ANN LEE-JEFFS¹, DAVID CONSTABLE², CHRISTIANA BRIDDELL³*, STEVE ROCHLIN⁴
*Corresponding author
1. Program Manager, ACS Green Chemistry Institute^®, 1155 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
2. Director, ACS Green Chemistry Institute^®, 1155 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
3. Communication Manager, ACS Green Chemistry Institute^®, 1155 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA
4. CO-CEO, IO Sustainability, American Chemical Society, 1155 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA

Abstract

Bio-based and renewable chemicals hold the potential to improve the environmental profile of the products we all use every day and ultimately improve the quality of life of all in the 21st century. New bio-based chemicals which function as the “feedstock” for products we use every day have made great strides to compete with petroleum-based chemicals based on performance and price for existing applications, while offering expansions into novel and innovative areas. However, to compete successfully in the market place with petroleum-based technologies on an even playing field, the bio-based sector needs to substantially scale-up production and overcome a wide array of challenges. An expansive series of stakeholder conversations and convenings identified key areas of potential collaboration across the biochemical technology value chain.  In response to this critical need for a center of scientific excellence in the biochemcial technology sector, an industry-focused Biochemical Technology Leadership Roundtable (BTLR) is being organized  by the American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Institute (GCI).

The world faces major environmental and societal opportunities and challenges from climate change, water accessibility, bio-diversity loss, and human and ecosystem health impacts.  Public and private organizations are increasingly confronting external pressures to reduce their environmental footprint and ensure that there will be sufficient and equitably distributed resources for future generations.  These trends will call every sector of society – private, public and civil – to work collaboratively on new approaches and engagements that change how we live, learn and work.
The bio-based chemical industry is emerging as an important player in achieving a more sustainable future. Bio-based chemical technology may be defined as a range of technologies that are used to produce chemicals and products through biological transformations of bio-based and renewable materials. This includes chemicals from bio-based feedstocks such as crop biomass, oil seed plants and algae, but also other renewable sources such as waste carbon dioxide and methane.
Bio-based technologies can help reduce the environmental footprint of chemical manufacturing, for example, b ...