THANK YOU FOR A GREAT EVENT!
How do you finance the transition towards a net zero and circular industry? That was the question we tackled on 29-30 November 2023 together with our speakers and audience at Chemelot.
For some impressions of the event, check out the slideshow. Send an e-mail to info@chemelotcircularhub.com if you want to receive the keynotes.
We are grateful to our partners and almost 200 participants for an inspiring event, and are looking forward to cooperate in follow up actions on regulatory frameworks, clusters and funding mechanisms. To name but a few takeaways:
1. regulatory clarity as a prerequisite for an attractive investment climate
2. level playing field for sustainable molecules to support the business case
3. be more vocal about the importance of the chemical industry and what its transformation implies, reaching out to consumers and civil society
4. chemical recycling as key enabler to reach climate and circularity goals, embedded in upcoming regulations setting further reduction targets on use of (raw) materials
5. collaboration is key to deal with the transition, based on trust and a common agenda:
- along the value chain: building ecosystems to foster the uptake of recyclates for example
- amongst competitors : building coalitions to foster innovation on recycling technologies or electrification of furnaces, and shared infrastructure too (to which World Economic Forum initiatives like the global R&D hub on waste processing contribute
- with the public authorities: building a public-private partnership to foster better and faster regulation (e.g. on end of waste criteria, advanced recycling, biochemicals) and funding schemes.
- supported by a strong governance : building a dedicated team to make it all work, is extremely important.
6. looking at the events' key topic finance:
- not only need for de-risking but also more appetite for risk
- simplified funding schemes and more guidance, focusing on (a) maturing and scaling up technologies (TRL 6-8) into pilots, demo's and ultimately commercial plants and focusing on (b) business plans (the road to the deployment after the project ) rather than project plans (deliverables during the project)
7. pledge for more chemical industry projects to be submitted to European Innovation Council and the European Investment Bank (EIB), too
8. official launch of Brightlands Circular Space (BCS) as new corner stone of the thriving Brightlands Chemelot Campus.
9.the Platform Green Chemistry New Economy moonshot to set up a € 1 billion green chemistry venture fund in the Netherlands.
Not only we are already engaged in follow up actions, but upon general request we also started preparations for the next edition. The event will presumably take place during the last week of May 2025.
On behalf of Chemelot Circular Hub
Organizer of the Transition Finance Event 2023
Björn Koopmans
Program Manager
About the event
Want to make the difference for the chemical and wider process industry of tomorrow
and its large-scale investments needs?
Join us at the first-ever Transition Finance Event dedicated to
the future of financing the industry's net zero and circular transition!
The net zero and circular transition, in a context of a dual energy and climate crisis, poses major challenges for the chemical and wider process industry in the EU in terms of change management, energy and raw material security and competitiveness.
In the context of the Green Deal, the EU has taken an ambitious package of measures and has boosted investment in the development of innovative cleaner technologies. While elsewhere in the world they are pushing hard, including the US with its Inflation Reduction Act, the Net Zero Industry Act is also trying to enhance the further upscaling and roll-out of this cleantech in the industry.
In the next 10 years, we must take major steps towards electrification with renewable energy and the use of circular feedstock, including green hydrogen, carbon dioxide capture, biomass and chemical recycling of plastics. This transition not only requires a gradual phase-out and upgrades of existing assets, but also large-scale investments in the construction of new basic infrastructure for renewable energy and circular feedstock, and the construction of new factories.
The only answer to the enormous challenge of transition financing is cooperation. Collaboration between governments, financial institutions and industry clusters to organize the synergy between public and private investments, and to tackle issues related to upscaling, demand stimulation, permits, availability of raw materials and others. We are convinced that a targeted approach to this blended financing in combination with a well-thought-out transition strategy within companies can make significant gains.
We see the Net Zero Industry Act as an outstretched hand and lever for our industry to discuss with the European Commission, European Investment Bank and other public and private financiers, the policy on transition financing, practices on blended financing and cases on transition strategies. These topics are the focus of the conference that we are organizing on 29 and 30 November 2023 at Chemelot in Geleen (the Netherlands).
The choice for Chemelot, one of the EU's largest and highly integrated chemical clusters as a conference location, is no coincidence: we want to let the participants - policy makers, investors and companies - experience what the transition means in practice. Inspiring sessions will take place at innovation hotspot Brightlands Chemelot Campus, with Brightlands Circular Space as interesting flagship project on transition strategies. Participants will also be able to visit the Chemelot Industrial Park in a guided tour and not only witness its size and importance but also its challenges and investment needs.
The conference is organized by the Chemelot Circular Hub, with sessions co-hosted by Cefic, A.SPIRE, Hubs4Circularity, World Economic Forum, the Ministries of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy and of Infrastructure & Water Management of the Netherlands, the Dutch platform Green Chemistry New Economy and various other partners such as the RWE, Brightlands Chemelot Campus and Covestro.
Programme
Accommodation
Registration
About the initiator of the event:
Chemelot Circular Hub
A strong triple helix alliance with an ambitious transition agenda, aiming at becoming one of Europe’s leading regional hubs for circularity
- Shared challenge: the impact of the energy and raw materials transition on an integrated industry cluster such as Chemelot requires strong cooperation.
- Shared ambition: an alliance of parties that want to play a leading role in the net zero and circular transition of the region, with Chemelot's industrial site and innovation campus as frontrunner.
- Shared agenda: the realization of the transition through a joint work program with 100+ projects on innovation, human capital, infrastructure and society, and initiatives on partnerships, lobbying and financing
Download our transition plan and investment agenda here
Accommodation
Near the Brightlands Chemelot Campus are a lot of hotels. Please keep an eye on the website for a list of hotel rooms.
Event venue
The Transition Finance Event 2023 will take place at the Brightlands Chemelot Campus and will also include guided bus tours on Chemelot Industrial Park. This combination of Industrial Park and Innovation Campus makes Chemelot rare in its kind.
Our Partners
The World Economic Forum is co-hosting its session together with Accenture and EPRI as well as Covestro with its Circular Foam-project together with Brightlands Chemelot Campus and its Syschemiq-project
Want to become a partner?
Ask for the package deal we offer such as publication of your logo and showcase of your initiative
on the event’s website and reserved seats for the open sessions.