EUSEW13: Top Speakers share SusChem Priorities

Yesterday (June 26), the High-Level Conference of the European Union Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) officially came to an end. Over three days top-level speakers from the European Union, Member States and from civil society organisations discussed the priorities for energy in the years to come. It was clear that SusChem’s priorities in the areas of sustainability and efficiency in energy are shared by many of the speaker at EUSEW.

SusChem was present at a number of the over 100 events organised in Brussels alone and can report that our vision of the coming challenges is widely shared. In future society will need a more efficient and sustainable use of energy if we want to maintain our quality of life and be competitive on the world scene. And that means we have to support innovation in technologies, legislation and the market.

As explained by Paul Hodson, the Head of Unit for Energy Efficiency in DG Energy at the European Commission, we must overcome “financial, administrative and regulatory” barriers if we want to achieve our targets for energy efficiency in 2020. He was speaking at the EUSEW13 event 'Towards EU2020 and Beyond - Local and Regional Actions'. Following his stimulating keynote speech, a series of successful projects were presented: ranging from energy-savings measures for the street lighting of the city of Pula to the renovations of school heating system in some Paris district: it is now clear that the sustainable and efficient use of energy is a priority across the continent.

Chemistry role
And chemistry has a big part to play in overcoming the challenges of energy efficiency. One of the best examples of possible SusChem contributions to this field are the cooling and heating innovative insulations for buildings presented at the recent Smart Cities Platform Stakeholders Conference in Budapest.

Aside from being voted among the top three innovations at that conference, at EUSEW events it was made clear that this type of innovation is exactly what Europe will need to achieve its targets. At the conference event on Energy Efficiency, Mr. Pascal Eveillard, president of EURIMA – the European Insulation Manufacturers Association – made clear that cost-efficient solutions which can resolve technical challenges for the renovation of buildings will be crucial in achieving the proposed energy targets. This description fits SusChem’s key innovations like a glove.

Incentives
On top of this, local authorities are developing new incentive schemes to promote energy-efficient buildings and construction. Mr. Hoogelander of the Dutch NL Agency part of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs presented one such scheme that includes tax reductions calculated on expenses incurred while refurbishing buildings, bank capitalisation support for mortgages for energy-efficient houses and an additional index in the calculation of the building’s market value according to their energy savings. A similar scheme, though wider in scope, was presented by Mr Gatier of the French Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing.

It is clear that SusChem, and sustainable chemistry in general, will have further opportunities to contribute solutions for the current energy dilemmas. If solutions on par with those already proposed can be made available, it will become evident that chemistry is a key area to involve in the planning of a society that can use energy sustainably and efficiently.

For more information on SusChem’s winning proposals for Key Innovation for sustainable buildings download the SusChem report.

Dialogue on Nano

The English language publication of the findings from the Dialogforum on Nano organised by BASF was celebrated at a public event yesterday (24 June) in Brussels. This important communication examined how we can effectively communicate in a transparent way on nanomaterials from manufacturers to consumers. Its findings reflect other recent industry communications in the area of nanotech.

What do consumers want to know about nanotech-enabled products? And how should manufacturers and retailers communicate? Does a definition of nano help, what is the role of labelling and would a mandatory register help?

These questions and more were on the agenda of the Dialogforum Nano organised by BASF. This initiative brought together representatives of German environmental and consumer organisations, churches, industry, retailers, research organisations and trade unions to develop shared recommendations for increasing transparency and information on nano-materials along the value chain from manufacturer to the consumer.

To achieve this involved a process that included analysis of  consumer enquiries to companies and consumer organisations, expert hearings the availability of relevant scientific information and safety testing of nanomaterials.

You can access the final report of the Dialogforum here and see a summary of the 24 June event including contributions from panelists and the audience can be accessed here.

