Change Chemistry Brings Together Many Voices on Sustainable Chemistry Policy in D.C.
As July turned into August, Change Chemistry cohosted two events in Washington D.C. that brought together our members, policymakers, and many others in the US sustainable chemistry policy landscape. The focus? What’s needed next to leverage the growing momentum to expand the use of safer, more sustainable chemistry ingredients and processes across all sectors.
On July 31, working with US Senator Chris Coons’ office, Change Chemistry cohosted a congressional briefing, Growing the Sustainable Chemistry Sector: Accelerators & Barriers, with the American Chemical Society and the Household & Commercial Products Association. Senator Coons was an original sponsor of the Sustainable Chemistry R&D Act, finally enacted in 2021 after a two-year push by a Change Chemistry-led coalition.
The July 2024 briefing updated congressional staff and other policymakers on what’s accelerating the progress in developing and scaling sustainable chemistry alternatives – and what barriers remain. The speaking program was complemented by display exhibits from Change Chemistry members Dow, Genomatica, IFF, Kalion and Procter & Gamble that were open to open to congressional staffers for much of the afternoon.
Our members headlined the industry panel, offering valuable insights from across the value chain. Senator Coons and other federal speakers highlighted the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders in the sustainable chemistry policy ecosystem. They urged all to engage effectively with the government to identify gaps and opportunities that could accelerate progress. Change Chemistry’s role as a convenor and facilitator was clear, as the Senate briefing room was filled with agency members, trade associations, nonprofits, and advocates — all of which must work together to promote effective sustainable chemistry policies.
The same theme of collaboration among diverse stakeholders was evident the next day during the August 1 meeting co-hosted by Change Chemistry and the U.S. Department of Energy. This event included five deputy administrators from key federal agencies and focused on Scaling Sustainable Chemistry for Industry Transformation. In this latest roundtable discussion with the DOE, we again brought together industry, government, nonprofits, and advocacy groups to explore leveraging public/private partnerships to scale sustainable chemistry.
Over the past three years, Change Chemistry’s partnership with the DOE has fostered deeper engagement and promoted collaboration between industry and government, accelerating the market transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals and manufacturing processes. In 2020, we collaborated on the Sustainable Chemistry in Manufacturing Processes Roundtable and in 2023, on the Sustainable Chemistry in RD&D to Transform the Chemicals Sector Roundtable. The report from the most recent workshop is expected in early 2025.
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Photo 1: In a US Capitol briefing room filled with a diverse group interested in sustainable chemistry policy, US Senator Chris Coons (center) joined (from left) Change Chemistry’s Executive Director Joel Tickner; Dow’s Global Director of Environmental, Health, Safety & Sustainability Melissa Schisler; Procter & Gamble’s Senior Director of Global Government Relations & Public Policy, Sean Broderick; and the Household & Commercial Products Association’s Vice President of Sustainability & Product Stewardship, Molly Blessing. They discussed the growing momentum at the federal level in support of sustainable chemistry – and the critical need for public-private partnerships to accelerate innovation, scale and adoption of safer, more sustainable chemistry.
Photo 2: Speakers at the Washington DC Scaling Sustainable Chemistry for Industry Transformation forum, co-hosted by the US Department of Energy and Change Chemistry, included (from left): Erwin Gianchandani, National Science Foundation Assistant Director of the Directorate for Technology, Innovation & Partnerships; Ben Beachy, White House Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy, Industrial Sector, & Community Investment; Brendan Owens, Department of Defense Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations & Environment Chief Sustainability Officer, and David Turk, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy.
