• Dow and Univar Solutions signed a long-term agreement to distribute Decarbia low-carbon products across major consumer and industrial markets.
• Products will carry Product Carbon Footprint certificates, giving customers verified data to support Scope 3 emissions accounting.
• Univar Solutions will use its global distribution network to expand access to the products across multiple industries.

Dow has appointed Raoul Meys Oliveira as Director of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon Accounting & Monetization. He joins the company after almost seven years as Managing Director of Carbon Minds.

Oliveira will focus on creating value from low-carbon products and strengthening the carbon data available to customers. His remit also includes supporting corporate sustainability goals through life-cycle assessment and carbon accounting.

The appointment comes as Dow expands the commercial reach of its Decarbia low-carbon portfolio. Dow recently signed a long-term agreement with Univar Solutions to distribute the products with Product Carbon Footprint certificates across key global markets.

Carbon data moves closer to procurement

Dow calculates its low-carbon product footprints using its Carbon Footprint Ledger methodology.

The methodology has received limited assurance under international product carbon footprint standards. These include ISO 14067 and the GHG Protocol Product Standard.

That verification is becoming more important for corporate buyers. Scope 3 emissions sit largely outside a company’s direct operational control. For many businesses, they also account for a significant share of the total climate footprint.

Reducing these emissions requires companies to work more closely with suppliers. Businesses must also reconsider purchasing decisions and improve access to product-level carbon data.

“At Dow, we are investing to develop low-carbon products at scale and to demonstrate that meaningful decarbonization is achievable across the value chain,” said Brendy Lange, president of Performance Materials & Coatings at Dow. “This agreement deepens our collaboration with Univar Solutions and reflects our shared vision to accelerate value chain decarbonization while delivering value to customers. By combining Dow’s Decarbia™ low-carbon product portfolio, supported by high-integrity, verifiable PCF data, with Univar Solutions’ strong global distribution network, we are helping customers advance their sustainability goals with confidence.”

Distribution becomes part of decarbonization

For Dow, the agreement extends the reach of its lower-carbon materials. Customers will not need to source directly from the producer.

Univar Solutions provides the distribution infrastructure needed to bring those materials into more supply chains. This could benefit companies purchasing smaller volumes. It could also help businesses that already source multiple specialty materials through established distributors.

“We are excited to broaden access to low-carbon products through this collaboration with Dow,” said David Jukes, president and chief executive officer for Univar Solutions. “By offering third-party verified low-carbon options, we can deliver more impactful supply chain alternatives across our customer base and support meaningful Scope 3 emissions reductions. As a global chemical and specialty ingredients distributor, we are well positioned to bring a comprehensive portfolio of sustainable solutions to market.”

Both companies continue to invest in sustainable products and related capabilities. Demand for lower-carbon materials is increasing across consumer and industrial markets.

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Dow strengthens carbon accounting expertise

The agreement comes as Dow builds its internal expertise in life-cycle assessment and carbon accounting.

Raoul Meys Oliveira recently joined Dow as Director of Life Cycle Assessment, Carbon Accounting & Monetization. He previously served as Managing Director of Carbon Minds.

Announcing the move, Oliveira said: “Today, I start my new chapter at Dow as Director of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon Accounting & Monetization. My role will focus on unlocking value from low-carbon products, supporting customers in achieving their sustainability goals with trustworthy information, and ultimately strengthening Dow’s leadership in the transition to a low-carbon economy. After years of working on sustainability data and chemical value chains, I am excited to bring this experience closer to industrial implementation, customer value, and real-world decarbonization.”

His appointment links carbon measurement more closely with commercial strategy. Companies increasingly need product-level emissions data for procurement decisions, climate disclosures and customer claims.

What executives and investors should watch

For sustainability teams, verified product carbon footprints can strengthen the evidence behind Scope 3 reduction programmes.

Procurement teams can use the data to compare lower-carbon materials with conventional alternatives. That creates a clearer connection between corporate climate targets and purchasing decisions.

The commercial implications are also important for chemical producers and distributors. Investments in lower-carbon manufacturing ultimately require customer demand. Buyers must be able to identify products with reduced emissions and assign value to those reductions.

The Dow-Univar agreement brings carbon measurement, distribution and procurement closer together.

Its wider impact will depend on how companies use verified carbon data in purchasing decisions. That question extends well beyond the chemicals sector.

Climate disclosure requirements continue to develop across major markets. At the same time, companies face greater pressure to demonstrate progress on value-chain emissions.

Credible product-level carbon accounting could therefore play a larger role in corporate procurement. It could also influence how suppliers compete for contracts in increasingly carbon-conscious global markets.