FEICA European Adhesive & Sealant Conference and EXPO

Presentation Abstract

Defossilising Polyurethane Adhesives – Leading the Transition to Renewable Carbon

Despite massive efforts to reduce GHG emissions, the world is deviating from the Paris Agreement's targets. Besides the use of renewable energies, the chemical industry needs to shift towards non-fossil sources for carbon embedded in polymeric materials. By partnering along the value chain, the chemical industry can be the key enabler to accelerate the transition. However, moving forward further roadblocks need to be solved:
1) Close the Transparency, Accounting and Policy Gaps for Better Incentivization of Renewable Carbon
2) Improve Availability and Affordability of Renewable Carbon-based Materials
3) Address Responsible Sourcing Prejudice: Green is Not Always Sustainable, but Fossil Never is

With increasing access to alternative feedstocks, the companies’ product portfolios are delivering on defossilizing their offerings. By providing example cases from Covestro and Henkel, we will showcase an overview of currently available solutions for polyurethane adhesives as well as provide an outlook for further improvements but also challenges ahead.