Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Killer Quote: "It is not some entrepreneur with a crazy app that's going to solve that problem. It's engineers and scientists solving problems at scale. That's what's going to address climate change." - Chris Jahn
Welcome to The Chemical Show™, where chemicals mean business. Featuring interviews with industry executives, you’ll hear about the key trends impacting chemicals and plastics today: growth, sustainability, innovation, business transformation, digitalization, supply chain, talent, strategic marketing, customer experience and much more.
Episodes are published every Tuesday.
Hosted by industry veteran Victoria Meyer, The Chemical Show brings you the latest insights into the industry. You will hear from leading industry executives as they discuss their companies, business, markets, and leadership. You’ll learn how chemical, specialty chemical, petrochemical, material science and plastics companies are making an impact, responding to the changing business environment, and discussing best practices and approaches you can apply in your business.
voiceover: A key component of the
modern world economy, the chemical
industry delivers products and
innovations to enhance everyday life.
It is also an industry in transformation
where chemical executives and workers
are delivering growth and industry
changing advancements while responding
to pressures from investors, regulators,
and public opinion, discover how
leading companies are approaching these
challenges here on the chemical show.
Join Victoria Meyer, president
of Progressio Global and
host of the chemical show.
As she speaks with executives across the
industry and learns how they are leading
their companies to grow, transform, and
push industry boundaries on all frontiers.
Here's your host, Victoria Meyer.
Victoria: Hi, this is Victoria Meyer.
Welcome back to The Chemical Show.
This is the first in a series of
interviews that I recorded at ACC's
Responsible Care and Sustainability
conference, which was held in
Miami on May 6th through 9th.
In these interviews, we're discussing
not just Responsible Care and
Sustainability, but also careers,
leadership, corporate
priorities, and value creation.
They're really special interviews, and
I hope you listen to each and every one.
During this series, you'll be
hearing from some executives that
spoke at ACC's recent Conference,
including Chris Jahn, President and
CEO of American Chemistry Council.
Michael Heinz, Chairman and CEO of
BASF corporation in North America.
Bonnie Tully, president of
Evonik in North America.
Daryl Roberts, Chief Engineering
and Operating officer for DuPont
and and Kevin Norfleet, global
sustainability director for Celanese.
So, first of all, two thank yous, I
want to give out on today's episode
to Karen Kirchnick for the invitation
and to Kelly Montez de Oca, who
helped coordinate these interviews.
This is really where I want to start
this episode today is just the level
of unwavering commitment to a better
world that was exemplified through
these executives and through the
hundreds of people in attendance.
Plus of course, the thousands of
people across the chemical industry,
you and I, um, and our peers and
people we know that are working in
and working for a better future.
Um, one of my favorite sayings, and
it has been for a long time is better
living through chemistry, which as
it turns out is a tagline that has
been used by DuPont for decades.
Um, until the mid eighties, when they
stopped using it, I would love to see
it refreshed because I think it's there.
And I guess in many ways,
ACC has refreshed this.
Um, and with their first ever
sustainability report, ACC is
coining the phrase "Sustainability
Starts With Chemistry'.
Fundamentally, to get to the sustainable
future that we want, we need to use
chemistry and chemicals to innovate,
create new products and more.
So before I jump into my interview with
Chris, I'd like to share a few things
that stood out from the conference.
And in his opening keynote, Chris Jahn
noted that Responsible Care represents
the industries license to operate,
and that's maybe a bit of a paraphrase,
but I think what's, what comes through
from that conference as well as from
the interviews that I did with these
executives that you'll hear is that
Responsible Care really provides
strong foundational principles
for companies across the industry.
And that's something very
well recognized, right?
An emphasis on safety, environmental
practices, and continuous improvement
for employees, stakeholders, and
the communities we operate in.
And actually, as I discussed with
Bonnie Tully, and you'll hear that
In our interview I've always worked
in an industry where Responsible
Care principles were in place.
