Europe
by Sean Milmo
European Correspondent
milmocw@rodmanmedia.com
The gap in costs between chemicals de- rived from petrochemicals and those from biological or renewables sources
has been widening as a result of the dramatic
drop in crude oil prices.
Nonetheless being seen to be green is still a
top priority for many of the European coatings
industry’s leading customers as well as for the
coatings producers themselves.
However the basis for judging a product as
being green is changing. It does not necessarily
require the use of biochemicals or biomaterials.
A coating product can be promoted as being
green even if it contains fossil-based chemicals.
What seems to matter more is how much
the coating helps protect the environment in
the longer terms by, for example, having a low
carbon footprint or a level of durability which
ensures a products needs a minimum number
of coatings in its life time.
This broader definition of ‘greenness’ was
evident at the Ecobuild exhibition and conference in London in March, which is one of
Europe leading sustainable construction events.
What the show demonstrated was that many
companies in construction and its raw materials
suppliers are pursuing strategies aimed at projecting themselves as being champions of sustainability. But it is a sustainability with a wide
definition with a lot of emphasis on reliability.
“Sustainability has become normalized,” said
Martin Hurn, Ecobuild’s event director. “The
smarter end of the market is taking a broader
approach to sustainability, aiming to ensure
buildings appeal to occupiers well into the future
with improved building performance, design, efficiency, health and wellbeing benefits.”
The basis for
juding a product
as being green is
changing. What
seems to matter
more is how
much the coating
helps protect the
environment in
the longer term.
EU Embraces Broader Definition of ‘Greenness’
