Industry & Goverment Leaders Meet in Brussels to Advance Sustainable Chemistry in Europe

Building a Shared Agenda for Sustainable Chemistry 🌍🔬 This week, the Global Impact Coalition (GIC) joined industry leaders, producers, brands, organizations, and nonprofits at the Change Chemistry meeting hosted at the Procter & Gamble InQbet Accelerator offices in Brussels — an inspiring dialogue on how we can collectively accelerate sustainable chemistry. The discussions highlighted both the shared challenges and opportunities for alignment across the chemical value chain — a clear takeaway: we need a shared narrative across the chemical value chain — one that connects producers, brands, and retailers, and bridges the public and private sectors toward a common goal of sustainable transformation. 💡 Key themes critical to advance a shared chemicals agenda: 🔹Promote transparency and information sharing on chemicals across the value chain 🔹Align on metrics and harmonising standards (e.g. Restricted Substances Lists, PCF/LCA methodologies) 🔹Advance collaborative action — speeding up the process from innovation to commercialisation through shared platforms, venture builders, and cross-value chain initiatives such as the Global Impact Coalition 🔹Bridge public and private sectors to enhance policy framework alignment that supports the transition and builds industrial resilience 🔹Strengthen market pull through demand aggregation for low-carbon chemicals and circular materials Ultimately, sustainable chemistry is not just a technical challenge — it’s a societal one. The transformation ahead will depend on building this shared narrative and advancing collaboration across sectors, regions, and disciplines. 🤝 At GIC, we’re committed to connecting the value chain, scaling innovative solutions, and accelerating the transition toward a circular, net-zero future. Huge thank you to Jason Pearson, Joel Tickner, Peter J. Nieuwenhuizen Jennifer MacKeller and the Change Chemistry team for bringing us all together, and thanks to Stuart Askew, Mark Stalmans for hosting us and the tour of the Procter & Gamble site. Amanda Martin, Aidan Turnbull, Dr. Wibke Lölsberg, Yuki Hamilton Onda Kabe, Theresa Kjell, Alexander Majer, Paraskevi (Evi) Moutsipai, Jan Ahlskog, Anna Zhenova, Sjoerd Dijkstra, Benjamin Nummert, Klaartje Rietkerken-van Gaans, Ana Maria Bravo, Jan Weernink, John Munthe, Amélie Drouault, Dirk Thelen, Luciano Proto Cassina, Harry Wick, Stelios Kouvroukoglou

Last week Change Chemistry hosted a Brussels “fly-in” day to initiate conversations with European officials on challenges and needs across the value chain to drive market activation towards safer and more sustainable chemicals. In addition to a member strategy discussion, we organized meetings with the Council Presidency and DG Environment/DG Grow and organized a European Parliament briefing entitled “REACH for Innovation: Sustainable Chemistry Policy Incentives to Transform the Industrial Value Chain”, hosted by MEPs Martin Hojsik and Dimitrios Tsiodras. The briefing, moderated by Dr. Christos Vasilakos, featured Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall, Danish Presidency representative Mathias Kirkegaard, and Steven Van de Broeck, an incredible panel of Change Chemistry leaders across the value chain including Sjoerd Dijkstra, Jan Weernink, Laura Kherbeck, and Ana Kljuic, and an intervention by Sharon McGuinness. Our key message presented to the more than 120 attendees: Companies across the value chain want to respond to increasing drivers for safer and more sustainable chemicals, but the challenges are often surmountable given the incumbency of existing chemicals, the costs of switching from incumbents, and the lack of willingness to absorb costs. There is a critical need for incentives along the value chain that drive supply and mobilize demand in addition to a thoughtful regulatory agenda. The entire value chain is involved in changing chemistry and policy needs to address that reality. We presented initial results of our work with members to develop an incentives roadmap for safer and sustainable chemistry that will be published early next year. The current economic environment in Europe creates a unique opportunity for government leadership to support and guide the next generation of both safer and more sustainable chemicals and materials by creating an integrated, durable, and supportive policy framework that incentivizes and activates markets, resulting in win-win solutions that enhance competitiveness and health and environment. We look forward to working with the Parliament, Commission, Council, and others to make that happen. The opportunities to change chemistry are significant when we work together.