21st century
In 2001, Air Products Received an Award of Merit from the WateReuse Association for Outstanding Water Conservation Efforts for conserving 62 e6USgal of drinking water annually by converting to recycled water for the cooling process at its Santa Clara, California manufacturing facility. The award was presented during the 25th Annual WateReuse Symposium. WRA recognizes projects that have advanced the acceptance of water reuse through education, sound science, and technology using reclamation, recycling, reuse, or desalination for the benefit of the public and the environment.[5]
Air Products provided the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel for the Space Shuttle external tank. Air Products has had a working relationship with NASA for five decades, supplying the liquid hydrogen used for every Space Shuttle launch and the Mercury and Apollo missions.[6]
Air Products is included on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index as one of the best performing sustainable companies for the period of 2008 to 2011.[7]
In January 2004, Air Products (NYSE: APD) was named a Maplecroft Climate Innovation Indexes (CIIs) Leader, the 17th largest U.S.-based company that has undergone evaluation of its climate-related innovation and carbon management programs. Air Products is currently working on several preeminent carbon capture and storage demonstration projects around the world.[8]
In 2010, Air Products was awarded the Rushlight Hydrogen and Fuel Cells industry award for the Series 10 hydrogen fuelling station, which celebrates the leading environmental technologies and innovations by organizations throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland by promoting development in hydrogen and fuel cells and enabling further development and funding to be granted toward reducing carbon emissions.[9]
In March 2010, Corporate Responsibility magazine named Air Products to its 100 Best Corporate Citizens List.[10]
In 2013, Air Products' high purity built-in purifier argon was used to determine a more accurate value for the Boltzmann constant.[11]
In September 2015, Air Products announced its intent to spin off its Materials Technologies business.[12] This new stand alone company was named Versum Materials. The spinoff was completed on October 3, 2016.[13] Versum was later acquired by pharmaceutical company Merck.[14]
In January 2017, Air Products completed the sale of its Performance Materials division to Evonik,[15] leaving the company focused on its industrial gases business.
Air Products initially refused to cease operations in Russia in response to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the international sanctions subsequently levied against Russia. However, according to Yale School of Management, the company reversed its position and has since divested its interests in Russia.[16][17]
In 2022, Air Products announced plans for the development of a green hydrogen production plan in the United Kingdom, located in the Humberside region.[18] In June 2025, the company withdrew its involvement and investment following a 'lack of commitment' by the British government.[18]
