Chemical Week
Podcasting about issues that impact the global chemical industry.
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Dow and Evonik on the market outlook, energy transition, key projects, and more
04/23/2024
Dow and Evonik on the market outlook, energy transition, key projects, and more
Dow CEO Jim Fitterling and Evonik deputy chairman Harald Schwager chat with Chemical Week editor-in-chief Rob Westervelt about their views on chemical markets for 2024, energy transition, European competitiveness, and Dow's net-zero cracker in Alberta. The interviews were recorded live at the 2024 World Petrochemical Conference in March.
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What can WPC tell us about Q1?
04/09/2024
What can WPC tell us about Q1?
Rob Westervelt, editor-in-chief of Chemical Week and Antionette Smith, senior editor/chemicals at S&P Global Commodity Insights, join podcast host Vincent Valk to discuss key takeaways from this year's World Petrochemical Conference and read some tea leaves on what to look out for in first- quarter earnings.
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Neste's view on renewable chemicals and fuels markets
03/26/2024
Neste's view on renewable chemicals and fuels markets
Katja Wodjereck, executive vice president/renewable products at Neste, is interviewed by S&P Global Commodity Insights editors Iris Poon and Dias Kazym on Neste's views on renewable fuels and chemicals. Topics include the company's strategy in renewables, the role of regulation, and whether renewable feedstocks are competitive in the market.
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Bonus episode: What are the key themes for WPC 2024?
03/18/2024
Bonus episode: What are the key themes for WPC 2024?
With the World Petrochemical Conference by S&P Global getting underway in Houston, join Chemical Week editors Clay Boswell, Mark Thomas and Vincent Valk for a special episode on key trends for the petrochemicals sector in 2024 and what to watch out for at WPC. Topics the outlook for demand and margins, the diverging fortunes of the European and American industry, and why Asia can attract investment despite subpar economics.
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How can the chemical industry attract and retain women?
03/12/2024
How can the chemical industry attract and retain women?
Irene Tasi, senior vice president/global industrials at PPG, joins the podcast for a discussion of the evolving role of women and state of gender equality in the chemicals industry. Topics include what the industry can to do attract and retain women, how the industry can be a home for people with diverse personal and professional backgrounds, and what work still needs to be done to advance equality.
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What's in store for specialty chemicals?
02/27/2024
What's in store for specialty chemicals?
Jennifer Abril, president and CEO of Socma, the US trade association for specialty and custom chemical makers, joins the podcast to discuss how the year is looking for companies in the sector. Topics include a topsy-turvy 2023, the likely end of destocking, interest in AI, and Socma's advocacy agenda for 2024. This episode was recorded live at the Socma Show 2024 in Nashville, Tenn. on February 20.
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What can the chemical industry do to create more sustainable materials?
02/13/2024
What can the chemical industry do to create more sustainable materials?
S&P Global Commodity Insights vice president Mark Morgan and executive director Karine Boccara, lead authors of recent report on sustainable chemicals, join the podcast to to discuss advances in sustainble chemicals. Topics include the role of chemical recycling in sustainability and the challenges - and opportunities - in creating chemical building blocks from renewable or biobased feedstocks. To learn more about S&P Global's Chemical Strategic Reports, including the report on sustainable chemicals, . If you enjoyed this episode, we think you'll get a lot of out of the 2024 World Petrochemical Conference. Register .
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Recycled polymers outlook
01/23/2024
Recycled polymers outlook
In the first episode of an occasional series on recycling and sustainability, S&P Global Commodity Insights global sustainable editor lead Heng Hui and European chemicals analyst Iris Poon join host Abdulaziz Ehtaiba to discuss the outlook for recycled polymer markets, with a particular focus on geographic differences, regulation, and price dynamics. If you enjoyed this episode, we think you'll get a lot out of the 2024 World Petrochemical Conference. Register here:
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2024 outlook
01/09/2024
2024 outlook
S&P Global Commodity Insights chemicals journalists Kristen Hays and Abdulaziz Ehtaiba, along with CW editor-in-chief Rob Westervelt, sit down with host Vincent Valk for a discussion of the 2024 outlook. Topics include the threat of petchems oversupply, what to expect in Europe and China, the impact of high interest rates, and where the energy transition goes from here.
