The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA), the global voice of the chemical industry, with members including the Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA), the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), and the American Chemistry Council (ACC), will hold a panel discussion on “Chemistry and the Low Carbon Economy: An International Perspective”, as a side event happening during the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The global chemical industry is a key provider of solutions for developing a low carbon economy. Products made from chemicals can help to reduce carbon emissions in various ways, with products including:

Building insulation materials, which are composed of chemicals that help reduce the use of heating fuel, saving 2.4 billion metric tons of GHGs;
Energy-saving light bulbs, which are composed of chemicals that produce the same amount of light as regular light bulbs and require a quarter of the energy;
Plastic packaging, which is much lighter than packaging made from other materials and requires less energy for transport;
Wind turbines, which are made of chemical composites, provide technologies for harvesting renewable energy.

Date: Thursday, December 8, 2011
Time: 10:00 – 12:00
Room: Orange River Room, Durban Exhibition Center
Panelists:
Peter Botschek, Director, Energy, Health, Safety & Environment, European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic);
Russel Mills, Global Director, Energy and Climate Policy, Dow Chemical;
Joerg Rothermel, German Chemical Industry Association (VCI);
Jorge Soto, Director of Sustainable Development, Braskem;
Motozo Yoshikiyo, General Manager, Technical Affairs, Japan Chemical Industry Association (JCIA)