Rohm and Haas Discusses Sustainability at IVP Session in Brussels

"Sustainability has become an important topic in the board rooms and R&D strategy sessions of some the region’s leading paint and coatings companies,” said Dr. Cheryl Martin, Rohm and Haas Company (NYSE:ROH) Vice President and General Manager for the company’s Paint and Coatings Materials business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "We’re already seeing European paint and coatings industry stepping up to the mark – with more companies bringing environmentally advanced products to market every day,” she said in remarks to the IVP General Assembly (Industrie des Peintures, Vernis, Encres d’Imprimerie et Couleurs d’Art) in Brussels earlier today.

Dr Martin addressed three primary drivers behind this change, and discussed why sustainability is not only good for the environment but also good for business:

• She noted that what once were discrete trends, like global warming, energy conservation, solvent reduction, dependence on oil and increasing compliance regulations have converged and become clear. Life supporting resources are declining even as consumption of these resources is increasing.
• Consumers are more aware of the issues, she says, and increasingly take these issues into consideration when they make a choice. "Consumers today are looking for products that use less energy, or pollute less,” says Martin. "They still expect great performance from the products they buy – that’s a given – but they also look for something more.”
• And, finally, there is increasing clarity about market need and consumer demand that is enabling companies to focus on bringing new technologies and products to market that meet growing consumer needs and allow companies to make a reasonable profit in the process.

"The ability to offer products that are better for the environment is now a central driver for successful business in the future. Innovation alone is not enough to support sustainability,” said Dr Martin. "I believe that the power of chemistry developed in partnership with other innovative chemical companies will find the answer to a more sustainable future, one step at a time,” she commented. "I am pleased to be part of an industry that is finding ways to work in partnership with others, and willing to drive the change that is needed. This, along with reliable and supportive policy frameworks, will continue to be critical to the success of this industry moving forward.”

About the IVP

Since its formation in 1947, the IVP has continuously developed its activities and services to promote and reinforce the image of the coatings market and their products in the region. The IVP is the only acknowledged representative federation in Belgium of the manufacturers and importers of paints and coatings, varnishes, printing inks and decorative coatings, and has close relationships with other leading industry organisations, research institutes such as CoRI, and federations including CEPE.

About Rohm and Haas Company

Leading the way since 1909, Rohm and Haas is a global pioneer in the creation and development of innovative technologies and solutions for the specialty materials industry. The company’s technologies are found in a wide range of industries including: Building and Construction, Electronics and Electronic Devices, Household Goods and Personal Care, Packaging and Paper, Transportation, Pharmaceutical and Medical, Water, Food and Food Related, and Industrial Process. Our innovative technologies and solutions help to improve life everyday, around the world. Based in Philadelphia, PA, the company generated annual sales of approximately $9.6 billion in 2008. Visit www.rohmhaas.com for more information. imagine the possibilities™