Seven questions
The essence of the recommendations of the Dialogforum is summarised in seven questions for the supply chain:

1. Information on the nanomaterial used: How can the material be characterised?
2. Does the EU definition recommendation for nanomaterials apply to the material in question?
3. A/ How can the effect and the new functionality generated through the nanomaterial be explained? B/ How can the effect and the new functionality be explained if the material in question is not a nanomaterial?
4. How can the added value of the nanomaterial be described compared to other products?
5. How is the risk assessment of the used materials carried out? With what results?
6. How is the material / product in question to be recycled / disposed of / handled at the end-of-pipe?
7. Where can further information be found?

During the discussion on 24 June a key element for the success of the Dialogforum was the establishment of a common language / vocabulary to remove ambiguity and allow common understanding between the various stakeholder. It is hoped to develop the dialogue at a pan-European level.

Mindset change
Gernot Klotz, Executive Director for Research and Innovation at Cefic and SusChem board member addressed the recent EuroNanoForum in Dublin on June 18 with a similar message.

He called for a mindset change in Europe. In the face of the many pressing societal challenges—such as renewable energy and an ageing population —that we face it is essential that we develop key enabling technologies (KETs) such as nanotechnology.

However successful development of KETs requires that both public and political perceptions of the technologies are able to comprehend the relative and differentiated balance of risk and benefit for their wide range of applications.

He argued that “to achieve global leadership in nano and maximise its benefits to society, the benefits and risks research in new technology areas should be tackled together.  The innovation and safety community must work together to ensure that we master these technologies and push forward applications where the use of nano is regarded as safe.”

That means an integrated strategy on KETs is needed that will simultaneously:

• Link technologies to their specific uses for solutions for priority European challenges
• Open a structured dialogue between the innovation and safety stakeholder communities
• Promote more research that integrates risks and benefits within its design to provide us robust data on the benefits from innovation that society wants and the related risks society is willing to take to get the benefits
• Explore existing regulations and voluntary approaches for responsible risk management of KETs
• Initiate broad and structured public dialogue about benefits and risks of KETs in specific application areas

“Innovation is about change. And change requires a mindset change in order for us to accept and adapt to change. The proposed approaches must be part of the discussion on societal challenges. We cannot achieve the EU 20-20-20 objectives and enjoy a better life quality if we do not invest in technology,” he concluded.

You can read the full text of Gernot Klotz’s speech here.

Safe and innovative
These themes were also reflected in a joint document published by a range of European industry associations, including the chemical industry, on 14 June. The document, Europe needs safe and innovative nanotechnologies, demonstrates these sectors backing for the European Commission's Second Regulatory Review on Nanomaterials and ‘its conclusion that the current European regulatory framework adequately covers nanomaterials, is science-based and proportionate’.

The paper also states that ‘[…] the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulation provides the [most] appropriate framework to address nanomaterials […]’ and that openness and transparency are vital for the growth of the nanotechnology industries.

SusChem and Smart Cities at #EUSEW13

SusChem will be actively engaged at the EU’s Sustainable Energy Week 2013 (EUSEW 2013) this week (24 to 28 June). SusChem's chemistry-based key innovation proposals was a big hit at the Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform Annual Conference in Budapest and information on our Smart Cities Innovation initiatives will be available at the Smart Cities desk in the exhibition area on the 5th floor of the Jacques Delors building at the Committee of the Regions venue in Brussels.

EUSEW 2013 is set to be an exciting event that is packed full of activities bringing together energy stakeholders and the general public - and a great opportunity to further promote the message on chemistry and energy efficiency to a wider audience.

Full details can be found on the EUSEW 2013 website. This site contains all you need to know about attending events, submitting projects for the annual Awards or organising Energy Day activities that are taking place across Europe. The core message of this eighth edition of EUSEW is: 'One small step from you, one giant leap for Europe!'

If you haven't yet registered for any events, on-the-day registration is possible for some. But check the website for details.

