NO ONE could have predicted that a virus would paralyse the world. But overnight, the world changed as countries went into lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19. What didn’t change – and hasn’t changed – is INEOS’ focus.
Where it could, it helped in the fight against COVID-19. By building plants in days to manufacture millions of bottles of hand sanitiser for thousands of hospitals which were in short supply. By setting up an INEOS Community Fund to seek out and support hundreds of smaller organisations, which were struggling to help those hardest hit by the global pandemic. Both those efforts are rightly highlighted in this edition of INCH. But INEOS has also been focused on its vital role in helping to tackle climate change. That hasn’t gone away. If anything, the world got a glimpse of what life could be like with reduced emissions of carbon dioxide.
In this edition, Chris Stark, CEO of The Committee on Climate Change, said he hopes governments across the world will wake up to the very real benefits of hydrogen – a gas that INEOS has been championing and using across its INOVYN businesses for years. The pandemic also highlighted the need to be self-sufficient. During the height of the crisis, there was a critical shortage of hand sanitiser in Europe with the UK, France and Germany all struggling to get hold of supplies from China and Turkey. INEOS, which manufactures the two active ingredients for hand sanitiser, responded by launching a new business – INEOS Hygienics – to sell its hospital-grade products to the public for the first time.
The INEOS sports teams have also been back in action thanks to those products. Mercedes-AMG F1 started the season as they mean to go on – out in front. But they also found time to help INEOS launch its new business at Silverstone, home of The British Grand Prix. INEOS TEAM UK trained safely through the summer – and are now on their way to New Zealand.
INEOS’ football teams are also getting back down to business, OGC Nice looking good on and off the pitch after signing Belstaff as their official apparel partnership. And TEAM INEOS became The INEOS Grenadiers as they helped to raise awareness of INEOS’ new, uncompromising 4 x 4 at The Tour de France. The news always comes thick and fast. And this year has been no exception.
As we look back on 2020 so far, it has been quite a journey. A bit bumpy in places. But the road ahead looks full of opportunities, such as the acquisition of BP’s petrochemicals business. And anyone who knows INEOS, knows that those opportunities will not be missed.
Mercedes AMG Formula 1 from pole position, launched INEOS Hygienics through The British Grand Prix at Silverstone this summer.