Preliminary Agenda

Most manufacturing companies have set long-term corporate targets to reach net zero. Process heat, however, poses significant challenges for decarbonisation, particularly when dealing with high temperatures and steam. Differences in grid decarbonisation, fuel options, technologies, and policies across countries further exacerbate the challenge. This session will examine how global manufacturers can navigate the challenge of heat decarbonisation to create credible investment plans that drive long-term emission reduction. In this presentation, we will share real-life examples from large, multi-national companies around the world that have started this journey and we have helped deliver impact and realise sustainable performance.

We will review case studies from consumer product companies that have taken bold steps to work with their contract manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions including food manufacturing and household supplies. These lessons have broad application for many companies that are trying to tackle their Scope 3 emissions while ensuring regulatory compliance for supply chain reporting.

The Carbon Trust, a leading sustainability consultancy with over 20 years of experience, will guide you through the process of calculating, verifying, and communicating the carbon footprint of your chemical products and will be sharing key examples of innovation from the industry!

Nature, including biodiversity and water, has become a focal point in sustainable management today. Following the focus on carbon, leading companies are now exploring how their business operations and supply chains impact and depend on natural resources. Frameworks such as the Taskforce for Nature-related Disclosure (TNFD) and Science-Based Targets for Nature (SBTN) have been developed to guide companies through the complexities of managing their environmental impact. Anthesis is at the forefront of supporting early adopters of TNFD and pilot companies implementing SBTN. Many of these companies identify packaging as a critical area impacting water use, water pollution, and biodiversity. In this presentation, we will share our approach to addressing these challenges, providing insights and strategies for companies eager to enhance their sustainability efforts and navigate the intricate landscape of nature-related issues. Join us to learn how to effectively integrate nature-focused frameworks into your business practices and drive positive environmental outcomes.

In this context, this session will explore: ' Basic Nature topics ' The TNFD and SBTN frameworks ' First pilot projects and how the industry can get involved

1. Microplastics & Marine Biodegradability:

• Understanding the environmental impact of microplastics.
• Innovations in PHA to enhance marine biodegradability.
• Case studies and research findings on PHA degradation in marine environments

2. Recycling:

• Current state of PHA recycling technologies.
• Challenges and solutions in integrating PHA into existing recycling streams.
• The role of policy and industry standards in promoting PHA recycling.

3. Renewable Carbon / Life Cycle Assessment (LCA):

• The importance of renewable carbon sources in the production of PHA.
• Comprehensive life cycle assessments of PHA versus conventional plastics.
• Strategies to improve the sustainability metrics of PHA production and usage.

Transitioning from a fossil- to renewable-based global economy requires a major shift in the way we think about every aspect of life. Central to this transformation is the careful design of chemicals that prioritize both performance and sustainability. Emphasizing a product's value proposition will be linked to its functional benefits and sustainability metrics rather than sheer chemical volume. There are already many examples of green chemistry developments, demonstrating that change is on the way. This presentation showcases diverse industry examples to underscore the growing influence of green chemistry across sectors, signaling a path towards a sustainable future. Specifically, we highlight fermentation chemicals as a strategic avenue in green chemistry. These chemicals, derived from biomass via microbial fermentation processes involving organisms like bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and microalgae, offer sustainable building blocks for innovative products spanning various applications. Investing in these technologies is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge amidst evolving market demands.

The new production plant of CropEnergies will be the first of its kind in Europe. It will use sustainable ethanol and renewable energy sources to produce renewable ethyl acetate. Ethyl acetate is widely used in the production of flexible packaging and coatings, paints, and adhesives as well as in the food, beverage, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. Currently, ethyl acetate is mainly produced from fossil raw materials. Let's discover one way of biobased chemical production!'

The presentation will assess four key lessons from current biobased chemical developers, looking into the why of the themes and industry examples on how it's working currently. The lessons will highlight the importance of the themes going forward to succeed in the biobased chemicals industry. The themes chosen are the establishment of value chains, sustainable production methods, funding and development opportunities, and renewable and sustainable feedstocks. The examples that will be highlighted will dive deep into how they are successful right now and how they will impact the industry going forward.

Pili has pioneered an innovative fermentation process for producing high-purity biobased aromatic intermediates, eliminating the need for traditional naphtha-based sources. This method converts biomass into aniline derivatives with over 95% purity, providing a sustainable alternative for the synthesis of dyes, pigments, and a range of other chemicals including phenols, benzoic acids, anilines, and salicylates. Guillaume Boissonnat-Wu, Pili's Scientific and Industrial Director, will present this significant advancement and explore the benefits of biobased aromatics compared to conventional methods.

