You’ve spent nearly 35 years in the chemical industry, including over two decades at Braskem. What’s been the most significant shift you’ve seen in how the industry defines its priorities?
The chemical industry has been changing significantly, especially in the last five years, in terms of size, technology, and the reach of products across different markets. But the biggest change has been the rise of the sustainability agenda.
Based in Europe, I’ve seen this pushed forward by initiatives like the European Green Deal, focusing on plastic waste and climate change. At Braskem, sustainability was a public commitment from day one in 2002, which was unique back then. For example, in 2008, we did our first greenhouse gases inventory—probably one of the first in the petrochemical industry—and in 2009, we set our 2020 goals to reduce carbon intensity. We made a bold investment in biobased polyethylene from sugarcane ethanol—the first and largest in the world. Now, 15 years later, it’s used in packaging, toys, bottles, and more, showing concrete results in reducing our carbon footprint.
Braskem has expanded green polyethylene production steadily since 2010. Where are you focused now in terms of new capacity and market expansion?
We started in 2010 with a capacity of 200,000 tons—the largest biobased production in the world at the time—and sold out the plant by 2019-2020. After a deep bottleneck, we reached 275,000 tons per year in 2023, increasing our capacity by over 30%. Currently, we’re working on a project in Thailand with SCG Chemicals to replicate our Brazil business model in Asia.
We’re also developing another project in northeast Brazil. In the US, where we’re already a major player in polypropylene, we’re looking into producing biobased polypropylene—key in home appliances and automotive. Additionally, we have a joint venture with Sojitz to produce bio-MEG, the feedstock for PET bottles. While growth is slower this year due to geopolitical changes and economic challenges, we’ve seen this before, like post-Lehman Brothers in 2010, the search for sustainable solutions is a secular trend that will not go away. With 2030 targets approaching under the Paris Agreement, we expect demand for green materials to rise significantly.
One kilogram of our green polyethylene removes two and avoids three kilograms of CO2, for a net benefit of five.
Despite growing global demand, why has Braskem historically struggled to penetrate the US market for green polyethylene?
The most developed markets for sustainable products are Europe and parts of Asia, like Japan, where countries have clear roadmaps for biopolymers. In the US, recycling has been a stronger focus among the sustainable solutions, and the advantage of shale gas made climate change initiatives less of a priority. But this is changing, particularly with global brand owners who operate in all regions and target environmentally conscious segments.
We didn’t advance as fast as we’d like in the US so far, but we’re moving in that direction. We’ve invested in a dedicated team—commercial, brand owner, and advocacy. Though it’s chemically the same plastic, we need to prove its carbon footprint is different. We use carbon dating to show it comes from new, biogenic carbon—not fossil—and have responsible sourcing protocols, third-party audits, and certifications to assure the sustainability of our feedstock sources. The dedicated structure started in the US earlier this year, and I’m confident we’ll see many opportunities ahead.
The chemicals sector operates across complex regulatory and political landscapes. What external pressure today is having the biggest impact on your global operations?
From a geopolitical standpoint, things are changing fast. That’s why we believe a diverse geographic footprint is important. We’re looking to establish a presence in Asia, and already have it in the US, Mexico, South America, Brazil, and Germany. Being competitive across regions helps us navigate changes.
On the regulatory side, it’s much more local and region-specific. The bio-products replacing fossil ones are a new industry, and regulations haven’t caught up with the advantages—there’s often misinformation or a lack of understanding. Today, I have more people in advocacy of bio-based products than in marketing. We have to prove everything—from the source of the sugarcane to third-party verification of carbon footprint. Our customers are buying more than a bio-plastic—they are looking for assurance that the supply chain is properly managed and the product delivers what it promises. We have advocacy teams in South America, the U.S., Europe, and Asia, all technically capable of engaging stakeholders and regulators to shape and explain what to expect from biomass-based materials.
Braskem is investing in a range of low-carbon technologies. Which current innovation or partnership has the greatest near-term potential in achieving a carbon-neutral circular economy?
We need solutions across the short, medium, and long terms. Short term, we lead in ethanol-to-ethylene for polymers and partnered with Lummus Technology, a major global petrochemical licensor, to license our Ethanol to Ethylene technology. We don’t want technology to be a barrier; we invite other companies to help develop this market and bring in more innovation.
Medium term, we’re developing technologies like bio-polypropylene and bio-MEG, both close to industrial-scale investment with low technological risk. Long term, we’re investing in next-gen bioproducts and biochemicals. We have two R&D centers in Brazil—Campinas and Triunfo—and last year launched a center in Lexington, Massachusetts, to focus on biotech for specific markets. Some developments aren’t ready yet for industrial scale, but they’re promising for the future.
How do you respond to the perception that Braskem, as a major plastics producer, is part of the environmental problem?
Plastics are essential to modern life. For example, in food packaging, plastics not only transport food from farm to consumer but also prevent waste. That waste, in turn, causes greenhouse gas emissions. Agriculture is the largest emitter globally, so reducing food waste is crucial, and plastics help do that.
Even fossil-based plastics outperform alternatives like glass, steel, aluminum, or paper in lifecycle assessments. They consume less energy and have a lower environmental impact, especially in packaging. Plastics are a solution, not a problem, but the industry, brand owners, consumers, retailers and Governments need to work together to manage the plastic waste till the end of life. Bioplastics are the next step, minimizing carbon emissions compared to fossil ones. Recycling is essential, and while governance is complex—often managed by municipalities—progress is being made in mechanical and chemical recycling. Plastics, when seen in full context, play a vital role in improving the quality of life and mitigating emissions.
