Braskem

Odebrecht, a Brazilian multinational, at this time focusing on civil construction, began its activities in the petrochemical sector. The first step towards beginning its trajectory in petrochemicals was the acquisition of 33% of the Camaçari Petrochemical Company (CPC), a manufacturer of PVC.

Odebrecht Química is founded in order to administer investments of the group within the sector. At this time, the Organization already had shareholdings in the companies Salgema, a sodium chloride producer; Poliolefinas, a polyethylene producer; PPH, a polypropylene manufacturer and Unipar, a holding of petrochemical companies. During subsequent years, the company increased its market share.

The Brazilian government begins the privatization process of the petrochemical sector. Odebrecht assumes control of PPH and becomes one of the controllers of Copesul (Raw Material Plant of the Petrochemical Pole of Rio Grande do Sul State).

Odebrecht incorporates OPP Petrochemical and acquires control of Salgema, CPC and the subsidiary Companhia Química do Recôncavo (CQR), completing the first vertical integration of the sector in Brazil.

Trikem S/A is created and operates in an integrated way with OPP Petroquímica. Also in 1996, Odebrecht associates itself with the Mariani Group in order to create Proppet.

In partnership with the Mariani Group, Odebrecht buys up a controlling share in Copene (Camaçari Petrochemical Center) in Bahia State and in Polialden. During the same year, it commences a first and second-generation asset integration process, a first for this type of action in Brazil.

• Following the integration of the Copene, OPP, Trikem, Proppet, Nitrocarbono and Polialden companies, Braskem is born, already commencing activities as the leading petrochemical company in Latin America. With 13 industrial units, offices and operational bases in Brazil, the United States and Argentina.
• During the same year, the company discloses its Public Commitment (including the premises of its sustainable development, responsible management and action transparency) and has its shares listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bovespa) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Braskem has shares listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange, in Spain and gained acclaim as the company with the highest increase in value on the New York Stock Exchange. Its ADRs rose 713% throughout 2003. No other foreign share has such accentuated gains during that trading year.

During the same year, Braskem completed the incorporation of is subsidiary companies (OPP Química, Nitrocarbono and Trikem).

• Implementation of the Braskem Innovation Program (Programa de Inovação Braskem, PIB) begins, stimulating the conducting of projects with new technologies and applications; and Braskem+, a project focusing on operational competitiveness and excellence.
• Braskem also consolidates its regional leadership within the thermoplastic resin, polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and PVC market, its strategic action focus..
• The year is also marked by the signing – a first among companies of the Brazilian market – of the Declaration of Cleaner Production, made possible by the United Nations Organization (UNO).

The company also began listing on the ISE – Business Sustainability Index of the São Paulo Stock Exchange (Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo, Bovespa) because of its socioenvironmental actions.

Braskem and Petrobras sign a partnership for the construction of a new polypropylene plant in the city of Paulínia (São Paulo State, SP).

Braskem expands its PVC capacity and reinforces its market leadership position.

• Braskem acquires Politeno, the third largest producer of polyethylene in Brazil, commencing its petrochemical consolidation phase.
• It is the year the first Brazilian thermoplastic resin is launched, with nanotechnology, confirming Braskem as leader in innovation in the sector.

• Green polyethylene, an exclusive Braskem product, is launched. Manufactured using the ethanol from sugarcane, a renewable source, it becomes known as green plastic.
• During the same year, the company acquires the chemical and petrochemical assets of the Ipiranga Group, an important market movement that led to the consolidation of the Brazilian petrochemical sector.

In a partnership with Petrobras, Braskem inaugurates a unit in Paulinia. A polypropylene producer, the plant is the company’s first greenfield project.

That same year saw the creation of the first plastic trophy of the Formula 1 Brazilian GP, produced from Braskem green polyethylene and designed by the famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

• Braskem formalizes the creation of a Braskem-Idesa joint venture for the implementation of an integrated project focusing on the production of polyethylene for Mexico.
• It is also the year the foundation stone was laid of the green ethylene plant, in Triunfo (RS).

• In an important market movement, Braskem completed negotiations on the acquisition of Quattor. This purchase transformed and consolidated the Brazilian petrochemical sector, adding competitiveness to Braskem in a scenario of global challenges.
• Braskem commences its internationalization process and acquires polypropylene assets from Sunoco Chemicals, in the United States, becoming one of the largest producers of resins in that country.
• It is also the year the I’m green™ seal is launched to be affixed to products that include Braskem green plastic in their composition.
• Braskem signs the partnership agreement with the National Bioscience Laboratory (Laboratório Nacional de Biociências, LNBio) in Campinas, within the State of São Paulo, in order to act strongly in research and innovation.

• With the acquisition of polypropylene assets from Dow Chemical, Braskem incorporates two plants in the United States and two in Germany and announces the investment of BRL 300 million in the Triunfo Petrochemical Pole (State of Rio Grande do Sul, RS) in order to double the production of butadiene.
• The company leads PP production in the United States and biopolymers worldwide.

