Creating a Supportive Policy Environment in Europe: Where are We Today

Policy work has been a critical element of Change Chemistry’s program activities for well over a decade. Recent examples included the two events (in Washington D.C.) that we co-hosted earlier in the summer, that brought together our members, high-level policymakers, and many others in the US sustainable chemistry policy landscape.  

We have elevated policy, particularly incentives that create demand pull, recognition, and stimulate supply, as a central driver for sustainable chemistry, continuing to extend our focus beyond US initiatives to encompass European and global policy endeavours.  We held the first meeting of our newly formed EU Policy Working Group several weeks ago. Attended by some of the largest companies across the value chain, we reflected on the need for an increased policy focus on incentives and demand creation for sustainable chemistry solutions.  

Following on the European elections earlier this summer, a new European Commission is being established with Ursula von der Leyen as the re-elected President. The long-awaited revision of the REACH regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) will likely be back in focus. However, a greater focus on incentivization of sustainable innovation in the next phase of the Green Deal is also likely as a result of the greater emphasis on competitiveness, security and safety. Given the focus on stimulating innovation in  industry initiatives, such as the Antwerp Declaration, we believe that there is a unique opportunity  in Europe to focus on policy incentives for innovation, commercialization and adoption of sustainable chemistry solutions that can address multiple policy priorities including chemical safety, net zero, and circularity.  

We also see opportunities to focus on the needs of actors along the entire value chain and enable collaboration to solve chemicals innovation and substitution challenges . Our strong ability to foster multi-sectoral, value chain collaboration and convene a range of stakeholders to advance common policy goals around solutions are important strengths that we can bring to the table. Coupled with our pragmatic understanding of the R&D and policy processes, this positions Change Chemistry to be an effective policy enabler in Europe.  

Creating a supportive policy environment in Europe is critical to our mission as Change Chemistry and having the support of our members is critical to making this happen. Our near-term focus is building an outreach campaign to educate European policymakers about industry challenges and needs in responding to increasing market, investor, and policy demands for sustainable chemistry and how they can incentivize innovation, commercialization and adoption.  We need our members to help us design that outreach campaign and partner with us in implementing it.  

Therefore,  if you are interested in becoming involved in our policy work in either the U.S. or Europe we invite you to sign up here Change Chemistry Policy Work - Request for Information (google.com).

Dr. Asli Tamer Vestlund 

European Program Lead at Change Chemistry