The need for sustainable carbon creation is apparent. One of the most promising and high-impact solutions to reduce carbon footprint worldwide is on its way! Recell converts residual cellulosic feedstock into high-quality DE95 glucose as a building block for the green chemistry. By doing so it creates an alternative and truly sustainable stream supportive to the materials transition. This game-changing solution not only paves the way for new green resources, it also answers the need for a high-impact profile in achieving Science Based Targets (SBTi). Recell's CEO Erik Pijlman will present the immense potential of these innovative resources and will address how they answer the need for green chemical resources. In addition, he will highlight the construction outlook of the flagship factory that will take Recell into the next phase towards large-scale production of renewable carbon.

Setting goals needs factual data ahead. Calculation models alone are not sufficient anymore: measurement is key. ? The impact of conducting site measurements on the daily processes can be near neglectable when safely using UAV's. ? Site emission measurement compliant with EN17628:2022 is a clear guideline for reporting.

The manufacturing industry faces unprecedented challenges to evolve to net zero. Innovation holds the key to success, but some innovations are too expensive to put into production. Leading companies are trying new manufacturing processes to get a competitive edge, but without detailed cost and carbon footprint analysis of these new processes, time will be lost experimenting. In this presentation, we will explore the major challenges facing manufacturers from design to sourcing and reducing the environmental impact from production, along with the strategies, tools and techniques to reach net zero.

According to Green Deal, the EU has taken an ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50% by 2030, whilst Germany set a yet more aggressive goal of reducing GHG emissions by 65%. This has been supported by set of new regulations, such as The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which introduces mandatory sustainability reporting for all enterprises, and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), aimed to stop carbon leakage and put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon intensive goods that are entering the EU. Complete supply chains, regardless of the location of participants, will therefore need to adapt their activities quickly to these regulations, starting from the initial conceptualization and design of a product till the end of its life. On the other hand, materials with their production and processing represent a major contributor to GHG emissions, with the increase by 120% from 5 billion metric tons CO2-equivalent (GtCO2e) in 1995 to 11Gt in 2015, raising their share of the global total from 15 to 23%, with forecasted further increase. In most cases, materials are by far the biggest contributor to the products carbon footprint, at least until the product has been produced. Consequently, the importance of accurate and optimal material selection in the early phases of product design and CAE simulations can never be overstated. Besides classical engineering considerations such as mechanical performance and cost, new aspects need to include carbon footprint and environmental impact, as well as lightweight optimization, compliance with regulations and optimizing sourcing and supply chain, in order to optimize related emissions. This paper presents recent developments designed to help engineers in the CAE simulation field to cope with these challenges.

The Fibrenamics Association, Institute of Innovation in Fibrous and Composite Materials, from the University of Minho, is an interface centre for generating, enhancing, and transferring advanced knowledge in fibrous and composite materials, operating under the motto 'From Science to People'. Our mission is to design and implement integrated and customised research and technological development solutions in plastic composite and fibrous materials (synthetic and natural), contributing to the differentiation and competitiveness of the companies with which collaborations have been established. In polymer composites, the transformation, recovery and incorporation of industrial waste such as slate, lignin, cork, fishing nets, wood, pineapple leaves, solid urban waste slags, coffee grounds and textile waste have been explored. In fibrous polymer composites, the use of materials of natural origin, which are recyclable or biodegradable, has been adopted to promote sustainability and the concept of circular economy. To this end, the use of natural fibres such as jute, flax, hemp, coconut, banana and sisal, plastics of natural origin, recyclable or biodegradable, such as PLA, PHA, PBAT, TPS, PHB, etc. has contributed. In addition to this sustainable component, using these materials has enabled the development of functionalised composite solutions with antimicrobial characteristics, UV protection, barrier effect, humidity control, self-cleaning, anti-static, etc. These polymer composites have been applied in areas such as the automotive sector, construction, the food packaging sector, the textile industry, the biomedical industry, etc. Fibrenamics' outlook for the future is to deepen its knowledge and skills in the areas described above but also to explore new opportunities such as the valorisation of agroforestry, marine and industrial waste of natural origin for the extraction, through physical and chemical processes, of new materials such as fibres, monomers, polymers and nanomaterials. Another area to be explored is the development of new biopolymers, through the extrusion process to produce masterbatches, from resources of natural origin, such as food waste, which have highly versatile properties and applications, always focusing on sustainability and biodegradability. Finally, the upcycling of recycled polymers, through repolymerization in a reactive extrusion process with chain extenders, to apply them in more demanding areas, is an area where Fibrenamics is currently working.

An interdisciplinary team of Fraunhofer researchers has developed an innovative synthesis process for the production of fine chemicals. While conventional processes use a sequence of different reactors and stirred tanks, the new process produces the end product in a continuous synthesis cascade, in the best case within a single reactor. The process leads to significantly more efficient process management and more sustainable production thanks to shorter changeover times and lower energy requirements. These benefits have a direct impact on the CO2 emissions of the synthesis process and its costs. During the workshop, the developments will be presented and the requirements for a transfer to real production will be discussed.