Responsible Roots

Rohm and Haas is proud of its history of environmentally friendly innovations. In the 1950s, it pioneered the development of water-based acrylic emulsion technology. This revolutionized the paint industry and eventually supplanted solvent-based paints and their harmful emissions. Acrylic technologies have continued to reap environmental benefits for more than 50 years with each newly discovered use in paints, adhesives, coatings, and more. The Rohm and Haas biocide Kathon, introduced in 1977, was the first effective replacement for hazardous formaldehyde-based biocides.

In 1966, CEO F. Otto Haas established a clear policy that articulated the company's mission to assess, manage, and communicate significant risks associated with its operations and products. Since then, the company has followed the path toward sustainable development. In 1988 it embraced the U.S. chemical industry's nascent Responsible Care initiative, and in 1991 the World Environment Center acknowledged the company's environmental policies as "visionary" with its Gold Medal for International Corporate Environmental Achievement.

In 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency challenged the American chemical industry with its "33/50" Program. This voluntary program set as its goal a 33% reduction in releases and transfers of 17 priority chemicals by 1992, and a 50% reduction by 1995. Rohm and Haas far exceeded these goals with an 80% reduction. A year later, Rohm and Haas received one of the first U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards for its environmentally safe marine antifoulant, SeaNine. Two years later, a new family of insecticides earned the company a second Presidential Green Chemistry Award.

Continuing the Commitment

Sustainable development is a commitment to meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. As environmental pressures on our planet keep building, the sustainability of our resources has taken on a more critical importance than ever before. Rohm and Haas recognizes its global responsibility for maintaining the health of the planet and focuses its resources on assuring that the earth's bounty is there for future generations.

Just a few years ago, no one had heard of the phrase "carbon footprint," and now it is a part of the popular vocabulary of every language around the world. Rohm and Haas has developed and implemented aggressive, innovative strategies to reduce its carbon footprint. The company has had great success with maximizing the energy efficiency of its facilities around the world. In 2006, four Rohm and Haas plants received Responsible Care Energy Efficiency Awards.

In its most recent commitment to sustainability, Rohm and Haas has partnered with The Natural Step, an international organization dedicated to bringing about systemic change by giving decision-makers a science-based understanding of sustainability and the tools to make decisions in a sustainable way. Rohm and Haas and The Natural Step are united in their goal of bringing sustainable development to the forefront of the chemical industry.