Dow Chemical
At a Glance
Industry
Industrial Goods and Manufacturing
Project Type
Sustainability and Energy Management Strategy
Year
2014
Location
Houston, TX
Summary
Dianne Heiler evaluated the carbon mitigation potential of plastic silo bags and contributed in the development of sustainability goals.
Goals
The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW) enlisted Dianne Heiler to connect Gulf Coast investments with the corporate sustainability strategy, while keeping focus on modern technologies and managing the carbon footprints of certain Dow products.
Solutions
Working closely with Mike Mazor, Dow Fellow and a Building Scientist for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Heiler used Dow’s newly created "Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Framework for Events" to develop a Silo Bag project design document. Her work focused on evaluating the potential for quantifiable carbon mitigation through the use of flexible and high-‐performance plastic silo bags on farms in Brazil, in support of Dow’s carbon mitigation program tailored for the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee’s broader “Abraça” (“Embrace) sustainability platform for the Games.
Potential Impact
As The Official Chemistry Company of the Olympic Games, Dow has committed to create climate benefits in the form of verified emission reductions to mitigate direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the organization and hosting of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, in Brazil. Agriculture is one of four main industries being targeted for energy or other GHG emission savings to achieve these commitments. Heiler worked to craft a project plan to measure and ultimately verify GHG emission savings from storing grains in Dow silo bags.
Heiler also contributed to the development of Dow’s next generation of Sustainability Goals. She worked with the Dow Energy Business to evaluate various options for corporate energy efficiency and GHG goal targets.