You grow up in the industry and you
accept and expect that these strong
safety principles are in place.
And so that's certainly what we're seeing.
The 2nd thing that really came
through in the conference is
this commitment to collaboration.
Across member companies across the
ACC and other organizations and
frankly, to create alignment on
common frameworks and objectives.
Responsible Care is a great example.
The new sustainability report
and sustainability targets and
initiatives are great examples.
The work that's going on to
negotiate and develop the UN Plastics
Treaty, which is ongoing currently.
And Chris and I talk about is another
great example of collaboration
towards a common purpose with
different approaches, right?
Different companies have different
approaches and different needs, but this
underlying theme of we are going to figure
this out together really comes through.
The other aspect of this commitment
to collaboration is the fact that, you
know, sustainability is an evolution.
Right.
We're requiring new products
and new chemistries.
And a lot of this relies on getting EPA
registrations, approvals and ensuring
that we're able to use some of these new
chemistries in our sustainable future,
whether it be for semiconductors or
for electric vehicles, or for bio based
products that the chemical industry
and the many scientists and Business
people and engineers are developing.
So a real great need to just step
up that pace of approval, continuing
to work for greater collaboration
across the industry and its partners.
The other thing that came through
in the conference is this theme that
sustainability is not just about
big projects and big investments.
That everyday behaviors and incremental
improvements has a big impact.
And that's something that Bonnie
Tully noted during the executive panel
at the event, and that Bonnie and I
talked about during our conversation.
But I think it's easy sometimes for us to
think particularly in small companies that
don't necessarily have the same reach that
don't have the same footprint that, well,
it's not as big of a priority for me.
The reality is it is a big priority.
The way to achieving results is different.
And we can't lose sight of the
fact that while there are some
significant investments going
on, there are significant new
technologies coming to bear.
And I think about the, the whole role
of plastic circularity and the new
technologies and the new companies that
are really helping to drive that future.
The reality is there's a lot of
incremental steps across the industry
that companies are continuing to take
that makes significant improvement.
And then the final thing on this
is customers and business partners
are seeking sustainability, right?
And, and Daryl Roberts in the executive
panel at the event talked about the fact
that this is not just a conversation
starter, but it is a requirement for
doing business with many companies.
And so this is an ongoing focus.
Part of the conversations we're having
here, part of the conversations you and
I have on The Chemical Show regularly
part of the conversation we'll be
having at The Chemical Summit this year.
And I think this whole aspect of these
things, much of which was brought
together at this conference, and much
of which is brought together in ACC's
first ever sustainability report which
brings together a shared perspective
across member companies, including data
about the progress that we're making on
sustainability and the theme that I think
we're going to continue to hear, which
is Sustainability Starts with Chemistry.
So onto my conversation with
Chris Jahn, I hope you enjoy it.
Let me know what you think.
And I hope to see you again soon.
Victoria (2): This is Victoria Meyer.
Welcome back to The Chemical Show.
Today I am speaking with Chris Jahn,
who is the president and CEO of
ACC, the American Chemistry Council.
We are at the ACC's Responsible
Care and Sustainability Conference.
So our Conversation today is going
to focus in a little bit on that
as well as on a few other things.
So Chris Thanks for joining me today.
Chris Jahn: Thank you for having me.
Victoria (2): Excellent, so how did you
get involved with the chemical industry?
Yeah.
So you came out of university as a
political science major, if I'm correct.
And you started in politics and then you
moved quickly into chemicals, it seems.
Chris Jahn: Indeed.
So I've been in the industry now for about
20 years.
But, did not set out to on this path.
And long story short is, as you said.
Worked on Capitol Hill for 10 years.
I worked for my home state
congressman and then senator,
and I worked on environmental
issues health, transportation,
safety issues.
So the issues that I talked about on
stage today, I've been working on for,
I hate to admit this, over 30 years now.
Yeah.
And so, I like to say that my career
was built on dumb blind luck and there's
a lot of element of truth to that.
