Sustainable Chemistry Sustainable Chemistry Work at OECD – Work at OECD – Results and Results and Perspectives  Perspectives  Peter BörkeyEnvironment Directorate

Green and Sustainable Chemistry8 June 2012, Venice

OverviewOverview

• What is the OECD?• Some recent results on Green

Chemistry Innovation– Trends from Patent Data– Survey of chemists

• OECD work on Green Chemistry– Sustainable chemistry platform– Substitution of harmful chemicals

• The Green Growth Knowledge Platform

The OECDThe OECD

• 30 member countries (5 accession countries, 5 enhance engagement countries)

• Economics-based, multi-sectoral• Forum to share experiences and derive policy

lessons, source of comparative data• Council approves Programme of Work and Budget

for a 2-year period• Committees and Working Parties supervise policy

analysis work• Secretariat: 2000+ staff, based in Paris • OECD Chemicals Programme: e.g. Good Laboratory

Practices (MAD), Test Guidelines Programme

Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances.

• Work carried-out in 2010• Measures the output of innovation• EPO World Patent Statistical (PATSTAT)

database, using search algorithms based on a selection of International Patent Classification (IPC) codes

• propensity to patent both product and process innovations is higher in the chemical industry than in other sectors

• Focus was on the following technologies:• Biochemical Fuel Cells• Biodegradable packaging• Aqueous solvents• Selected White Biotech• TCF Bleaching Technologies • Green plastics

Survey of ChemistsSurvey of Chemists

• Collaboration with:– Department of Government, London School

of Economics– Center for Green Chemistry and Green

Engineering, Yale University

• Internet opinion poll: via SurveyMonkey– Yale Center Contacts– Green Chemistry International Chapters– Other Professional & Industrial

Organizations

DemographicsDemographics

• 146 Respondents: Individuals (not firms)• Respondents reported their own

location in 24 different areas• Firms with HQ in 22 different areas

– OECD: 124 (80 in US)– Outside of OECD: 21

• Market (primary):– Domestic: 64%– Export: 46%

ConclusionsConclusions

• Sustained innovation in many areas of SC• White Biotech is area with most patent

applications• Chemists in industry view

green/sustainable chemistry as a growing, profitable area in the future

• Regulatory requirements and product standards are most important policy factors driving SC innovation

Current MarketCurrent Market

Perceived Regulatory Fragmentation Among Main Markets

Regulatory ContextRegulatory Context

Policy ImpactsPolicy ImpactsPerceived Importance of Specific Policy Measures to the Development of

Green/Sustainable Chemistry

Other OECD Work on Green Chemistry

• Sustainable Chemistry Platform http://www.oecd.org/env_sustainablechemistry_platform/

• Support information exchange and identification of projects that would benefit from international cooperation

Berlin Conference

• 6-7 October 2011• Organised by German Federal

Environment Agency, with UNIDO, GIZ and OECD

• 100 experts from 14 countries• Focus on:

– Supply chain issues– Chemicals policies and management– Sustainable chemistry in SMEs and

developing countries

Key recommendations for OECD

• Decision support tools– They have a crucial role to play in supporting substitution– A large number of tools has been developed and is

available– Recommendations:

• Create an inventory of decision support tools• Develop a toolbox

• Data– Issue with access and availability– Recommendations:

• Efforts to make existing data more accessible and produce more of it

OECD Work in 2013-14

• Programme of Work 2013-14: “Tools and approaches to support decision making for the substitution of harmful chemicals”– Set-up of an Ad Hoc Group (2012)– Inventory of tools and scoping of issues

(2012)– Workshop to take stock and discuss follow-

up (early 2013)– Feasibility report on toolbox (2014)– Inventory of data sources (2014)

Mission: enhance and expand efforts to identify and address major

knowledge gaps in green growth theory and practice help countries design and implement green growth policy

THANK YOU!THANK YOU!

• Contact: peter.borkey@oecd.org• Web: www.oecd.org/ehs

Additional slides

Acknowledgements SurveyAcknowledgements Survey

• OECD Environmental Directorate:– Nick Johnstone– Peter Börkey

• Yale Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering– Erin McBurney & Janice

Mitchell

• Zheng Cui • Suojiang Zhang• RK Sharma• Jorge G. Ibáñez • Mihkel Koel• Marc Vermeulen• Mary Anne

Beaudette

DemographicsDemographics

Firm Size

DemographicsDemographics

DemographicsDemographics

Market PotentialMarket Potential

Market PotentialMarket Potential

Green Growth framework