Aligning three strategies for the transition in the EU chemical industry – From Safe and Sustainable by Design, Circular Economy, and Sustainable Carbon to integrated system change.
The European chemical sector faces mounting challenges: climate crisis, geopolitical shifts, breached planetary boundaries, and economic volatility. These systemic issues demand more than isolated policy fixes — they require a transition.
This report offers a transition perspective for policymakers navigating this complex terrain. It focuses on three major EU strategies already shaping the future of the chemical sector:
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Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD)
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Circular Economy (CE)
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Sustainable Carbon (SC)
Each strategy offers valuable tools, yet they are often implemented in parallel. We explore how they can be better aligned — by identifying overlaps, addressing tensions, and creating space for coordination. Instead of prescribing a blueprint, it provides a discussion agenda: a practical guide for reflection and joint action in the transition that is already underway.
See the full Discussion Agenda here
Conclusion
The transition of the EU chemical sector is in motion. CE, SSbD, and SC each contribute to this change — but their full potential lies in strategic alignment.
We want to show that shared principles like lifecycle thinking, systems change, and renewable inputs can serve as common ground. By building on these, policymakers can strengthen existing efforts, avoid lock-ins, and accelerate meaningful transformation.
Integration won’t happen by itself. It takes deliberate coordination — and starts with conversation. The included discussion agenda supports teams in aligning strategies, translating goals into action, and working across silos. It is not a checklist, but a compass.
The sector’s challenges are complex — but they also open space for a future that is not only competitive, but safe, circular, and climate-resilient.
