Chemical and life sciences are essential to assure the sustainable development of our planet by responding to human needs today and tomorrow, here and elsewhere, while addressing socio-economic and environmental dimensions. Sustainable development should be at the heart of all industrial activities. In fact, products and services from the chemical and life science industry are integral to almost every facet of our daily life: safe food and potable water, shelter, transport, clothing, communications, leisure, and more. Close to 90% of the world’s manufactured products incorporate some form of chemistry.
But the chemical and life science industry also offers plentiful employment that is varied and that creates added value. This is not at the expense of the environment: Figures show a strong correlation between the integration of sustainable development at the core of a business and its economic performance. Clean and conscientious businesses are generally the most profitable.
Profits generated can be used for different objectives, first and foremost for R&D programmes to develop essential innovations for future generations. Such programmes develop products that better meet human needs; create industrial processes that respect health and environmental concerns; find alternatives to fossil fuels; discover natural resources that are less polluting and consume less energy; create new, so-called "intelligent" materials and technological solutions that respond directly to present, considerable challenges (public health, supplying food and water to the world’s population, climate change, preservation of natural resources, etc.).