• In its first decade of life, Braskem reaches 36 industrial units and over 7,600 team members. This success is acknowledged by Aberje [Associação Brasileira de Comunicação Empresarial (Brazilian Association of Business Communication)], which elects Braskem as Company of the Year in its annual awards.
• This year, a PVC plant in Alagoas (photo) was inaugurated, as well as a butadiene plant at the Triunfo Petrochemical Pole (Rio Grande do Sul State, RS).

Braskem is now listed as part of the 1st portfolio of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for developing countries and now invests in robotics for research within the biotechnology area.

It’s also the year a new EVA resin is launched that revolutionizes the footwear segment.

• Braskem is elected by the US magazine Fast Company as one of the 50 most innovative companies in the world.
• Investments in innovation and research remain strong and the company announces the construction of a new resin plant of the UTEC® band in the USA, in addition to a project to produce ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in the same country.

Launch of Braskem Labs, a program that stimulates entrepreneurs in the development of innovative socioenvironmental solutions that may improve people’s lives via the use of plastic.

Braskem Green Plastic completes five years and conquers the world market.

Braskem is the sponsor of the Brazilian Para Athletics Team, of the bi-amputee sprinter Alan Fonteles and the first and only bi-amputee in Brazil to compete in the paratriathlon, Adriele Silva.

Braskem Idesa inaugurates Petrochemical Complex of Mexico. With an integrated production capacity of 1.05 million tons of ethylene and polyethylene per year, the Complex represents a step in growth in the Americas and raw material diversification.

For the first time, a representative of Brazilian industry enters the CDP “A List”, an international organization that assesses the best business practices against climate change.

In partnership with Made In Space, Braskem takes Green Plastic to the International Space Station for the creation of parts in space.

The Braskem Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) Plant, at La Porte, in the USA, enters the commissioning phase.

In March Braskem inaugurates its new Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) plant at La Porte, in Texas, United States. Trading under the UTEC brand, the Braskem high performance UHMWPE was developed and produced using proprietary technologies of the company.

With across-the-board sustainability throughout its entire business, Braskem entered the ranking of supplier engagement of the CDP Supply Chain. The company is one of 29 around the world, out of a total of more than 3,300 companies assessed, to be part of the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Program) ranking, as a company that best engages its suppliers.

Sponsorship of the Brazilian Para Athletic Team has been renewed. Braskem will support Brazilian Para Athletics at a range of national and international competitions.

The petrochemical company ranks 5th among the 50 companies most admired by their employees, a spontaneous ranking on the Love Mondays platform.

Continuing with its proposal for international consolidation, Braskem discloses the start-up of its operations in Boston.

For the first time, Braskem is listed as a “Water A” Supplier and for the second time on the “Climate A” Supplier list of the CDP Supply Chain ranking.

Later this same year, the petrochemical company launches the Braskem Evance line – a family of modified EVA resins and a new EVA resin of a renewable source, a sustainable innovation of the I’m green^TM brand.

Braskem inaugurates the new polypropylene (PP) plant in the USA, strengthening its leadership position in the production of PP within the region.

Braskem renews its sustainable development strategy, aligned with the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030, which, with the Sustainable Development Goals, covers aspects of ESG, with special attention to climate change, circular economy, social responsibility and rights humans.

Company creates a Sustainability Advisory Board to support it, composed of four external and independent members, specialized in ESG. As a result, throughout 2021, Braskem presents the results of these initiatives as we achieved 17% of targets for 2030.

The company publishes its first Integrated Report, unifying the information from the Annual Sustainability Report and the Integrated Report into a single document in accordance with the GRI, SASB and IIRC, internationally recognized reporting standards.

In August, the company completes 20 years building a history of innovation, provocative look to the future and continuous evolution in the way it conducts its business. This year, Braskem launches new companies and initiatives that support the achievement of its sustainable development goals:

- In the context of plastic waste disposal, Wenew, Braskem's circularity ecosystem, is born to represent Braskem's products, technologies and initiatives that are helping to drive the circular economy.

- Believing in the sustainable applications of plastic, Cazoolo is inaugurated, our collaborative space that proposes brands, designers, startups, and universities to rethink packaging based on sustainable design.

- Committed to combating climate change and investing in innovation as a way of thinking and creating, Braskem creates Sustainea, a company that seeks to rethink the raw material of the future with a focus on the production and sale of bioMEG – the main raw material for PET – at plant-based and large-scale.

- Voqen is also created, a company focused on supporting the sustainable energy transition of our customers and partners, selling energy and gas.

- Committed to digital transformation, Oxygea is born, a Braskem company with the aim of bringing together and boosting startups created inside or outside the company, focusing on innovative and sustainable ideas that have the potential to transform people's lives.