enabling more sustainable operations, it's fully aligned with the 2015 Sustainability Goals and Dow's sustainable growth strategy in Brazil", said Climerio Pinto, leader of Guarujá Industrial Complex. "Once again, Dow is proud to contribute to disseminate new ways to track and regulate more sustainable operations within our industry."
Located less than 90 km (56 miles) from São Paulo, the Guarujá Industrial Complex is comprised of five production plants - Epoxy, Polyol and Polyglycol (Dow-owned operations) and Polystyrene and Latex (recently acquired by Styron Corporation) - and one Marine Terminal. Guarujá operations are highly strategic for Dow in Latin America, as it's an important channel for products used across the geography.
"Brazil is a very strategic location for Dow, as it's leading the growth of Latin America as an emerging geography," said Philippe Pfister, EH&S and manufacturing director for Dow Latin America. "The natural resources available, and the promising business perspectives in different areas, position the country as a great global platform for more sustainable operations. We are honored to drive best practices in our industry."
The GSEP Partnership
GSEP will assist participating entities in energy efficiency efforts through a three-pronged approach. First, an implementation and certification process will encourage and publically recognize continuous energy efficiency improvements in industrial manufacturing facilities. Second, task groups will work to accelerate best practices in specific sectors, such as chemicals manufacturing, hospitals, the steel industry and hotels. And lastly, task groups will work to facilitate the adoption of specific types of energy savings technologies.
The Clean Energy Ministerial brought together individuals on July 19 and 20 from 23 countries and the European Commission to collaborate on policies and programs for accelerating the world's transition to clean energy technologies. Peter Molinaro, vice president for U.S. Federal and State Government Affairs, represented Dow at the event. Other initial GSEP partners include the Cleveland Clinic, Grubb & Ellis, Marriott, Target, Nissan, and Wal-Mart.
