Chlor-Vinyl Industries Host Sustainability Conference

Brussels, Belgium - About 120 experts from around the world gathered recently (April 24 – 25) to discuss trends for the chlor-alkali and vinyl industries at the International Conference on China Chlor-alkali Industry Sustainability which took place in Beijing, China.

The historic Conference was jointly sponsored by the World Chlorine Council (WCC), the Global Vinyl Council (GVC), the China Petroleum & Chemical Industry Association (CPCIA) and the China Chlor-Alkali Industry Association (CCAIA). Participants included small and medium sized chlorine producers, association leaders and Chinese government officials. The conference included sessions with industry and government speakers on:

Key regulatory and policy issues facing the global and Chinese chlor-alkali and vinyl industries; Sustainable development for the chlor-alkali and vinyl industries; and Safety, environment and health issues for chlorine, ethylene dichloride (EDC), vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with a focus on sharing best environmental practices and best available techniques from around the globe.

Mr. MENG Quansheng, vice-chairman of CPCIA, hosted the opening of the Conference, and he read a letter of congratulations to the Conference from Mr. CHENG Siwei, the vice-chairman of NPCPC, who unfortunately could not be at the conference.

Mr. TAN Zhuzhou, the Honorary Chairman of CPCIA, made an opening speech in which he said that sustainable development is the direction not only for the chlor-alkali industry but also for the whole petroleum and chemical industry and this has been included in the conclusions of the 11th five year national development plan. For the chemical industry, much effort is still needed to make recycling economic. CPCIA will take responsibility for the work needed to progress the chemical industry in China towards sustainability development.

In his opening remarks to the conference Mike Gambrell, WCC Chairman, thanked the conference participants for their “commitment to improving the sustainability of the Chlor-Alkali industry in China and around the world. Our work here is vital and essential … because the role that chlorine plays in the world is vital and essential. To be a sustainable industry, the chlorine industry must act from both a local and a global perspective. We must cooperate and collaborate. And we must share best practices on how to manage our operations at a higher level of performance, no matter where we are located.”

Also speaking at the opening of the conference Jean-Pierre De Grève, Chairman of the Global Vinyl Council thanked the Chinese chlor-alkali industry for bringing so many people together to discuss sustainability and how the industry is responding to the challenge.

He said: "Making progress on the road towards sustainable development is not an easy job. Achieving the right balance between the three pillars; environmental, economic, and social is a key challenge." Pointing to the expansion of the Chinese industry and its importance in the global market De Grève continued: "The Chinese PVC industry continues to go from strength to strength and it is growing at a great pace. Soon China will become the country with the largest PVC production in the world. This growth and this likely position also brings responsibility and I am confident that China will play its part and shoulder its responsibilities in the sustainable development of the PVC industry, for the benefit of China, its people, and indeed for the benefit of the whole of humankind."

Mr. SUN Shaogang, the Chairman of CCAIA, made the last speech of the opening session, and he introduced the situation of the chlor-alkali industry’s development and called upon all the people involved in the industry to work together for sustainable development in the world.

In summary Mr Gambrell said, “We are a global industry that clearly is focused on continuous improvement and sustainability. Our products address global needs – clean water, affordable and durable housing, health and medicine, and much more. But we know that producing useful products is not enough. Our behaviour – how we operate – is just as important. Sustainability seminars like this one provide a forum for sharing best practices and learning from each other.”