Compostable packaging
Methane emissions from landfill are a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and many governments worldwide, including in the UK, and the EU, are committing to the introduction of mandatory household food waste collections in a bid to curb this.
Supply chain drama
Reliable logistics are crucial for ensuring robust, cost effective and efficient supply chains. Over the last two years, however, several factors have wrought havoc on chemical supply chains. But for the resilience and adaptability of the people employed in the industry, there might have been chaos.
Critical element
There is a lot of talk about Critical Materials (or sometimes Minerals) – indeed the UK Government has just issued a strategy on the subject.1 The topic is not new, and there have been a number of reports on the topic over the last 20 years. As a chemist, I should probably start by correcting the use of language – we are mostly talking about elements here!
Agricultural robots
About 13% of global calories came out of production when Russian and Ukrainian borders shut down. The Russia-Ukraine war has put pressure on farmers globally to produce more crops to make up for a gap in supply left by the two countries. As prices of wheat, fuel and fertiliser rise, the total costs for farmers have been increasing.
Battery skills gap
Climate change and environmental degradation threaten the world. In response, the European Green Deal will transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy. Fossil fuels will be replaced by renewable energy – with batteries providing a vital storage tool.
Safer working
The active involvement of senior management in health and safety is very important. Managers need to be seen to lead by example,’ according to HSG 48, the UK regulator of health and safety. Put simply, senior managers have a tangible effect on the success or failure of safety initiatives.
US medicine use
While the primary healthcare focus in the US remains the Covid-19 pandemic, as we move through the third year of its disruptive effects and the death toll approaches 1m, other important dynamics are playing out.
M&A to increase in 2022
M&A activity in the chemicals sector has been declining since 2019, with a 29% decrease in deals value from the $333bn recorded in 2019 to the $236bn in 2021. The transaction size has also decreased sharply with less ‘mega-deals’ available. In 2019, 21% of recorded deals topped $10bn, compared with only 3% in 2021.
Climate for change
The latest UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report published in April 2022 focused on climate change mitigation. It emphasised that current global mitigation pledges are not enough to limit global warming to 1.5°C. In the last decade we have experienced the highest decadal increase in greenhouse gas emissions in human history.
Sustainable patenting
Innovators should consider whether trade secret protection is a more appropriate method for protecting their sustainable process technology compared with patents. Read the comment by Maeve O’Flynn, partner, London office of Finnegan Europe LLP.