Modern Insurance Magazine Issue 60

FEATURES
Chemistry for
a Sustainable
Future:
Q&A with
Grant Dempsey
Modern Insurance Magazine were delighted
to welcome BASF Automotive Refinish UK &
Ireland as our Headline Sponsor at this year’s
Modern Claims Awards. We sat down with Grant
Dempsey, Sales Manager – Distribution, to discuss
sustainability, innovation, and how their work feeds
into the overall aims of the motor repair sector.
Hi Grant - let’s kick things off by talking about
sustainability and climate! What’s your current focus when
Q it comes to sustainability, and how is BASF working to
achieve net-zero emissions?
AAt BASF, our goal is net-zero emissions by 2050. How’s that
possible for a company in the energy-intensive chemical
industry? It’s ambitious, for sure. But we’re confident we can
get there. That’s because we’re leaving no stone unturned in our
pursuit for change, questioning everything that can be questioned
and finding inspiration in surprising places.
We have an established track record in reducing our global CO2
emissions. Since 1990, we’ve almost halved them, and by 2030,
we want to reduce our emissions by a quarter compared to 2018.
By 2050, in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement, we’re
aiming for net-zero CO2 emissions.
We’ve set a benchmark in achieving climate protection targets with
our BASF Carbon Management Program, and we’re also aiming
towards a Circular Economy with our ChemCycling approach. We
also co-founded the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a global effort
to end plastic waste in the environment. This is how we understand
our corporate purpose - ‘we create chemistry for a sustainable
future’.
Q What’s new for BASF in the world of innovation?
AInnovation made BASF the leading chemical company.
Today, our customers and wider society are both looking for
innovative solutions more than ever. We all need answers
for problems like climate change, scarcity of resources, and marine
littering. As the most innovative chemical company, we take a
special responsibility here, because innovations based on chemistry
are the key to those answers.
In 2023, we’re proudly leading the way with our highly-anticipated
Glasurit® 100 Line basecoat system. Exceeding all global VOC
requirements, Glasurit 100 Line is already proving to be an absolute
winner in the field. With Glasurit 100 Line, leading body shops in
our industry can now make the environmentally-responsible choice
when it comes to automotive repairs.
At BASF, our innovative power is based on efficient research
and development. We build on our Know How Verbund: the
great creativity, the specific skills, and the broad knowledge of
our networks. It’s all about developing solutions together for a
sustainable future. Join us in our efforts to innovate; we welcome
your expertise and opportunities for external collaboration in our
fight against ongoing challenges!
QBASF has won its fair share of awards and accolades in
recent months, which is fantastic! Tell us more about these
achievements…
ALast October, we won the 2022 British Coatings Federation
Sustainable Innovation Manufacturer Award with our
waterborne basecoat system AGILIS® by R-M®, BASF’s
premium refinish brand. The award raises awareness of new
developments within the industry towards a more sustainable
future, and highlights the significance of the positive impacts made
by manufacturers. We couldn’t have been prouder of our win!
Just last month, BASF - in collaboration with Pulpex Ltd - picked
up the first SCI® Award for Innovation Enabled by Partnership. The
underlying mission was to develop a bottle that was renewable,
biodegradable, and recyclable through existing paper recycling
schemes. The resulting fibre bottle offers brand owners a
sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternative. This is such an
exciting time for sustainable innovation at BASF.
QThat’s great! So, can you give an example of how your
award-winning initiatives and products factor into the
ecosystem of the motor repair industry?
AWell, where do we begin? Our award-winning R-M® AGILIS
paint system is the UK’s first waterborne vehicle refinish
basecoat system to hold a VOC value below 250 g/L. R-M
AGILIS has now revolutionised the global premium automotive
refinish market, setting a standard with the highest ecoeffectiveness
in the industry.
I’d also be remiss to forget BASF’s Biomass Balance Approach. Our
products, like R-M Pioneer Series, are manufactured with renewable
raw materials. This means less CO2 (over 1,900 tonnes to date),
and with initiatives like R-M AGILIS and Pioneer Series, bodyshop
businesses can attract new, sustainably-minded customers too.
QOn the subject of awards, BASF were recently the Headline
Sponsor at our Modern Claims Awards in Liverpool. What
did you enjoy most about the evening, and why do you
think it was important to sponsor the awards?
AIt was a great privilege to be Headline Sponsor for this year’s
event. The stunning location and the atmosphere created by
the team was particularly enjoyable, and I would personally
like to congratulate the winners and all involved in making the
event such a success. As a supplier to the collision repair industry,
it was important for us to have the opportunity to raise awareness
that with each automotive refinish repair utilising our awardwinning
eco-effective products, we are progressing towards our
climate protection goal, all while supporting our customers on their
journey to net-zero.
Grant Dempsey,
Sales Manager - Distribution, BASF Automotive Refinish
UK & Ireland
MODERN INSURANCE | 47