Over 4.3 million metric tons  of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) were mitigated through carbon reduction projects implemented by Dow in its role as the Official Carbon Partner of the Organizing Committees of Olympic Games Sochi 2014, Rio 2016, and the IOC. Of the total volume of carbon mitigated, 3 million metric tons is attributed to built environment projects. This, and the fact that the Company is now applying this proven framework on a global scale in its role as the Official Carbon Partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), earned Dow a first-place ‘medal’ of its own in the Innovations for High-Performance Buildings and Communities category of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) 2018 Beyond Green™ High Performance Building and Community Awards.

The NIBS Beyond Green Awards honor initiatives that are shaping the high-performance building market and catalyzing real-world application of innovative design and construction practices. As an Honor Award winner, Dow’s projects were recognized and presented to the building community on January at Building Innovation 2019: The National Institute of Building Sciences Annual Conference and Expo.

In partnership with the IOC, Dow engaged organizations across the industry value chains by leveraging the sport platform and the Olympic brand and encouraged these companies and institutions to take action on climate change.  For Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016, Dow worked with the respective Organizing Committees to engage industry and decision makers from the construction value chain to adopt low-carbon technologies in material selection, manufacturing and on the construction site resulting in real, sustainable change in the host city economies and societies long after the Games ended.

“We are thrilled that our collaborations are being recognized for their ability to drive change and deliver third-party verified carbon reductions,” said Nicoletta Piccolrovazzi, global director for sustainability and technology, Dow Olympic & Sports Solutions. “Our built environment projects have the capacity to offer locally relevant solutions for the construction sector, and at the same time, advance more sustainable technologies across the value chain.”

Building on the success of these programs, Dow was appointed the Official Carbon Partner of the IOC in 2017 and is now expanding its carbon reduction initiative to develop tailor-made carbon mitigation projects around the world.  Through the journey, Dow and these organizations helped to build a replicable collaboration blueprint that can facilitate the long-term adoption of sustainable business practices.

The Dow-IOC Carbon Partnership is aligned to Dow’s 2025 Sustainability Goals and the IOC’s Sustainability Strategy and reflects each organization’s commitment to contribute to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  In addition to projects in the built environment, Dow is also committed to implementing new projects with customers in manufacturing, transportation, and packaging materials markets.