Dow plans to launch first commercial program for carbon-neutral silicones for building exteriors

Dow announced plans to launch the world's first carbon neutrality program for silicone materials for structural glass, insulating glass and weather sealing in 2022
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The theme of this carbon offset program is "Less Impact, Design Freedom" and can help reduce a building's environmental impact and achieve better green building certification ratings
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PAS 2060 certified carbon-neutral silicones will reduce the environmental impact of buildings and help meet regional and global CO2 reduction goals
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The DOWSIL™ carbon neutral program provides silicones for structural glass, insulating glass and weather sealing
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"The commercial introduction of our DOWSIL™ Silicone Carbon Neutralization program for building facades represents a true evolution in silicone carbon neutralization," said Markus Plettau, global head of building facades at Dow
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"Consistent with the industry's commitment to developing net-carbon zero buildings to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, Dow is leading the way in reducing embodied carbon in building materials
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According to the World Green Building Council, the building sector accounts for about 39% of global carbon dioxide emissions
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This includes embodied carbon and building operations
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While the production of Dow silicon products requires energy, the use of these products in applications such as prefabricated façade elements and glass insulation requires very little energy, helping to significantly improve the energy efficiency of buildings
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Plus, their proven durability allows insulating building envelopes to last for over 50 years
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According to the Global Silicone Council, silicone sealants have 20 times more energy, or carbon, than is required to produce insulating glass
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Carbon-neutralized silicones reduce the carbon required to produce silicone polymers, the building blocks of our products, to net zero
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Carbon-neutral silicones for specific construction projects are a revolutionary product, especially for technologies related to silicon metal manufacturing processes, where Dow is uniquely positioned
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Plettau is optimistic that silicone will remain the technology of choice when it comes to building and construction, not only because of its long-term performance and carbon footprint, but also because of the higher energy and greenhouse gas emissions it offers buildings
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“The carbon neutrality program for DOWSIL™ silicone materials is not only beneficial and convenient for architects, builders and owners, it is also the key to achieving significant and sustained carbon reductions through integrated design solutions that enable these industry professionals to More freedom has less impact," Plettau added
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With PAS 2060 certification, Dow's carbon neutral silicones are certified carbon neutral by an internationally recognized organization and will be able to contribute to more international green building certification sites
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Each product will have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) that communicates transparent and comparable information about the environmental impacts of our products' life cycle
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