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A platform for biomanufacturing
12/20/2023
A platform for biomanufacturing
Karim Engelmark-Cassimjee, CEO and co-founder of green chemistry start-up EnginZyme, joins the podcast to discuss the promise and pitfalls of biomanufacturing processes, and the company’s advances in biobased catalysts and vaccine ingredients.
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Orbia's sustainable transition
12/14/2023
Orbia's sustainable transition
Sameer Bharadwaj, CEO of Orbia, joind S&P Global Commodity Insights' polymers lead Kristen Hays to discuss Orbia's transition to a global player focused on sustainability, as well as the longer-term outlook for PVC markets.
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Getting to circular
11/30/2023
Getting to circular
With growing demand for recycled plastics and investment in recycling ramping up, what does the future hold for plastics circularity? Bertan Enhos, exeuctive director/chemical consulting at S&P Global Commodity Insights and lead author of a recent report on plastics circularity, joins the podcast to discuss the state of plastic recycling, the promise of chemical recycling technology, and hurdles to developing a circular plastics supply chain. To learn more about S&P Global's Chemical Strategic Reports, including the report on plastics recycling, .
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Could demand turn a corner?
11/21/2023
Could demand turn a corner?
Chemical Week editor-in-chief Rob Westervelt and senior editor Vincent Valk discuss third quarter results and what they imply for the industry's outlook. Topics include whether destocking could be coming to an end, if demand is bottoming out, the operating environment in Europe and recovery in China.
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Changes in China
10/30/2023
Changes in China
Carmen Song, principal consultant at S&P Global Commodity Insights and lead author of a new report on the state of the chemicals sector in China, joins the podcast to discuss shifting currents in the Chinese industry. Topics include a capacity build-out amid oversupply, the impact of decoupling and trade restrictions, and China's energy transition. To learn more about S&P Global's Chemical Strategic Reports, including the report on China, .
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Key takeaways from EPCA
10/11/2023
Key takeaways from EPCA
Abdulaziz Ehtaiba, senior editor/EMEA chemicals with S&P Global Commodity Insights hosts a discussion with Sarah Trinder, managing editor/aromatics EMEA at S&P Global Commodity Insights and Chemical Week executive editor Ian Young on the key takeaways from last month's European Petrochemicals Association (EPCA) meeting. Topics include the dismal outlook for European petrochemicals, Europe's unique regulatory burdens, and how producers will meet the challenges of the energy transition. At the start of the episode, Chemical Week senior editor Vincent Valk gives an overview of some exciting changes coming to the Chemical Week Podcast!
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Europe’s unique challenges
09/20/2023
Europe’s unique challenges
With the annual meeting of the European Petrochemical Association approaching from Sept. 25-28, Chemical Week editors Ian Young and Mark Thomas join the podcast to discuss the massive challenges facing the European industry, including high energy prices, regulatory burdens, and weak economic growth. The Chemical Week podcast is the industry’s premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by veteran industry journalist Vincent Valk and the editors of Chemical Week. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.
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Legal wrangling in the chlor-alkali industry
09/07/2023
Legal wrangling in the chlor-alkali industry
The chlor-alkali industry has seen an unusual number of lawsuits and contractual disputes in recent years, some of which have had a notable impact on market conditions. Kristen Hays, global market lead/polymers at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins the podcast to help untangle the different legal actions and their implications.
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Is the outlook dimming?
08/23/2023
Is the outlook dimming?
Antionette Smith, senior editor at S&P Global Commodity Insights, and Rob Westervelt, Chemical Week editor-in-chief, join Chemical Week senior editor Vincent Valk to discuss second quarter earnings. Topics inclue regional differences in the outlook, destocking and supply/demand, and what could be in store for the rest of the year.
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BASF on open innovation
07/27/2023
BASF on open innovation
Benjamin Raerup Knudsen, vice president/research, North America at BASF, joins the podcast to discuss the company's open innovation initiatives. Topics include how BASF approaches partnerships in innovation, core areas of focus for research, and how to protect IP and trade secrets in an open innovation ecosystem.
