Driving sustainability: the Green Deal’s impact on resin innovation

What is the influence of the “Green Deal” on (binder) innovation?

Santiago Arias: The European Green Deal could significantly influence resin innovation in the paints industry by prioritising sustainability, reducing harmful substances and enhancing product durability. As part of the European Union’s commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, the Deal encourages manufacturers to adopt greener practices, leading to a transformative shift in the paint industry.

One of the primary focuses is the reduction of harmful substances in paint formulations. The European Green Deal pushes for stricter regulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other toxic chemicals that contribute to air pollution and health issues. This could push innovation in developing low-VOC and zero-VOC resins, utilising bio-based materials and advanced polymer technologies. These alternatives not only meet regulatory requirements but also appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers, creating a competitive edge in the market. In addition to minimising harmful substances, the Green Deal emphasises the need to combat global warming. Paint manufacturers are increasingly looking at life cycle assessments to understand the environmental impact of their products. This should lead to the development of resins that are not only low-emission during application but also contribute to energy efficiency, such as those that reflect heat or improve insulation in buildings.

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Moreover, durability is a critical aspect of the Green Deal’s approach to sustainability. By focusing on longer-lasting products, the industry aims to reduce the frequency of repainting, thus decreasing resource consumption and waste generation. Innovations in resin technology are enabling the creation of more resilient coatings that can withstand harsh environmental conditions while maintaining aesthetic appeal.

Overall, the European Green Deal could catalyse a shift in the paints industry, driving the development of innovative resins that are safer, more sustainable and durable, aligning with the broader goals of environmental protection and climate action. At Hempel A/S, we have set ambitious and validated Science Based Targets addressing both our Scope 1 and 2 emissions – with a target of reducing them by 90% by 2026 (from a 2019 base year), and also our Scope 3 emissions, across our full value chain – with a target of halving them by 2030 (from a 2019 base year).

What was the last big step forward in resin development and why? What do you expect to be the next?

Josep Palasí: In the last decade, industrial coatings have seen significant advancements driven by performance and VOC regulatory compliance. Among the two most used high-performance resins, epoxies and polyurethanes, there has been a clear focus on reducing the volatile organic compounds while improving the properties of the end products. As a result, solvent-free technologies and water borne technologies have been gaining in importance and they will continue to do so during the coming decade.

Although the dominance of epoxies and polyurethanes is unchanged, other binder technologies such as polyaspartic, polysiloxane and silicones are consolidating in areas where specific performance criteria are required.
During the years to come, we expect that sustainability and health and safety demands will gradually become more ambitious. In this global challenge to reduce global warming, we need to collaborate across the value chain to improve the energy efficiency of all chemical processes, enhance durability of the assets used and reduce the overall carbon footprint impact. Coatings will play an especially important role in all these areas.

There will be the need to support our customers with coatings that can reduce their energy usage and with solutions that can enhance their assets’ durability. For doing that, we will have to use technology with a lower VOC content, free of substances of high concern and with a lower carbon footprint impact.

At Hempel, we are leading the efforts together with our raw material suppliers in reducing substances of high concern and minimising the carbon footprint of our products. It is very encouraging to see that there are technical options that could make future coating solutions significantly more sustainable. However, there is still a lot of work to be done within the coatings industry to create the means to enforce the needed change. We encourage all members of the coatings industry, including regulatory bodies, to team up and ensure a fast transition towards more sustainable coating solutions.