SusChem will be reporting back from a number of Smart Cities orientated sessions at the high-level policy conference taking place in Brussels in particular:

• Towards EU2020 And Beyond – Local And Regional Actions taking place in the European Commission's Charlemagne Building in Brussels on the morning of 25 June
• Energy Efficiency taking place in the Charlemagne building during the afternoon of 25 June
• Towards smart cities and smart housing in Europe also taking place in the afternoon of 25 June in the Committee of the Regions Building, room JDE 51
• Innovation In Energy Efficiency Buildings And Districts For Smart Built Environment taking place on the morning of 26 June in the Committee of the Regions building in Brussels and organised in association with the Energy Efficient Buildings Association (E2BA) and
• From Ambition to Action: How to best deliver European building sector policies on the ground? on the afternoon of 26 June in the Committee of the Regions building and organised by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe.

Look out for our blog report later in the week!

What is EUSEW?
The EUSEW event is organised by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy, the Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation (EACI), the European Institutions, major energy actors and private companies. EUSEW 2013 celebrates innovative energy initiatives for a sustainable future – very much a SusChem theme.

You can follow EUSEW 2013 on Twitter by searching for the hashtag #EUSEW2013. For more information on SusChem's Key Innovations in Energy Efficiency in Buildings for Smart Cities access the SusChem report here.

Cefic-LRI Grants 2013 open

The Long-range Research Initiative (LRI) is a major voluntary initiative of the European chemical industry to support its competitiveness and innovation potential. The LRI programme aims to identify and fill gaps in the understanding of the hazards posed by chemical substances and to improve the methods available for assessing any associated risks. The topics in which proposals for research during 2013 are requested have just been announced.

LRI sponsors high-quality research, published in peer-reviewed journals, and seeks to provide sound scientific advice on which industry and regulatory bodies can draw to respond more quickly and accurately to society’s concerns.

In the context of its LRI programme for 2013, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) is accepting grant applications to carry out research in the following areas:

• LRI-B14: Skin sensitisation - chemical applicability domain of the Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA)
• LRI-B15: Efficiency of Risk Management Measures (RMM)
• LRI-ECO23: Combining passive sampling and toxicity profiling to assess mixture toxicity of surface waters
• LRI-ECO24: Prediction of Non-Extractable Residues (NER) using structural information 
• LRI-ECO25: Development of soup tests for the risk assessment of NER in soil
• LRI-EMSG58: Quality assessment of the epidemiological evidence of adverse effects to humans of endocrine active substances in the environment
• LRI-N4: Grouping nanomaterials and establishing criteria for Safe by Design
• LRI-S3: Benefits and risk evidence streams for decision makers

Further details of each research area can be found by following the links on each topic.

More information
The deadline for applications is 1 September 2013. Project specifications, budget details and application forms can be found on the Cefic LRI website. Only proposals that fit the project specifications and are submitted via the official LRI application form will be considered.

The scientific evaluation and selection of applications for funding are managed by a scientific committee provided by ECETOC. In particular, within LRI, ECETOC has the responsibility of maintaining three “core teams”: health effects, human exposure & risk assessment and environment.

For further information, please read the complete LRI Requests for Proposals on the Cefic LRI website, or contact Dr. Bruno Hubesch, Cefic-LRI Manager, or the LRI Secretariat.

EFIB 2013 – Get your Brochure now!

The European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Biobased Economy 2013 (EFIB2013) takes place in Brussels from 30 September to 2 October at the Square conference facility. A full brochure for the event is now available – get your copy now!

With over 1,000 biotechnology professionals expected to attend, a growing exhibition hall with 50 exhibitors, over 14 hours of one-to-one networking available and a brand new Technology Showcase Theatre the EFIB has clearly continued to evolve for 2013.

"EFIB is the most important event on the calendar for the biobased economy," says Ian Hudson, President of DuPont EMEA and a member of the executive committee of Cefic and a board member at EuropaBio – joint organisers of the event with Smithers Rapra.

