Overview

The chemical sector is currently the second largest CO2 emitter in the UK industry, according to a United Nations report. Chemical production and consumption are to be doubled in the next ten years to fulfil our essential needs. It’s simply not going to happen unless we adopt a circular economy approach.

The UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical Economy (CircularChem) was established in January 2021 to kick start the timely transition of the UK’s £32bn chemical industry into a circular system as a part of our net zero future.

This webinar will update the findings and outcomes from CircularChem Centre and associated research and innovation projects, with a focus on barriers and solutions towards a circular chemical economy. We will use real life examples to illustrate technical, infrastructure, system, policy, and other non-technical barriers and potential solutions to overcome them.

Speaker

Jin Xuan, Associate Dean (Research and Innovation) and Professor of Sustainable Processes in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey

Jin is the Associate Dean (Research and Innovation) for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at University of Surrey. He also holds a Chair in Sustainable Processes and a prestigious EPSRC Open Fellowship at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Before moving to Surrey, he was the Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Loughborough University.

Jin is the Editor of Energy and AI (Elsevier), and the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Digital Chemical Engineering (IChemE). He is the director of the £4.5 million UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical Economy (CircularChem) and the recipient of the Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2022, the Beilby Medal and Prize in 2020. He also leads the CircularChem team winning the 2023 IChemE Global Award for Sustainability.

The material presented in this webinar has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter's own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Environment & Clean Technology Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Webinar recording