Dow Corning wins award for corporate social responsibility in China

Dow Corning Corporation, a global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, has won the 2009 American Chamber of Commerce Shanghai’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award.

AmCham Shanghai has recognized Dow Corning for the breadth and depth of its sustainability and corporate citizenship programs.

“Our CSR strategy is based on our sustainability model, which integrates the three drivers of economic, environmental and social into our business. Our commitment to sustainability and CSR starts with our top leadership and is linked to our ability to find new solutions to global needs,” said Tom Cook, Dow Corning’s Corporate Vice President and General Manager for China. “We not only adhere to sustainability principles in the way we operate our business, we also offer a range of green products and solutions for customers, including solar and wind power solutions.”

Dow Corning’s CSR strategy has four pillar programs, including Science and Education, Environment Protection/ Green Technology, Employee Development and Care, and Charity and Donations. The foundation for them is silicone education and community vitality which are integrated into all the four pillars.

The company’s CSR activities include Dow Corning Science Day, Plant/ Lab Open Day, university partnerships and sponsorships, Responsible Care®, and green technology, to name just a few. These also involve stringent environment health and safety standards, employee training and development, employee health, work-life balance, disaster relief and community care donations.

Dow Corning Science Day, launched in Shanghai last year, attracted 500 students to learn how silicones improve peoples’ lives, and the amazing contribution of this material to environmental protection and innovation. The program will be expanded to Songjiang and Zhangjiagang this year and will involve more than 1,000 students to enjoy the “Fascinating Silicone in the Life” through a range of silicone-related experiments.

“We will continue introducing CSR programs based on China’s environmental requirements to fulfill our commitment to innovation, efficiency and sustainability,” said Cook. “We anticipate more than 50 percent of our innovation portfolio will be on projects linked to sustainability.”

Since entering the Chinese market in 1973, Dow Corning has provided innovative and efficient solutions to aid growth of various industries in China and the overall economy, as well as contributed to China’s social development through sustainable production and operation and commitment to employees, the community and society.

About Dow Corning

Dow Corning provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company’s Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® brands. Dow Corning is a joint venture equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning’s annual sales are outside the United States.