Diverse agenda
The new brochure shows the wide range of activities on offer at EFIB 2013 including:

• Choose the conference agenda to suit your interests with 8 dedicated conference sessions focused on policy, finance, innovation and including a dedicated session on BRIDGE: the SusChem supported  proposal for a €3.8 billion Public Private Partnership (PPP) for the biobased industries
• Be the first to witness the latest innovation and product development at the ‘new for 2013’ Technology Showcase in the Exhibition Hall
• Take part in CEO Question Time and put your questions to the ‘movers and shakers’ in strategic positions to move the industry forward
• Visit over 50 exhibitors and see for yourself first-hand what the European and wider industrial biotechnology industry has to offer
• Take advantage of the one-to-one Partnering at EFIB2013 to make efficient use of your networking time, during over 14 hours of active partnering sessions

Get the brochure
Find out more about EFIB2013 in the brand new event brochure including the full programme, workshop agendas, exhibition floor plan, Technology Showcase Theatre agenda, one-to-one Partnering, prices, event highlights and travel information.

Water EIP: First Action Groups selected

The European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Water has announced the successful applicants from the first call for expressions of interest for establishing Action Groups. More than sixty proposals were submitted for evaluation.

Nine Action Groups were selected out of 64 applications at the end of May 2013. In total, over 700 individual organisations participated in the first call for expressions of commitment demonstrating the relevance of the EIP Water. The successful projects were:

• W4EF: Framework for evaluation and reporting of the energy impacts on water
• Renewable Energy Desalination (RE-Desalination)
• Anaerobic membrane Bioreactor for Recovery of Energy and Resources
• Industrial Water Re-use and Recycling
• Smart Pricing and Drought Insurance Schemes in Mediterranean Countries
• CITY BLUEPRINTS: Improving Implementation Capacities of Cities and Regions
• WaterCoRe: Regional governance of water scarcity and drought issues
• ESE - Ecosystem Services for Europe
• FINNOWATER

Officials from ten different Directorates General of the European Commission participated in the evaluation of the proposals. The selected Action Groups were deemed to fulfil all requirements and showed the most promising approaches, combining innovative ideas with partners across the innovation value chain and demonstrating the potential to deliver concrete results.

All the submitted Action Group proposals have received detailed feedback and the European Commission has strongly encouraged the partners involved to further strengthen their proposals and submit them again during the next call for expressions of commitment. Some general information on the proposals submitted for evaluation in the first call can be found here.

The EIP’s annual conference will be organised in November which will be an opportunity to showcase ideas and seek further consortium partners, and the second call for action groups will be published at that time.

Detailed information about all nine successful Action Group proposals, their origins and other details can be found here.

Ad-hoc Group
In separate news the EIP on Water has established an ad-hoc group as part of the task force set up to develop the EIP’s Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) to identify  barriers and bottle necks to innovation in the sector and propose some new solutions. SusChem and Cefic via Antonia Morales Peres is heavily involved in this initiative with Thomas Track of Dechema.

For more information on the EIP and other SusChem work on water issues, please contact Antonia Morales Perez at Cefic.

SusChem Materials Priorities: What are the next steps?

Feedback from the workshop session on Materials at the SusChem Stakeholder meeting is being analysed and incorporated into the SusChem Materials Working Group report. For the second half of 2013 the identified topics will be further assessed and the scope of future research and innovations calls developed. And your participation is encouraged! 

Following the initial analysis, from June to the end of 2013 SusChem will be engaging with key value chain partners through a series of focused workshops to refine the research and innovation agenda and set the basis for successful collaborative project calls early in Horizon 2020.

SusChem News will keep you informed of workshop dates and venues etc.

Of course Horizon 2020 is just one possible route to develop collaborative R&I projects and SusChem is willing and able to facilitate development of materials research programmes under other regional, national or multi-national funding initiatives.

To obtain a copy of the full SusChem Materials Working Group report, please contact the SusChem secretariat.

How can I get involved?
If you want to join the SusChem Materials Working Group and share your expertise and knowledge to enhance the future European materials research and innovation agenda, or have a specific interest in a particular priority topic, please get in touch with SusChem coordinator Jacques Komornicki at Cefic directly.

“Please join us in our quest to ensure European materials research and innovation can make a significant impact on competitiveness and sustainability in Europe and develop more circular, resource efficient value chains,” concludes Jacques.