ChemForward, a US specialist in chemical hazard data, has introduced its Safer programme, through which raw material suppliers can verify safer alternatives and market them by trade name on the B2B marketplaces of Novi Connect and ChemSec Marketplace, plus a data sharing relationship with Covalo.

Wacker Chemie has presented its new sustainable development goals (SDGs) at its latest online capital market day. These are based on the ‘Science-Based Targets’, in line with the goal of keeping the global rise in temperature below 1.5°C as per the UN ‘Race to Zero’, which Wacker has joined.

“We have spent the last few months scrutinising our product portfolio and production processes. Our goals take us to the limit of what we consider to be technically feasible and achievable,” said CEO Christian Hartel.

CEFIC has released the first in a series of studies about the likely impact of the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). It subsequently joined other industry leaders in calling on European Commission and EU Member State governments “to work together to develop an EU Chemical Industry Transition Pathway to sustain the massive investments required to meet the objectives of the EU Green Deal”.

The UK’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that it has committed to “exploring alternative arrangements for UK REACH transitional registrations … in order to support chemical businesses whilst upholding the highest standards to safeguard public health and the environment”.

Following on from the extension of a long-standing supply agreement with Merck & Co. for a proprietary enzyme used in the manufacture of sitagliptin, Codexis has reached a manufacturing agreement with two other firms. Sitagliptin is the API in Merck’s Januvia and one of the APIs in Janumet.

BASF has agreed to partner with China’s SVOLT on the supply of cathode active materials (CAMs), R&D into sustainable battery materials and the ultimate recycling of battery cells. They will also assess joint upstream resourcing to strengthen the security of raw material supply. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Europe's main trade association for chemicals gave a mixed greeting to the European Commissions's new sustainability strategy

The European Commission (EC) has published a new Chemical Strategy for Sustainability and invited the European Parliament and the Council to endorse this and to contribute to its implementation. It envisages revising REACH “in the most targeted way possible”, while also taking other initiatives to improve legislation.