The, story really is, is that
working on these issues on the Hill,
interacting on a variety of important
issues that have impact on the world.
Always open the next door.
And so I've been very fortunate to work
in the chemical space for the last 20
years in a variety of different roles
and sectors but all with the goal
of helping our members be successful
in interacting with the government.
Victoria (2): Yeah.
So when you started out working in
politics, I'm going to, I'm going
to take us astray a little bit.
Sure.
Did you think that you would end up
in politics, in Congress or et cetera?
Chris Jahn: No way, no how do I want
to be a member of Congress or Senator
or I've lived inside the belly of that
beast and it is not something that is
good for your family or your lifestyle.
It's a very brutal and demanding
job and I have a lot of respect
for the people who do it.
And for the people that we see
on the news and we complain
about every day, that's the 5%.
The 95 percent of them, whether you
agree with them or not, they're good
people doing the right thing and doing
what they think is the appropriate
way to address the issues of the
day, but just, it's really hard.
You got to raise money all the time.
And that's not for me.
Victoria (2): Yeah, interesting.
I when I was in business school,
I took a class from a person who
was the former Secretary of Labor
and she would bring politicians in
occasionally to do stuff and it was
always like number one 95 percent of
the politicians are Working people.
Right.
And they're really nice.
And she's like, and you know,
it's okay to like them even if
the point of view is different.
And so it was interesting.
It was just a whole it was a short
glimpse into the inside of that.
And obviously you have a big glimpse into
the inner workings of how this all works.
Chris Jahn: Yeah.
Yeah.
It's like I said, it's it's fascinating
there and there can come from all
in all shapes and sizes from all
different places in the world.
And You know, it's really exciting
to work with them on a daily basis.
Victoria (2): Yeah, it's great Well,
and obviously your experience has made
you well suited to help navigate ACC and
its interactions So when we think about
ACC and just what are your priorities?
Today, you know, 2024, which seems
like we've gone through a lot of change
in the industry in the past, just a
couple of years, even what are the
priorities that you are focusing on?
Chris Jahn: Yeah.
So Victoria, we're guided by
four strategic pillars,
that's what we call them.
So it's advocacy, obviously based
in Washington, DC, that drives all
that, what we do, but responsible
care, sustainability, which we're
talking about here this week.
And then industry reputation.
And the idea behind that is
those four things work together.
Those pillars work together
from this standpoint of, as
our members take action through
responsible care, through their
sustainability agendas to make the world
healthier, safer, more sustainable,
more productive, that will improve
the industry's reputation over time.
And if we improve the industry's
reputation over time, that then
creates a better political playing
field for us, reduces our policy risk,
reduces our political risk, and
then we can be more successful
on our advocacy agenda.
And so we're making some progress
on there and we, you know, you
were in the morning session.
I saw you in the crowd and we talked
about all the great things we're
doing, just to summarize real quickly
is, Air pollutants down greenhouse
gas emission intensity better making
progress on so many different areas
in sustainability, Responsible Care.
We're five times safer than
all manufacturing, we're three
times safer than other companies
in the chemical industry.
And that's only going to make
us more effective advocates
for our members going forward.
So I'm really proud of that track record.
Victoria (2): Yeah, I think it's great.
And I think obviously it's everybody
coming together in alignment
collaborating to set that direction.
So how do you guys make
that happen, right?
So, there is such diversity amongst the
member companies of ACC, amongst the
politicians and the nation, as well as
the states that you're interacting with.
How do you create that alignment?
Chris Jahn: Yeah.
So that's, that's the magic or
the art of association leadership.
And I didn't know that getting
into this, but it's it's also what
gets you out of bed in the morning.
Cause it's really exciting to work for
people who matter for an industry that
matters, but also pull them all together
so that they can row in the same direction
for the betterment of the industry.
So what we are at ACC is
we're very member centric.
So the members are at the
center of everything we do.
And they come in to the boardroom
wearing the industry hat.
