In a special episode in advance of the 2026 World Petrochemical Conference (WPC), Chemical Week editor-in-chief Ian Young, senior editor Mark Thomas, and S&P Global Platts senior price reporter Daniela Morales join the show for a discussion of key themes and what to look out for at this year's WPC. The war in the Middle East, supply chain and tariff issues, the evolution of the industry in Asia Pacific, and the changing nature of energy transition take center stage as industry leaders prepare to gather in Houston.

Hear more on key issues in the petrochemical sector at the World Petrochemical Conference (WPC 2026), taking place at Houston, TX, March 23–27, 2026. The event will bring together industry leaders and market experts to assess market shifts, margin pressures and strategic responses across global petrochemicals. For more information and to register, visit wpc.spglobal.com/en or contact [email protected].

Alasdair Carmichael and Lauren Laibach of the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) join S&P Global research head Olivier Maronneaud and podcast host Vincent Valk for a discussion of the outlook for recycled PET in 2026. Key topics include the findings of NAPCOR's latest report on the state of the PET recycling sector and global challenges related regulatory differences, trade tensions, and weak supply-demand dynamics.

Hear more on key issues in the plastics recycling and polymer sectors at the World Petrochemical Conference (WPC 2026), taking place at Houston, TX, March 23–27, 2026. The event will bring together industry leaders and market experts to assess market shifts, margin pressures and strategic responses across global petrochemicals. For more information and to register, visit wpc.spglobal.com/en or contact [email protected].

This episode was recorded before the current war in the Middle East broke out.

Dan Jeavons, president of Applied Computing, a developer of foundational AI models for industry, joins the podcast to discuss how AI can improve the chemical sector's operations and the challenges to implementing it. Jeavons - also a former executive at Shell - discusses why LLMs must be tuned for industrial operating environments, the importance of getting a workforce comfortable with AI, and where chemical makers see the greatest potential for operational optimization.

Before the chat with Jeavons, Chemical Week specialties editor Sotirios Frantzanas joins the show for a brief discussion of the Feb. 23 cover story, a deep dive into AI's impact on established industry processes.

Daniel Krauss, director at S&P Global Ratings, joins the podcast for a discussion about the latest S&P Global Ratings chemicals report and the road ahead for the chemical industry. Topics include how the prolonged chemical downturn has affected credit ratings, the disparity in the outlook for commodity verses specialty chemicals , and what a recovery looks like when it arrives.

Read the report here.

The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Sid Kalpattu Shivakumar, director of global market insights and Nouryon, joins the podcast for a deep dive into supply chain resiliency. Key themes include the multidimentional nature of supply volatility, how companies can manage multiple suppliers, and the role of AI and data in driving decisions around supply chain.

Chemical Week editor-in-chief Ian Young, senior editor Vincent Valk and S&P Global chemicals price reporter Luke Warren join podcast host Jameson Croteau to discuss the 2026 outlook. Major themes include oversupply in the face of weak demand, opportunities related to AI, turbulent geopolitics, what's next for China's chemicals sector, and sluggish-but-resilient economic growth.

Leticia Gonçalves, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF)'s president of health and biosciences, joins the podcast to discuss IFF's Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials (DEB) platform, its journey from concept to commercialization, and the expanding market opportunities for biomaterials in sectors like home care, water treatment, and packaging.

The Chemical Week podcast is the industry's premier platform for wide-ranging discussion of issues impacting the global chemicals sector, hosted by the editors of Chemical Week and S&P Global Commodity Insights. Subscribe to the Chemical Week podcast on your favorite platform, or visit chemweek.com/podcast to view our episode archive.

Kamna Kapoor, senior price reporter at S&P Global Energy, and Andre Mikhail, price reporter at S&P Global Energy, join the podcast to discuss the latest in methanol market dynamics. Key topics include a supply glut in the US, ongoing contract negotiations, and the impact of trade barriers.

Nirav Shah, global director/growth fields at Evonik, joins the podcast to discuss the promise and challenges of using pyrolysis oil - derived from recycled plastic - as a chemical feedstock and fuel.

Eric Byer, president of distributor trade group Alliance for Chemical Distribution (ACD), joins podcast host Jameson Croteau for a discussion of the state of the chemical distribution sector. Key topics include the impact of tariffs on the outlook for distributors, the sector's view on Trump's regulatory agenda, and the M&A market in the perpetually-consolidating distribution industry.