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The future of low-carbon ammonia
07/13/2023
The future of low-carbon ammonia
Ryan Monis, director of chemical consulting with S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins the podcast to discuss a new report detailing the future for low-carbon ammonia, including rising demand and ammonia's potential uses as an energy carrier. for more information about the report.
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Making biochemicals at scale
06/27/2023
Making biochemicals at scale
Michael Deutsch, vice president/biochemicals at UPM, joins the podcast to discuss the company's plans to make biochemicals using wood as a feedstock.
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What to make of first quarter earnings?
06/06/2023
What to make of first quarter earnings?
Antoinette Smith, senior editor/Americas Chemicals and Recycled Polymers at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins CW editor in chief Rob Westervelt for a discussion of first quarter results in an environment of slowing demand and growing complexity.
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Petrochemical challenges
03/17/2023
Petrochemical challenges
Petrochemical challenges Rob Stier, senior lead/global petrochemical analytics at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins CW editor Rob Westervelt for a look at how global petrochemical makers are coping with the downturn. Stier assesses the state of the sector, what is different about this downturn, the durability of US feedstock advantage, and what is needed to bring markets back into balance. Join us at the for the latest on the industry outlook. And check out our on the petrochemical outlook
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The State of Petrochemical Markets
03/15/2023
The State of Petrochemical Markets
Chemical Week's latest podcast is a collaboration with Platts Commodity Focus on the state of petrochemical markets. Kristen Hays, global market lead for polymers at S&P Global Commodity Insights, joins CW editor Rob Westervelt and CW markets editor Clay Boswell to assess the impacts of an economic slowdown, fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war, supply chain challenges, and volatile energy costs on supply and demand. Read CW's recent cover story and
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Digital marketplaces
02/03/2023
Digital marketplaces
Knowde founder and CEO Ali Amin-Javaheri joins CW editor Rob Westervelt to discuss how digital marketplaces are gaining traction in the chemical sector, overcoming the barriers and reluctance on digital adoption from suppliers and buyers, Knowde's progress, and how venture capital views the chemical sector. Knowde's marketplace is online at
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Women in Chemicals: Empowering women in the chemical industry
12/29/2022
Women in Chemicals: Empowering women in the chemical industry
Women in Chemicals co-founders Amelia Greene, of Wego Chemical Group, and Kylie Wittl, of 3M return to the podcast to talk about the mission and growth of Women in Chemicals, a network and community of females working in the chemical industry. The conversation also addresses how networking, mentorship, and learning programs work for women in the industry and what's ahead for Women in Chemicals' programs and offerings in 2023. To learn more visit:
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CW forum: Eastman CEO Mark Costa on the path to a circular economy
12/22/2022
CW forum: Eastman CEO Mark Costa on the path to a circular economy
Despite recent years being marked with the pandemic, trade wars, a supply chain crisis, and a possible manufacturing recession, the industry’s commitment to creating a circular economy has begun to solidify—albeit with the usual suspects of challenges in policy alignment and feedstock security. “We’ve dealt with a lot of chaos, but the momentum in seriousness around sustainability has been present throughout and I don’t see it changing,” Mark Costa, chairman and CEO of Eastman Chemical, told CW editor Rob Westervelt in the keynote session at Chemical Week's Financial Outlook & Sustainability Forum & Awards last month.
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Assessing petrochemical prospects in the Middle East
12/20/2022
Assessing petrochemical prospects in the Middle East
Chemical Week markets editor Mark Thomas assesses the outlook and key strategic issues impacting petrochemical makers in the Middle East in a discussion with CW editor Rob Westervelt. The discussion follows the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association annual meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia earlier this month. Topics include crude-oil-to-chemicals investment, impacts of energy transition on Middle East producers and the near-term outlook. Read CW's latest Middle East coverage at
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What's on the horizon for M&A
11/02/2022
What's on the horizon for M&A
Chemweek's editor-in-chief Rob Westervelt sits down with senior editor Vincent Valk to discuss M&A outlook for the rest of 2022 and beyond as the economy heads into a tougher environment.
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Sustainability in transportation
10/19/2022
Sustainability in transportation
Robert McRae, vice president of transportation at Univar, and Liam McCarroll, global director of sustainability at Univar, join the podcast to discuss sustainability in chemical transportation.
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