It is now clearer than ever that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that without additional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, global warming is likely to exceed 2°C by the end of the 21st century. For this reason, long-term commitment and ambitious action is required by practically all sectors of the economy.

The chemical industry sector is not only a fundamental cornerstone of modern life as well as global and national economies: More than 90 percent of the manufacturing industry depends on products from the chemical industry. The chemical and petrochemical industries account for around 10% of the world´s final energy demand and 8% of the global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). At the same time, the chemical industry is a source of innovations and materials that are crucial for the roll-out of future-oriented low-carbon technologies. In this context climate change represents a key challenge for a future-oriented transformation of the whole sector towards a “sustainable chemistry”.  

To discuss the global perspectives of sustainable chemistry for climate protection and to raise awareness of the importance of the chemical industry for climate protection, CAPCI (Climate Action Programme for the Chemical Industry) in cooperation with ICCA (International Council of Chemical Associations) and the capacity building network of the United Nations Climate secretariat (PCCB-Network) is organizing a series of webinars. The webinar series consists of 4 sessions of 90 minutes each.