Industrial Gas and Chemical Company Is One of 20 Organizations Worldwide to be Recognized for Its Leadership in Protecting the Environment
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (March 26, 2002) — At a ceremony in Washington, D.C. last evening, Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (NYSE:APD) was honored as a recipient of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2002 Climate Protection Award for outstanding leadership, personal dedication and technical achievement in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the Earth's climate.
Air Products was one of 20 award winners from five countries who were evaluated by EPA staff and judged by an international panel representing industry, government and international non-governmental organizations. Air Products was the only industrial gas company and one of only two chemical companies to receive the prestigious international environmental award.
The award recognizes the accomplishments of Air Products' Electronics Technology Customer Applications (ETCA) group, which has been actively involved in assessing the impact of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) on global warming and creatively establishing ways to mitigate PFC emissions from semiconductor manufacturing facilities' processes. PFCs are used for etching and cleaning operations in the fabrication of various electronic devices. Their use in semiconductor processing results in greenhouse gas emissions which are believed to contribute to global warming.
Air Products' ETCA group has spent the past decade conducting research to estimate what effects the release of these gases has on global warming. The team has established quantitative methods which have become the standard analytical protocol used by the semiconductor industry for measuring emissions. In addition, the ETCA group has developed alternative, environmentally responsible chamber cleaning procedures and has worked with over 20 customers to optimize more than 40 established processes. Process optimization refers to identifying those processes that have lower gas or chemical usage, yet effectively clean the chamber in the same amount of time. The group has also focused its efforts on the development of new chemistries and technologies to further reduce emissions. All of this work and research has resulted in over 40 publications, 10 U.S. patents and 11 International SEMATECH* technology transfer documents.
"Climate change poses a serious threat to ecological systems, human health and the economy," said Kathleen Hogan, director of the EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division. "By working to enhance the performance of their semiconductor customers' processes and reduce PFC emissions, Air Products is taking a leadership role in protecting the environment against factors that contribute to global warming."
For the past two consecutive years, Air Products has had the best overall safety performance among large-scale chemical producers. In addition, the company has taken a number of steps to materially improve its environmental performance in the years ahead, including the consolidation of its environmental, health and safety operations into a global function. This process has allowed Air Products to centralize the management of safety and environmental protection processes so that procedures are being uniformly applied worldwide.
"It is Air Products' belief that nothing is more important than environmental, health and safety—not production, not sales, not profits—that makes this distinguished award from the EPA even more gratifying," said Gerald G. Ermentrout, vice president and general manager of Air Products' Electronics Division. "The work undertaken by our Electronics Technology Customer Applications group is just one example of how our people are making an important environmental difference, not only in the communities in which we operate, but also in the communities where our customers operate. The recognition from the EPA further validates that our commitment to continual improvement in environmental, health and safety performance is the most important thing we can do as an organization," he said.
About the U.S. EPA Climate Protection Awards
The Climate Protection Awards began in 1998 and have been presented to 68 corporate, governmental, association and individual winners from 12 countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) for demonstrating commitment to the environment through stewardship and product introduction as well as through pollution prevention, recycling and engineering innovation. Award recipients are nominated by their peers for outstanding accomplishments in climate protection. For more information: http://www.epa.gov/appdstar/awards/awards.htm.
About Air Products
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (www.airproducts.com) is the world's only combined gases and chemicals company. Founded more than 60 years ago, the business has annual revenues of $5.7 billion and operations in 30 countries. Air Products is a market leader in the global electronics and chemical processing industries, and a longstanding innovator in many industrial markets, including coatings, adhesives and polyurethanes. The company distinguishes itself through its 18,000 employees around the world, who build lasting relationships with their customers and communities based on understanding, integrity and passion. For more information on Air Products' environmental, health and safety efforts: Where We Stand/. |
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