Chemical Week

S&P Global market reporters Tara Olaleye, Paulina Wiener and Daniela Morales join Chemical Week’s Rob Westervelt to discuss the impact of recent Federal Reserve interest rate cuts on petrochemical and polymer markets, particularly in housing and construction; the cautious optimism for recovery in 2025; and the current levels of consumer confidence. The panel emphasizes that despite some positive indicators, significant market improvements are unlikely until mid-2025, as high inflation and ongoing economic pressures continue to challenge consumer spending.

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.

S&P Global Commodity Insight’s  Daniel Pelosi, EMEA chemicals editor; Aleksandra Zhagrina, EMEA petrochemicals associate editor; and Chemical Week’s executive editor Ian Young join Chemical Week’s Rob Westervelt for a discussion of the recent European Petrochemical Association annual meeting and the state of Europe’s chemical industry. Topics include the challenges facing the European petrochemicals, the need for industry restructuring and innovation, and the potential impacts of regulatory changes and competition from expanding capacities in China.

 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.

Corey Tyree, CEO of Trillium Renewable Chemicals, joins Chemical Week’s Vincent Valk for a discussion of on Trillium’s partnership with INEOS, the production methods behind Trillium’s new bioacrylonitrile, and how start-ups can scale successfully towards commercialization. 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.

Dorothee Arns, director general of European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC), joins S&P Global Commodity Insights’ senior commodities pricing specialist Abdulaziz Ehtaiba ahead of FECC’s annual congress for a discussion of the stat of European distribution. Topics include how disruptive geopolitical events exacerbated the industry’s weak demand and poor production margins, how distributors are focusing on improving their supply chain excellence to navigate these challenges, and how distributors can adapt to Europe’s increasing regulatory demands and consumer expectations for sustainable products. 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.

Vincent Valk, senior editor at Chemical Week, joins the magazine’s Rob Westervelt for a discussion surrounding Chemical Week’s Billion Dollar Club 2023 rankings. Topics include a challenging year marked by double digit percentage drops in operating income and revenues, China’s continued position as the industry’s center of gravity, and how M&A and sustainability will play a role in rankings to come.

Chemical Week's Rob Westervelt and S&P Global Commodity Insights' Neirin Gray Desai and Mujidah Yahaya join the podcast to discuss key takeaways from second-quarter earnings season and read the tea leaves for the rest of the year. Key topics include the diminishing prospects for recovery in stalled demand, the coming of capacity rationalization in Europe, and the possible impact of a sluggish operating environment on industry's investment plans.

Louis Besland, partner and head of chemicals practice at executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles, joins Chemical Week’s Rob Westervelt for a discussion of CEO succession and talent management in the industry. Topics include building a diverse talent pipeline, the evolution of skill sets needed for effective leaders, and the need for future-oriented thinking around CEO succession.

S&P Global Commodity Insights reporters Mark Astley and James Burgess join Chemical Week's Mark Thomas and Jameson Croteau for a discussion of the clean ammonia market. Key themes include difficulties in getting projects off the ground, the role of regulatory uncertainty and financing incentives in developing the market, and the ambiguities around whether blue ammonia is truly 'clean.'

Sophie Casenave, policy affairs manager at environmental trader and consultancy Strive by STX, joins the podcast to discuss the the latest alphabet-soup of climate regulations. These include the EU's new reporting directive, some new reporting rules in the US, and carbon border mechanisms in the EU. We discus what the different rules mean for industry, how reporting and regulatory requirements are changing, and the impact of new rules on chemical companies' decarbonization strategies. 

Polyfluoroalklyl substances (PFAS) have been the subject of litigation and controversy due to mounting evidence of their long-term impact on human health. PFAS are, perhaps, most well-known for applications in films, packaging, and electronics - but they have also played a crucial role in the renewable energy sector. 

In this episode cross-posted with S&P Global Commodity Insights' Energy Evolution podcast, reporter Camilla Naschert takes a look at the role of PFAS in the renewable energy sector, talking with industry leaders and academics about what they do and whether it is possible to have a clean energy future without them.