Our focus areas
Our focus areas
An entire chemical industry in great need of transformation needs to be challenged. Sekab takes its position as an experienced green pioneer very seriously. By disseminating knowledge and asking questions that need to be answered at every level of the value chain, Sekab strengthens its role while driving the transformation forward.
The global climate debate in 2023 has seen ups and downs. The year concluded with the UN’s climate summit COP28 finally agreeing on a framework to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, signaling the “beginning of the end” for fossil fuels. This will bring a renewed focus on finding concrete actions to achieve the necessary emissions reductions. So far, transportation and energy have been at the forefront, but to fully succeed, a broader perspective needs to be adopted. Industry accounts for a third of emissions, and chemicals emerge as a significant challenge that cannot be fully addressed through electrification alone. This presents a responsibility, but above all, an opportunity for actors with the ambition to lead the way in this development.
Sekab takes its role as a thought leader in the chemical industry very seriously. Throughout 2023, the company continued to take responsibility in processes that create frameworks for sustainability in the industry. In the EU’s “Fit for 55” package, there is good legislation, notably the Green Claims directive, which will tighten the rules for marketing products as sustainable. However, as always, the devil is in the details when it comes to whether legislation achieves its intended effect. Sekab monitors and actively acts to ensure that bio-based raw materials are not overlooked or actively disadvantaged when forces concerned about the consequences of the transition for their own business try to make the regulations ambiguous. Other important frameworks are the ISO standards that many in the industry voluntarily use. In 2023, intensive work has been underway to develop new ISO standards for mass balance and for what is called book and claim. Sekab is very active in this work and leads one of the Swedish national groups. “It is gratifying that in this work, we can join forces with large brand owners that realize that stringent regulations are good for them. If you really want to market a sustainable product, it’s the brand you put at stake. It’s not enough for sustainability to be just on paper; it has to be real,” says Eva-Marie Byberg, Head of Sustainability & Outreach at Sekab.
If you really want to market a sustainable product, it’s the brand you put at stake. It’s not enough for sustainability to be just on paper; it has to be for real.
Eva-Marie Byberg
head of sustainability
Sekab believes that increased knowledge about the impact of chemistry on the climate benefits its own business. One way to disseminate knowledge is through the newsletter ‘New Solutions – the latest in green chemistry’, which Sekab launched in 2023. In a monthly dispatch, good examples and new knowledge are shared with customers, partners, and the general public. Another way to disseminate knowledge is by participating in conferences, both as speakers and as attendees. In 2023, representatives from Sekab have taken the stage both nationally and internationally with great results. In public discussions on climate issues, Sekab has contributed with op-eds primarily in national media. On several occasions, the company has been featured in Dagens industri, both independently and in collaboration with partner Perstorp.
Active communication is crucial to strengthen our position in the industry. In 2023, Sekab further increased its reach, especially on the prioritized channel LinkedIn. Through, for example, more active marketing, Sekab increases visibility for both itself and the issues at hand. “We aim to be present among our target audiences. We believe that in the coming years, many will start to feel more pressure to transition, and considering how easy it actually is to switch chemicals, we believe that through inspiring
marketing, we create a good starting point for ourselves”, says Ylva Strömstedt, Head of Communications at Sekab.
In summary, 2023 has been a year where Sekab has further sharpened its green profile across all relevant platforms and laid the groundwork to take an even bigger position in the discussions in
the years to come.