Westlake Corporation.
WLK.US | Manufacture of basic chemicals
Westlake Corporation is a global manufacturer and supplier of basic chemicals, polymers and fabricated products. The company operates through two segments: Performance and Essential Materials and Housing and Infrastructure Products. The Performance and Essential Materials segment produces polyethyle...Show More
Better Health for All
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Westlake Corporation's core products and activities, specifically the production of ethylene dichloride (EDC) and vinyl chloride, are linked to severe, widespread health damage. In 2020, Westlake Vinyls, Inc. was responsible for 96% of EDC emissions in Calvert City, releasing over 36 tons of EDC, a probable human carcinogen.
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Vinyl chloride is also a carcinogen.
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An EPA study identified elevated levels of these compounds, posing cancer risks to residents, with estimated cumulative chronic cancer risks reaching 1,000 per 1 million near the Westlake Vinyls, Inc. facility.
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The company has a poor safety record, with at least six unauthorized vinyl chloride emissions since 2010, including an 11,000-pound leak in 2011.
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Westlake was fined $1 million and ordered to invest $110 million in equipment upgrades to reduce emissions.
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Air monitoring data showed EDC levels violating EPA long-term cancer risk guidelines for over a decade.
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The company's transparency regarding product hazards is criticized, with reports citing a lack of comprehensive assessment of intrinsic hazards and insufficient disclosure of hazardous chemical production volumes.
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Fair Money & Economic Opportunity
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Westlake Corporation is a manufacturer of chemicals, polymers, and fabricated products, not a financial services provider. As such, it does not offer consumer lending, deposit services, or other financial products. Consequently, KPIs related to customer demographics for financial services, pricing, fees, loan books, data portability, fair lending compliance, wealth building outcomes, financial literacy programs, debt burden, geographic inclusion for banking, or product simplicity for financial products are not applicable. While the company donated nearly $25,000 to 60 local nonprofits and conducted a food drive supporting 150 families, no percentage of annual pre-tax profit reinvested in community finance or profit-sharing is available to assess the 'profit_reinvestment' KPI.
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Fair Pay & Worker Respect
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Westlake Corporation reported a Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR) of 0.68 for all employees in 2024
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, with zero work-related fatalities.
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The CEO-to-median employee pay ratio was 71:1 in 2024
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, based on a median employee pay of $84,184.
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Employee engagement is reflected by 75% of employees recommending working at the company, according to 2025 Glassdoor reviews.
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The company states it provides fair wages, upholds applicable fair wage laws, and conducts comprehensive internal reviews of base salaries to ensure pay equity.
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However, qualitative employee feedback on pay and benefits is mixed, with some reviews citing good pay and benefits
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, while others mention low pay at the hourly level and outdated pay scales.
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Collective bargaining agreements cover some employees, including approximately 175 workers under one agreement
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, and union members at Westlake Vinyls in Calvert City went on strike for a fair contract in November 2024.
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In the U.S., health and life insurance coverage begins on an employee’s date of hire.
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Some employee reviews also mention high turnover rates
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and discrimination.
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Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing
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Westlake Corporation reported no substantiated forced or child labor findings in its activities and supply chains during the 2023 reporting period (January 1 to December 31, 2023).
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The company maintains a Supplier Code of Conduct
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and a Sustainable Procurement Policy.
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However, specific quantitative data was not provided for fair trade certifications, audit frequency, traceability coverage, remediation speed, ethical clause coverage, materials risk index, or supplier diversity spend.
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Honest & Fair Business
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Westlake Corporation incurred an $825,000 civil penalty from the EPA in 2024 for Clean Air Act violations, including unauthorized emissions and issues with startup, shutdown, and malfunction requirements.
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The company maintains a comprehensive, global Anti-corruption Policy that strictly prohibits bribery, kickbacks, and other forms of corruption, adhering to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the UK Bribery Act 2010.
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This policy includes employee training for all staff, directors, and officers, as well as third-party due diligence, expenditure, and financial controls.
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Additionally, Westlake has a Code of Conduct that encourages reporting concerns about violations to supervisors, HR, Legal, or a 24/7 confidential, multilingual EthicsPoint hotline, and explicitly states that retaliation against anyone who reports a concern is not tolerated.
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Kind to Animals
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The provided ESG Appendix for Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLK.US) focuses on general environmental metrics such as waste, water, GHG emissions, and energy consumption, as well as social metrics like employee data and work-related injuries
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. It also details certifications for environmental and occupational health management systems
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. However, the article does not contain any specific, concrete data points or information related to animal welfare, animal testing, animal-derived ingredients, or measurable wildlife conservation impacts as defined by the 'Kind to Animals' rubric KPIs. Therefore, all KPIs for this value are omitted due to a lack of relevant evidence.
No War, No Weapons
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No specific, quantifiable evidence was found in the provided articles to assess Westlake Corporation against any of the 'No War, No Weapons' KPIs. The articles mention general sustainability goals, a supplier code of conduct that includes human and labor rights
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, and a conflict minerals policy
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, but do not provide concrete data points such as percentages of revenue from defense contracts, R&D investment in dual-use technologies, sales to embargoed regimes, or the percentage of the supply chain certified free from conflict minerals.
Planet-Friendly Business
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Westlake Corporation reported Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions of 3.2 million metric tons CO2e in 2022
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, but does not provide specific Scope 3 emissions data.
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The company has a target to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity by 20% by 2030 from a 2016 baseline
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, but these are not SBTi-validated, and there is no independent verification of emissions data.
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Westlake aims for operational net-zero by 2050
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, with no specific interim milestones mentioned. Westlake performed a TCFD Gap Assessment in Q4 2022 and included its first TCFD disclosures in its 2022 ESG report
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, but lacks climate scenario analysis. In 2023, the company received 3 minor environmental citations with $157,000 in fines
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, and its Lake Charles facility was fined $825,000 by the EPA for Clean Air Act violations.
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Respect for Cultures & Communities
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The provided articles do not contain specific, quantitative data points that align with the Key Performance Indicators for 'Respect for Cultures & Communities'. While mentions general community support through philanthropy, donations, and employee volunteering, it lacks specific metrics such as the number of formal partnerships, percentage of revenue reinvested locally, or details on cultural impact assessments.
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, the Suppliers' Code of Conduct, mentions the importance of a 'social license to operate' but provides no data on its implementation or coverage across operations.
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No information is available regarding cultural appropriation incidents, local employment ratios, grievance mechanisms, or cultural preservation investments. Consequently, no KPIs can be scored based on the available evidence.
Safe & Smart Tech
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Westlake Corporation demonstrates strong data minimization practices, retaining server logs for only 7 days
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and contact form data until the request is resolved,
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and generally storing data only as long as necessary.
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The company explicitly states compliance with EU-GDPR and UK-GDPR,
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and its privacy policies outline user rights such as access, rectification, and erasure,
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providing a dedicated email for exercising these rights.
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Cybersecurity training is provided quarterly to employees on identifying and reporting cyber incursions.
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There are no documented incidents of unauthorized data use.
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Zero Waste & Sustainable Products
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Westlake Epoxy's EpoVIVE™ product portfolio incorporates circular solutions in its formulations and processes, and the company identifies waste and circular economy as a material topic.
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DaVinci Roofscapes continuously invests in green initiatives and innovative tooling for reprocessing scrap.
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DaVinci Roofscapes' products are warranted for decades, and PVC flooring has a lifespan of up to 40 years.
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Westlake has not reported any waste disposal violations or citations. However, an As You Sow resolution highlighted Westlake Corporation's lack of a substantial commitment to recycled polymer production and the absence of a recycled polymer production goal.
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