We are delighted to welcome you and inspired by your commitment, that’s present here today – commitment to explore the value proposition of Green Chemistry for your organization, to recognize the potential of Green Chemistry to offer the twin benefits of economic competitiveness & environmental preservation, and to initiate the process of implementation of Green Chemistry within your organization.

We pledge to serve this commitment of yours and welcome that spirit which is open and willing to explore the industrialization of green chemistry and engineering practices. The collective commitment of all of you, present here, is like the nucleus which will forward this field and drive the implementation and industrialization of green chemistry and engineering in the Industry.

Purpose & Commitment of IGCW: The Industrial Green Chemistry World (IGCW) is a platform created to facilitate implementation and commercialization of Green Chemistry and Green Engineering based products and technologies in the chemical industry.

IGCW2011 is an ecosystem to connect various worlds of the chemistry community – industry, academia, research institutes, government & regulatory bodies, associations, NGOs, students and media. An ecosystem to bring all these stakeholders together and to collectively explore new concepts, engage-in conversations, exchange ideas and collaborate to accelerate the industrialization of green chemistry and engineering, in a way, that it becomes the only way of doing chemistry.

Dimensions of IGCW & its reality: We take this opportunity to share with you some realities about various dimensions of IGCW:

IGCW-Symposium brings together 23 global experts from industry, academia, government bodies and NGOs, presenting on strategic issues, industrial case-studies, innovations and emerging trends. IGCW-Symposium is host to 300+ chemical companies of diverse scales, from over 3 continents and 10 Countries. It will be attended by over 1200 chief representatives from the functional domains of management, R&D, plant & operations, over three days.

IGCW-Expo is the world’s first showcase exclusively of green chemistry and engineering based initiatives, technologies, services, products and solutions. Over 50 organizations will showcase their innovations to over 4000+ visitors from the Chemical Industry at IGCW-Expo.

IGCW Awards is an acknowledgement of individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions through implementation & commercialization of Green Chemistry and engineering.  We are delighted to declare that IGCW-2011 has received 41 case studies for IGCW Awards, compared to 21 case-studies received in 2009. This is an indicator not only of the recognition of the unsustainability of the present course of manufacturing, but also  that there are an increasing number of committed stakeholders pro-actively engaged in addressing the sustainability needs of the chemical industry.

180° Seminar Series are 3 hr technical sessions organized to create deeper technical understanding of the delegates on specific areas like Green Solvents, Green Catalysts, Green Engineering, Green Processes, etc.

Students Conference & Teachers Workshop being conducted after IGCW is an expression to expand awareness about Green Chemistry in the academia inside of our commitment to have our future generation of chemists & chemical engineers “Green Conscious”.

Opportunities at IGCW:  IGCW is a phenomenal opportunity for all of us to “intervene” in to our current practices, the way we do our chemistry and to question our existing paradigms to address chemical industry’s environmental challenges. It’s an opportunity to create new paradigms – by shifting, from resource-intensive approach to profit-centric model, from regulation-driven pollution-control practices to e-factor driven pollution prevention strategies, and from effluent treatment to recycle streams at the source.

IGCW is a platform to connect the providers of these possibilities to its industry-driven seekers. It is a collective opportunity to create a next generation DNA for the chemical industry that will drive the implementation and industrialization of green chemistry and engineering.

Participation at IGCW:  With this we invite you to participate in IGCW-2011 and to view this event as an opportunity, to make the most of the presence of global experts by interacting with them and exchanging ideas. Network, visit the exhibition and participate in specific 180o Seminar of your interest.

Open up this opportunity to people in your network, personally invite them to visit the exhibition halls, to explore the subject specific seminars and utilize this platform for generating a ‘green’ consciousness amongst our Industry peers and colleagues.