So yes they compete in the marketplace
and they want to be successful, but
with their NACC, we're trying to
move the whole industry forward.
And so you may have an
issue or a challenge that.
that.
is not specifically important to me from
the chemical side of things, but the
precedent that that regulation might set
for you could impact me down the road.
And so our members do, I think, a
really great job of trying to find
that alignment, something above
least common denominator so that
we can work together to achieve a
successful policy outcome so that
when the next issue comes up.
We can be successful there too.
So it all starts with our members and
they really drive that going forward.
And then we try to amplify and
supplement those points of view so we
can get successful efficacy outcomes.
Victoria (2): Yeah.
That's great.
It's maybe a great segue into the
plastic treaty negotiations, right?
So I know last week there was round
four, I believe, of negotiations
for the, the UN Plastics Treaty.
Can you talk about that?
So tell us about that, where
we're at, what you see happening.
Chris Jahn: Yeah.
So, so Victoria, they're trying to
do a global plastics agreement and
plastic pollution in two years.
The United Nations not known for
getting anything done in two years, so
believe it or not, most international
agreements, including for example,
climate take about a decade.
So number one, they were
trying to move really quickly.
Yeah,
at least for the U.
N.
Second, they are about we're more
than 60 percent way through that time.
And we've done probably
25 percent of that work.
So it's going to be a challenge
of laying this plane at the end of
the year on a successful agreement.
Having said that, we
really want that to happen.
We want an agreement that ends
plastic pollution in the environment.
But still takes advantage of the
opportunities that plastic provides
for health care, for automobiles,
for carbon reductions, all the good
things that plastics are responsible
for, and that's driven by circularity.
And so we're really excited about the
opportunity to be able to do that.
Now, the question is, can that happen?
I think the positive outcome in Ottawa
last week is that they did agree to.
Work in between sessions.
They call that intersessional work.
And so be able to get a final agreement
in Korea in November, they're gonna
have to make a lot of progress.
Two key issues that they're
talking about right now
is one is financing.
So there's somewhere close to 3
billion people in the world who
do not have access to
modern waste management.
Which is obviously what's part of driving
the plastic waste in the environment.
Right?
Right.
And that's not places like
the EU or the United States.
That's in Africa, that's Southeast Asia.
And so how do we help finance
modern waste management so that
we can keep pollution from getting
environment, including plastic pollution.
And then the second big issue that's
going to have to be addressed.
Is what some are calling,
you know, chemicals of
concern or plastics of concern.
And what we are saying at ACC is
let's keep the main thing, the
main thing, which is any plastic
pollution in the environment.
And, not unlike in Washington
this is a a big year for the
world in terms of elections.
It's not just the United States.
Yeah, so it's a lot of people
are talking about that.
And so in D.
C.
What we, sometimes you have
what we call a Christmas tree.
So it's the last bill that's moving
out of Congress and everybody
tries to attach their pet issue to it.
Well, that's also happening
in this plastic screen.
So people want to address chemical issues.
They want to address air issues and
they're trying to attach that to the
treaty and we're saying, Hey, wait
a minute, we're trying to address
plastic pollution in the environment.
Let's focus on that.
We can get an agreement on that.
This is, you know, mission accomplished
and we there's other places to address
those issues, whether it's climate,
there's a global framework on chemicals.
This is all a lot more
than you wanted to know.
Maybe it's not good.
I love it.
But there are places to address
legitimate issues of concern and
we should address them there.
And the UN has forums in which to do that.
So that's what we're pushing for.
Victoria (2): Yeah, I agree.
I mean, the whole aspect
of scope creep, right?
With every project, you know,
it's always good to go back to,
okay, what was our mission here?
And let's not allow scope creep.
And it sounds like just like the home
renovation I did a few years ago.
There was a lot, but you got a lot of
scope creep with one of my friends calls
it the, if you give a mouse a cookie
problem, right, you do one thing and then
you do the next thing and the next thing.
