Together for Sustainability (TfS), the industry initiative for sustainable chemical supply chains, is launching the TfS Academy. It calls this a “free capability-building and learning offering for its member companies and their suppliers”, enabling them to keep on top of the latest recommendations and expectations in the area of sustainable procurement.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has brought forward a proposal to ban all per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in fire-fighting foams in the EU. A six-month consultation period with stakeholders will begin on 23 March.

This follows an investigation the agency carried out at the request of the European Commission into the strengths and weaknesses of five different options. It concluded that the risks posed by PFASs are currently not adequately controlled and that releases should be minimised.

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.