WASHINGTON (August 16, 2022) — The American Chemistry Council (ACC), the nation’s largest trade association representing the leading companies engaged in the business of chemistry, today announced that Mitchell Toomey will serve as ACC’s Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Care®. Toomey will transition from his current position as director of sustainability at BASF Corporation, the world’s largest chemical company, to join ACC starting in September.
In his four years with BASF, Toomey has led a team working across twelve businesses to embed sustainability in the company’s business strategies, including leadership of long-term renewable power purchasing agreements, non-fossil feedstocks for circular economy value chains, and customer-centric portfolio evaluations and expansions based on emerging sustainability drivers. Toomey also leads the BASF Sustainability Champions Network and Leadership Sustainability Council. Prior to joining BASF, Toomey spent more than 15 years with the United Nations and UN Development Programme (UNDP), where he helped champion the United Nations global social responsibility and sustainability movement. He also led UN engagement and expert dialogues for the 2012 Rio Conference on Sustainability, launched the UNDP Innovation Facility, and served as lead author for the UNDP Knowledge Management Strategy.
“Mitch is a proven leader who shares ACC’s vision for a cleaner, safer, and healthier future. His decades of experience embedded in sustainability issues—both for industry and on the intergovernmental side—are essential to helping to bring our industry closer to achieving its ambitious environmental, health, safety, and sustainability goals. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have Mitch join our team and lead our industry’s sustainability initiatives at this crucial time in our history.”
As the head of both ACC’s Sustainability department and Responsible Care program, Toomey is tasked with strengthening industry’s role as a solutions provider across several key areas, including:
- monitoring and improving air quality;
- conserving and protecting drinking water;
- increasing product and process safety;
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
- expanding recycling; and
- creating a more diverse workforce.
Toomey earned both an MBA and BA from New York University. An avid outdoorsman, Toomey also holds a Wilderness Expedition Leadership Certificate from the National Outdoor Leadership School.