So, and, and I guess navigating
scope creep cause I Congress,
everybody has their own pet project
um, issue is, is challenging, right?
Chris Jahn: Yep, absolutely.
And so, there's a lot of pressure
on world governments to take
action on a variety of issues.
Absolutely.
And they're trying to sincerely
and genuinely respond to that
pressure, and I understand that.
But at the same time, to your
point, what are we here to do?
Let's get it done, and then we can move
on to those other issues and those other
forms to address those legitimities.
Victoria (2): What happens
if it's not done by November?
Chris Jahn: So they could just keep going.
I mean, they can choose
to keep negotiating.
There's no they've set a goal, and
we would like them to reach the
goal so we can start implementation,
because it'll take a while to
address this issue over time.
Right.
But if they want to keep working
on it, they can keep working on it.
And, you know, now look, there's
elections in the EU next month.
There's elections in the
United States in November.
There's a lot of things that can
happen internationally over time.
And, you know, it gets
harder the longer you take.
So there'll be some pressure to, to
get this done by the end of the year.
But if we need to keep
going, we keep going.
I'd rather get it right the
first time than do something that
doesn't make sense and then try
to fix it for the next 10 years.
Victoria (2): Right.
Absolutely.
And, and as you know, everybody says,
said, you say, I've heard you say
this, I've heard others say this.
We want any policy, any regulation
that goes in, it's to be science
based to be you know, I put it as you
have to be able to operationalize it.
You know, if you put something
in place that you can't actually
do, that's aspirational, but
are you ever going to get there?
So it has to be science based, risk based.
Yeah.
And able to be implemented.
Yep.
Yeah, absolutely.
So speaking of implementation,
you have ACC's just launched
its first sustainability report.
So what drove that?
What did you learn along the way
and how is it going to be used?
Chris Jahn: So what drove that was
a desire among ACC and its members
to be able to tell our story.
So I know you just had a
podcast on storytelling.
Yeah.
So, kind of fitting with that same
idea of we make modern life possible,
we make the world healthier, safer,
more sustainable, more productive.
Most people don't actually know that.
And so we want to start,
you know, frankly.
Being a little more proud of the
industry and taking credit for that.
Literally everything that's
manufactured starts with chemistry.
Chemistry is the science
behind sustainability.
And so we wanted to drive that message
home by giving concrete examples of that.
So, just take for example,
the Inflation Reduction Act.
So my DC guys always come to this DC lens.
But, if you're looking at alternative
sources of energy, if you're looking
at a lower carbon emissions future, our
members are responsible for all of that.
Carbon capture, Hydrogen, solar, wind.
I mean, I could talk about
this for on and on and on.
But the point being, we
are driving sustainability.
You need us to get that done.
And so we want to take some credit
for it, quite honestly, where
our members are very proud of it.
And it's not just enabling sustainability
for downstream industries, which is
tremendously important, of course.
But it's also our members are making
progress on reducing emissions.
And in their own facilities and driving
technology as far as that goes as well.
So really excited about where we are
and where we're going, what the future
looks like in the sustainability space.
And we wanted to tell that story.
Victoria (2): That's cool.
And, and does this report include
consolidated data from member companies?
Chris Jahn: Yes.
So we actually have tons of
data about our members and the
progress they've made over time.
And you know, it's one of the,
Both provide that as well.
Some case studies about, you know, cool
projects that are our members are pursuing
and you know, under responsible care.
Some of your listeners will know this.
That's a mandatory program of membership.
So it's third party audited and we
are collecting now sustainability
data that our members have to give us.
Regards to air emissions
and some other key topics.
So yes, we'll, we'll be able to
track our progress over time as
the industry continues to get
better and better and better.
This is not your grandfather's chemical
industry and really excited about
where the future is going to take us.
Victoria (2): And then I know one
of the keynotes today was about.
AI and use of AI in industry and really
data and data analytics ties into that.
How is ACC approaching that?
