Danimer Scientific, Inc. vice president of business development Keith Edwards will join other leaders from across the chemicals sector value chain today at the Sustainable Chemistry in RD&D to Transform the Chemicals Industry Roundtable. The event, co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) and the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council (GC3), will take place in Arlington, Virginia.  

Edwards will join a broad mix of stakeholders from industry, government, national labs and small businesses at the roundtable to voice their perspectives on technical and financial opportunities and barriers to sustainable chemistry RD&D, with the aim of achieving chemicals sector decarbonization and environmental justice. The input gained from this roundtable will help the IEDO identify where federal investment is needed to accelerate the commercial readiness of emerging and environmentally just sustainable chemistry technologies and practices.  

“I’m pleased to be representing Danimer as we join with the U.S. Department of Energy and key stakeholders at this roundtable to contribute to sustainable chemistry growth,” Edwards said. “The ambitious target set by the Biden Administration to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 is only possible through embracing renewable chemistry across many industrial sectors. Biobased and annually renewable sources of raw materials can both transform the current chemical industry’s environmental footprint and contribute to growth of rural economies and STEM-related jobs. Danimer is committed to growing renewable biopolymers and working with all stakeholders to help achieve the ambitious targets and our transition to a circular economy.” 

In 2020, the industrial sector accounted for 30% of U.S. primary energy-related CO2 emissions, with chemicals being the largest emitter of all subsectors. Despite billions of dollars in public funds being devoted to industrial decarbonization through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, the complexity of the industrial sector means that it faces unique decarbonization challenges.