The time is now,
rethinking chemistry
How can we ensure a reliable supply of food and water for our ever-growing world population? How can we provide low-carbon energy and mobility for all? How can plastics and other chemical products be produced and used in an environmentally friendly way? Companies in the chemical and plastics industry deal with all these questions and many more on a day-to-day basis. The industry must reinvent itself and currently employs around 1.2 million people in Europe and generates sales of 499 billion euros: together with automotive and mechanical engineering, the chemical industry is one of the most important industrial sectors in Europe.
Green Deal and the chemical industry
Industrial development over the past 150 years has brought prosperity to the world, and the chemical industry has played a significant role in this. The task now is to think in new ways and break down traditional patterns of thought to combine technological developments and sustainability in the future. This issue should be addressed as soon as possible, or mankind will be facing a major disaster. The chemical industry has therefore been an early supporter of the Green Deal goals of the European Union. The enormous effort must be managed in 30 years to implement the massive transformations in the energy turnaround, production technology and business models.
Essential products
The chemical industry has a reputation as the “industry of industries” and contributes in a very significant way: starting with everyday products for daily use and extending to critical materials for machinery and infrastructure and to recycling-oriented and climate-neutral solutions for new technologies such as batteries for electric vehicles. Many of today’s indispensable items are made from plastics. Even if we are ultimately able to do without disposable cups and plastic bags, plastic applications in the field of medical technology are vital and indispensable. This also includes many other high-performance materials needed for our modern lives, found in washing machines, dishwashers, coffee machines, smart phones, refrigerators, stoves, and toothbrushes, among other things. In addition, without innovative medications, such as those based on mRNA, it would not have been possible to combat the pandemic so quickly. There is no environmentally friendly mobility without state-of-the-art materials for lightweight construction in the aviation and automotive industries or for fuel cell drives. The list of examples could be endless.
No “business as usual” with raw materials from fossil fuels
It is not enough to develop increasingly better products and work out superior syntheses. Today, the focus is on replacing established methods of energy and raw material extraction based on crude oil, natural gas or coal by sustainable alternatives
Continue with circular economy and design for recycling
Rethinking Chemistry not only means prioritizing the desired properties of a material, but also considering its recyclability and paying attention to the carbon footprint already during the synthesis of materials. Research for recycling for existing plastics must be intensified in making new use of plastic waste as a valuable raw material. The transition to a circular economy requires not only scientific breakthroughs but also social acceptance and support from the world of politics.
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