The UK chemicals and materials industry underpins 96% of all manufactured goods, making it indispensable to sectors like healthcare, food, energy, and technology. As a critical enabler of green growth, this sector has the potential to generate over £544 billion annually by 2050, supporting high-quality jobs and bolstering local economies across the UK. The UK-ASCM is committed to harnessing this potential by driving innovation, promoting circular carbon feedstocks, and reshoring production to enhance domestic resilience.
"With the formation of the UK-ASCM, we have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on the UK’s economic future, our environment, and our communities," said Dr Jen Vanderhoven, COO of the Biobased and Biodegradable Industries Association (BBIA) "Sustainable chemicals and materials are essential to achieving a net-zero economy and securing our industrial strength in a competitive global market."
We at IBIC, along with a diverse network of partners, are dedicated to addressing the complex challenges facing the sector, including the need for sustainable feedstocks and a circular economy. Through collaboration and shared expertise, the alliance will advance solutions that reduce dependency on fossil resources, enhance resource efficiency, and promote sustainable innovation across the industry.
"Sustainable chemicals are fundamental to building a resilient, sustainable society. By bringing together leaders from industry and academia, the UK-ASCM will catalyse the research and development needed to accelerate the transition to sustainable materials," said Professor Anju Massey-Brooker, Royal Society of Chemistry.
As the global economy increasingly turns toward sustainable solutions, the UK chemicals and materials sector has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead the way. With strategic investments and collaborative innovation, the UK-ASCM aims to elevate the sector’s role in national and international sustainability efforts.
To achieve this step-change, UK-ASCM urges the UK Government to:
- Devise a long-term roadmap and a stable policy environment to enable investment in research, development, commercialisation and manufacture of sustainable chemicals and materials, to benefit communities across the UK and achieve green economic growth.
- Work with the chemicals and materials sector to ensure the UK landscape supports this growth, from feedstocks to infrastructure and skills, to ensure the development of resilient UK supply chains.
- Develop and implement policies shaping markets to enable the UK’s transition to sustainable chemicals and materials, including the leveraging of public procurement to create demand for sustainable chemicals and products manufactured in the UK
https://bbia.org.uk/bbia/uk-ascm/ .