Biodiversity is unequivocally declining and chemical pollution is a major driver of its loss. Ecotoxicological studies report various effects of chemicals at different levels of biological organization, mostly individual and sub-organismal levels, while biodiversity is typically measured by...

This study provides information allowing for an assessment of the representativeness of the actors involved in the European sectoral social dialogue committee for the chemical sector. Their relative representativeness legitimises their right to be consulted, their role and effective...

Meeting Europe's environmental and sustainability goals requires transitioning industry toward a circular economy, centred on the production and use of innovative chemicals and materials that are safe, non-toxic, sustainable and easily recyclable while maintaining or improving performance. This...

Die chemisch-pharmazeutische Industrie ist mit ihrer Größe und Produktivität eine Schlüsselindustrie der deutschen Wirtschaft und beschäftigt aktuell mehr als 857.000 sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigte. Derzeit steht die Branche aufgrund der anhaltend schwachen Wirtschaft und hoher...

A comprehensive study conducted during a cruise of the RV Belgica from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Odesa, Ukraine, supported by the EU/UNDP EU4EMBLAS project, provided a rare opportunity to assess chemical pollution across the North Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea. Utilising a...

A comprehensive study conducted during a cruise of the RV Belgica from Zeebrugge, Belgium to Odesa, Ukraine, supported by the EU/UNDP EU4EMBLAS project, provided a rare opportunity to assess chemical pollution across the North Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea. Utilising a...

This study highlights the critical role of consumer behaviour in advancing the UK's transition to a Circular Chemical Economy (CCE), a sector heavily reliant on fossil fuels and a major contributor to CO2 emissions. While most existing studies focus on the technological and economic viability of...

With the sustainability transition actively underway in society, there is a strong impetus for higher education institutions to provide suitable learning opportunities for their students. Chemical engineers are especially well-positioned to contribute to many sustainability efforts, building...

In January 2023, the European Commission published the Transition Pathway for the Chemical Industry (the Transition Pathway). This roadmap outlines about 190 actions that are necessary in order to accelerate the EU chemical industry's green and digital transitions and to increase its resilience.

The shift away from fossil fuels needed to reduce CO2 emissions requires the use of renewable carbon and energy sources, including biomass in the bioeconomy. Already today, the bioeconomy has a significant share in the EU economy with traditionally bio-based sectors. For the future, the energy,...

This paper focuses on the issue of non-financial corporate reporting by the Czech chemical companies. Based on the content analysis of the websites and disclosures, it analyses, compares and evaluates the level of web communication of the economic, environmental and social issues of corporate...

Modular production systems are a response to trends towards shorter product life cycles, increasing product diversity and the resulting volatile market conditions, especially in the fine and specialty chemicals industry. The ability to flexibly adapt the production system to volatile market...

This report summarises the main findings and discussion from the European Commission (EC) workshop on "The Roadmap Towards Phasing Out Animal Testing for Chemical Safety Assessments" (Brussels, 11-12 December 2023). The aim of the workshop was to identify the major challenges in moving towards...

This Methodological Guidance clarifies some aspects of the voluntary application of the 'safe and sustainable by design' (SSbD) framework for chemicals and materials. It combines the disciplines of "Risk Assessment" (RA) and "Sustainability Assessment" (SA), which have different methodologies,...

The purpose of this report is to review and analyse the main results of the co-implementation process in 2023. Based on the information collected through the call for transition initiatives, the input provided by the working group and the task forces as well as desk research, this paper will:...

The chemical industry is a vital player in the EU economy, and most goods that are manufactured in Europe rely on chemicals for a wide range of various functions. They are at the heart of Europe's major value chains, including pharmaceuticals, electronics, batteries for electric vehicles,...

The Guidance aims to highlight the main funding opportunities to support the coimplementation of the Transition Pathway for the Chemical Industry. It outlines the main EU funding programmes to achieve the green and digital transition of the EU Chemical Industry. The document also lists relevant...

Every year, thousands of new chemicals enter the market, adding to a vast array already in use. However, only a small portion of these chemicals are subjected to thorough assessments of their toxicity, leaving many potential health risks unexplored, particularly in cardiovascular safety. The...

Evaluating the effectiveness of EU legislation requires the identification of significant impacts across economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Quantifying health impacts, typically through environmental burden of disease indicators, is crucial. However, assessing health impacts of...

In 2020, the Chinese coal chemical industry processed nearly one quarter of national coal throughput, and accounted for about 5.4 per cent of national CO2 emissions. Yet the coal chemicals’ industry ability to limit oil and gas imports is appealing to the Chinese leadership in the context of...

This article outlines a pilot study aimed at exploring the influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption and firm performance within Czech chemical SMEs. With dual aims, the study first evaluates the feasibility of the main research design and secondly...

Striving to mitigate climate change, the European Union has adopted net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as a target for 2050. In this paper, European chemical industry roadmaps from the past six years are assessed and compared to uncover how the industry envisions its role in the transition to...

The price pass-through of CO2 costs was analysed for HRC and PE/PP products as parts of a BEV. It was revealed that the feasibility of transferring these costs hinges on a company's ability to dictate prices, either as a significant player in international markets or through bilateral...