Incentives and Barriers to the Adoption of Sustainable Chemistry Policy Workshop

Sustainability is generally defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” While academia has engaged in research into sustainability, industry has been slower to adopt sustainable technologies. Why? This workshop sought to explore the various barriers that industries face as they seek to implement sustainable technologies and to identify policy decisions that can accelerate adoption of sustainable practices. A series of presentations, both oral and poster, were followed by a breakout session in which participants discussed the opportunities to influence decision-makers. The results of this workshop will impact the revision of the ACS policy statement on sustainability.

Purpose:

Identify policies to overcome non-technical barriers and create incentives to encourage sustainable practices and processes in the chemical and related industries.
Engage a cross-section of chemical and related industrial firms to explore what economic, social, regulatory, and other non-technical issues impede the adoption and implementation of more sustainable practices.
Sort, evaluate, and analyze the input received from participants to create a more comprehensive understanding of overarching non-technical challenges and opportunities.
Report to the ACS, AIChE and other organizations to enable CEI, CA and other committees to propose further actions to address the issues and impediments identified.

Policy Working Session

Marriott Convention Center, Room Blaine Kern A/B
Thursday 4/10/2008 8:00 AM-12 noon.

After opening remarks the participants divided into four discussion groups to address specific questions focused on the barriers to implementation of sustainable solutions.

Each group had a recorder and a discussion leader who later presented the conclusions of the group to the entire workshop.

Topics for break-out sessions:

Each group will be tasked with one topic or theme, as it relates to Barriers & Incentives for Sustainability:

Economic and Financial

The economic and financial group will review barriers to sustainability practices including: (1) high capital cost of adopting new technologies or production methods, (2) uncertainty of future payback, often tied to changes in regulations or market shifts, and (3) difficulty in accounting with the non-monetized benefits of sustainable practices. What specific policies would help surmount these?

Regulation: Environmental, Health, Safety and Product Quality

Though the adoption of sustainable chemistry practices should, in theory, help the chemical enterprise fulfill and surpass environmental, safety and purity regulations, sustainable strategies are often at odds with regulations. The regulatory study group reviewed the barriers and incentives to sustainability inherent in current regulatory policies. How could future regulatory policies be designed to incentivize and help foster sustainability throughout the chemical enterprise?

Sustainability Education: professional development and education of students

This group reviewed the educational needs of sustainability such as the need for workers to understand how sustainability can be implemented via existing job functions and the need for consumers to understand sustainability in the market place and supply chain. In addition, the group examined the pros and cons of various sustainability professional development classes and discussed ways to encourage cross-functional systems thinking, for both professional development and the education of the next generation of scientists, engineers, and business leaders. What policy recommendations would address the education needs of sustainability?

Organizational and Cultural

Sustainability is fostered by cross-functional, systems thinking and innovation toward shared long-term goals. The organizational/cultural study group reviewed the barriers and possible incentives to sustainability caused by (1) company organizational structure and relations within and between business units and functions and (2) the underlying values/beliefs of the company, its individual business units and operations. What specific policies would create cultural incentives (and break down cultural barriers) to sustainability?

Specific Questions Under Each Topic:

What do you think are the biggest barriers to implementing sustainable techniques, processes, and/or products?
– For your company?
– For other companies?
What sorts of policy changes are needed to eliminate barriers to sustainability?
What sorts of policy changes are needed to provide incentives for sustainability?
– Within companies
– Within academia
– By legislators and regulators
What is your current immediate concern about implementing a project or process that is using sustainable techniques?

Luncheon:

Following the working session, AIChE Sustainable Engineering Forum held a lunch in the Convention Center, Room 298, from 12 noon to 1:30 pm with keynote speaker Dane Revette, Director of Energy Development for Louisiana. Participants in the Thursday morning workshop were invited to attend the luncheon as the guests of the AIChE SEF for their participation.

Other Information:

The workshop was part of the 2008 ACS Spring National Meeting and 2008 AIChE Spring National Meeting.

It was scheduled over two half-day sessions, Wednesday & Thursday, April 9-10, 2008.

Please send questions to Barclay Satterfield, ACS Science Policy Fellow (800-227-5558 x6241)