We invite you to participate from the receiving and sharing context, by extending your interactions with the young generation and senior alike, and take tremendous value from the event, both from the known and unknown. An event with such a grand purpose gives us an opportunity to create relationships which are grounded in purpose, and may transform brief interactions into long-term relationships to fulfill mutual commitments in this direction that will ultimately, I dare say, benefit all of humanity and, once and for all, demonstrate that Green Chemistry can improve competitiveness and profitability.

For, IGCW Team,
Nitesh

At our organisation, we’re always trying to find ways of interesting the youth towards the topic of Green Chemistry. Only if the youth of a nation understand our mission, will it be successful. But, a little complicated that the subject is, getting youngsters enthused proves a tad tough So we got talking to some college students one of these days about our ideologies. These were third year BSc students from a Mumbai college. Admittedly, the session got a little too technical for them and I could see some of the students stifling yawns. One even got to the extent of commenting out loud, “What a waste!”

“Yes”, I said and startled all. They expected a chastisement of sorts but I’d found my turning point there. “It is a waste. If you take no message back, the session will have gone waste. All the precious resources – your time, my effort – everything wasted. It will have polluted our moods in the process and your HOD’s disappointment would be the byproduct. The other alternative is for us to make this session fruitful and negate waste, get a zero e-factor!”

My point had hit home. The whole of the last hour’s presentations fell into perspective. Then questions flew thick and fast from students.

“What exactly is e-waste?” one asked.
I flipped back a few slides and explained. “E-factor is the amount of waste generated per kilogram of final product or the measure of environmental impact of the waste in your production processes.”
“But how is it of any concern to us?” another shot back.
“It concerns you in every living moment you spend on this planet. Every thing you use in the course of your modern life has repercussions on the environment, which has an immediate bearing on your life. The more you pollute, the more polluted things nature will give you. For every bit of plastic waste you generate, you’ll get one toxic fruit, vegetable or meat in the bargain. Now if that doesn’t alarm you, I don’t know what else will.”

“But what is the solution?” questioned one of the back benchers.
“Green chemistry! Just so we don’t have to deal with wastes and break out heads over trying to treat and recycle it, we should stop generating waste.”

“Is that possible?” the back-bencher asked, now riveted.
“Yes. That’s exactly what green chemistry is all about. We formulate solutions in a way that there are little or no by-products. And if there are by-products, we ensure, they are completely bio-degradable. Simply put, we remove the root of the problem!”

I could hear murmurs of approval from the class. I could see realisation in their eyes. And I knew, the session had not gone ‘waste’. Green Chemistry was working here too!

Have you ever faced such an ‘environmental moment of truth’? Tell me about it!

The Indian Chemical industry, contributing around 6.7 per cent of the Indian GDP, is a vital part of the agricultural and industrial development in India and has major links with several other sub industries such as automotives, consumer durables, food processing, engineering etc. According to a KPMG study, “At $60 billion in 2010, the contribution of the chemical industry to India’s GDP would grow from the current level of 6.7 per cent to 7.1 per cent, while its contribution to the global industry would increase from 1.9 per cent to 2.3 per cent.”

But as with other scientific advancement, the chemical industry faces certain setbacks. Very often you hear of public outcries against the various problems caused by toxic wastes or obnoxious odours that are a result of drug or other chemical products’ manufacturing. The one way of countering such ill effects is the application of green chemistry and its allied principles. And if that is achieved, the future of chemical industry is secured.

With adequate efforts and the development of supporting structures, the Indian chemical industry is envisaged to grow and position India on the global map as a supplier of specialty and knowledge chemicals. It it also set to be a hot destination for investment in these sectors, thereby strengthening the Indian economy. Highly developed technology, in-depth research capabilities, backward and forward linkages and the development of domestic capacity to decrease the dependence on imports are some of the crucial factors that need to be taken into consideration. Nowadays, safety, health and environment protection issues have become the major-talking points in almost all industries and the Indian chemical industry is no exception. Indian chemical manufacturers have to address these issues on a war-footing. We shall be checking out the level of E-factor of the Indian Chemical manufacturers the next time and only then can we can say if the country’s oldest industry is going the environmental-friendly way or not…