Are you guys starting to use
AI in, in your processes as
you collect and analyze data?
Chris Jahn: Yeah.
So we're in terms of AI, that's, I think,
a tremendous opportunity, both for the
association itself and for our members.
So you heard some examples during the
session today about what our members are
doing using AI to make their Production
processes, for example, more efficient.
I think as you look at R and D,
there's another tremendous opportunity
for our members to accelerate that
progress and drive innovation.
I think for ACC the way I
look at is two different ways.
One is both internally and
how we can be more productive
and efficient for ourselves.
And we've got
some projects in the queue, not quite
ready for prime time yet, but we'll
make our team more efficient on
behalf of our members going forward
and and then more kind of publicly
I look at government regulations.
So that's one of the things we're
obviously focused on at ACC.
And how can we help governments be
more science and risk based going
forward and move more quickly?
So
we've got a huge problem
with EPA right now.
We've got about the new chemicals
program at EPA is about 400
chemicals in the queue right now.
They're supposed to be addressed
no later than six months.
You develop a a new chemical.
Chemistry.
It's going to solve all these problems.
It's going to
be more sustainable and EPA has
got 180 days to decide if I want to
approve it or not.
Right now, it's taking about
an average of two years.
We've got members who got products
are waiting five years for approval.
That's unacceptable to us.
So what we want to do is talk with
the agency about how can we leverage
AI to move that process
more forward more quickly.
So we think that the technology has got
tremendous application in a government
space that can help us have more effective
science based regulation going forward.
Victoria (2): Smart.
Makes sense.
So final question here.
Leadership.
You are a leader yourself, leading
a organization, a big organization,
and you interact with leaders across
the industry on a daily basis.
And, and.
Leaders in politics on a
daily and regular basis.
What characteristics stand out for
you when you think about, you know, is
there, is there a few characteristics
that really stand out in terms of these
leaders and what has allowed them to
be at such great levels of leadership?
Chris Jahn: Yeah, so we're blessed
at ACC to have tremendous leaders.
Our board, our executive
committee, our officers work
with them on a regular basis.
You know, the
smartest people you ever, ever met.
But that's not what
necessarily jumps out to me.
What jumps out to me is
number one integrity.
And you don't always hear
that in Washington, right?
But the idea is that you can count on
me to deliver on what I say I would do.
That's an ethos of responsible care.
We're accountable for our
actions and we track our actions.
But it's also integrity in terms of.
Making sure that the industry is
doing the right thing the right way.
And that really drives us.
And I know perhaps that's not the
perception of people outside the
industry, but we take that very seriously.
And so that's something I'm proud to work
with people who integrity comes first.
I think that the second thing then and
it goes hand in hand with that is really
this idea of continual improvement.
And that's an ethos of
responsible care as well.
And I just said before, you
know, it's, this is not your
grandfather's chemical industry.
We are making tremendous
progress in our industry.
Really proud of that.
And we're going to continue
to do that going forward.
It's important to do that cause it's the
right thing to do, but it's important
to do that to help advance humanity.
So here's the thing.
We're going to solve
tremendous global challenges.
From the chemical industry.
So take, for example, we talked about
climate change, Our members drive all that
technology, all the progress that's being
made in a lower carbon emissions future.
It is not some entrepreneur with a crazy
app that's going to solve that problem.
It's engineers and scientists
solving problems at scale.
That's what's going to
address climate change.
And it's really cool to work with people
who are driven every day to wake up and
solve the world's biggest challenges.
That's really exciting, and that's
what I think of when I
think of our members.
Victoria (2): Awesome.
Thanks.
Well, Chris, thank you
for joining me today.
I really appreciate it.
Chris Jahn: Thank you for having me.
That was fun.
voiceover: We've come to
the end of today's podcast.
We hope you enjoyed your time
with us and want to learn more.
Simply visit TheChemicalShow.
com for additional information
and helpful resources.
Join us again next time here on The
Chemical Show with Victoria Meyer.