Change Chemistry 2024 European Forum: Accelerating Green and Sustainable Chemistry
From June 12th to 14th, Dow Silicones Belgium proudly hosted the 2024 European Forum from Change Chemistry, a prestigious and influential gathering for stakeholders across the chemical value chain to promote safe and sustainable chemistry practices.
The presence of Dow Corporate Leaders, including EMEAI Dow’s President Neil Carr, EMEAI Senior Strategy Director Rafael Cayuela, and Belgium Country Leader Anouk Van Looveren, underscored Dow’s commitment to sustainable transformation.
In his opening speech during the welcome reception, Neil Carr talked about the importance of the Antwerp Declaration, the need to have an industrial deal accompanying the Green Deal to make Europe competitive again and the steer demand for low carbon and circular products to restore the strategic autonomy of the European Union.
After a warm welcome and introduction to our 70 guests by Samuel Ares, Seneffe Site Leader, engaging discussions took place in the inspirationstudio and the Business & Technology Center building under the theme Accelerating green and sustainable chemistry through collaboration and partnership.
Then, through a series of sessions, led by subject-matter experts, topics such as innovation, advocacy, or growth in the field of sustainable chemistry were explored. The forum provided a unique opportunity for participants to engage with chemistry experts, policymakers, and other key players in the European market.
“We have successfully completed another European Forum and what a whirlwind it was! A million thanks to our wonderful hosts Dow for making this event so unforgettable. From insightful discussions to impactful debates, from old friends meeting again and new friendships being formed, we have once again remembered that it takes a village to change chemistry. There is a big, definite change in the air and the chemical industry is ready for big, disruptive change. Collaboration remains very important and forming a community is what will make a difference for breaking down barriers and building trust.” Said Dr. Asli Tamer Vestlund, European Program Lead at Change Chemistry.
Anouk Van Looveren, Country Leader for Dow in Belgium declared: “I am extremely proud that we hosted this event in our inspirationstudio in Seneffe, where ecosystem change-makers converged to advance safer and sustainable chemistry. From the engaging sessions to the flawless logistics, everything was top-notch. The collaborative efforts of the Seneffe team were truly remarkable, and I am proud that we contribute to this transformative journey in the field of chemistry. After all, chemicals are the foundation for all industries, and together, we will drive positive impact now and in the future.”
Rafael Cayuela added: "It is with great honor and pleasure that we hosted the 2024 European Change Chemistry Forum in Seneffe, Belgium. This event is very close to my heart and to our own Dow transformation as it brought together major stakeholders, including NGOs, regulators, academia, and business partners, across our global key value chains. Our clear purpose was to drive the transformation of chemistry toward Net Zero (Scope 1, 2 & 3) and fully circular molecules. Timed just after the EU Elections, this event served as a powerful reminder that none of us can achieve this transformation without collaborations. Indeed, there is no EU Green Deal without chemistry. This was highlighted by the remarkable capabilities of our inspirationstudio and the Dow Seneffe Team. Together, we can make a difference. Let’s commit to changing chemistry for a sustainable future!"
According to Meike Wesseling, EMEAI Marketing Director, “the Change Chemistry European forum discussed the readiness of chemical industries for transformative changes. Data transparency and collaboration were highlighted as key enablers by our guest speakers. This drive for collaboration to innovate is also so deeply rooted in Team Dow’s DNA and at the heart of the Dow Seneffe inspirationstudio, where we hosted the event. It made me extremely proud to see that Dow Seneffe Site and the inspirationstudio were the perfect match for the mission of the event. The Seneffe Team impressed the participants who could explore our capabilities during the studio and lab tours.”
The 2024 European Forum provided extraordinary visibility for Dow’s Seneffe site, reinforcing our industry leadership and dedication to a greener future. We look forward to further collaborating with the amazing team of Change Chemistry.
Joel Tickner, Founder and Executive Director of Change Chemistry concluded by these words : “We are grateful to Dow for hosting our third Change Chemistry European Forum and are impressed with the high level of engagement, particularly from key organizational leaders, and commitment to open internal dialogue and across stakeholder groups on the needs and opportunities to scale sustainable chemistry. Chemistry is key to achieving critical sustainability challenges and goals. Given the urgency of these challenges, we need to find solutions to accelerate innovation, commercialization, and adoption and scale of chemistries and materials that benefit society but with much lower impact. While there will be differences of opinion on what constitutes “better” and the pathways to sustainable chemistry, the collaborative community and trusted network we have built through Change Chemistry will allow us to have the honest conversations necessary to address differences, identify paths forward, and drive those solutions faster. We look forward to working with Dow on this 20-year journey to change chemistry!”
Thank you all for the participation! These were very special days!
About Change Chemistry
Change Chemistry is a collaboration of more than 100 members that aim to make safer and sustainable chemistry widely available in the marketplace. Approximately 75% of Change Chemistry members are individual companies (like Dow) and 25% are non-profits; local, state, and federal government agencies; and consulting firms.
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