1. Your talk focuses on “Resilience Through Net Zero” and the need to co-shape the industrial transition. From your perspective, what are the most important levers for turning ambitious net-zero targets into competitive industrial solutions?
"Net-zero is the cornerstone of future competitiveness, proving that sustainability and profitability are inseparable. In an increasingly volatile world, circular and regional supply chains serve as the ultimate risk-mitigation strategy. We must scale synergistic solutions; at Roche, for example, geothermal energy and waste-wood steam generation at various sites slash emissions while future-proofing our energy supply. Defossilizing plastics and chemicals also reduces our dependence on unreliable fossil fuel suppliers and the price volatility of oil and gas. When a business case appears ambivalent, tools like carbon shadow pricing help us accurately value natural capital. Ultimately, linking emission reduction goals to management bonuses is what drives rapid, real-world action."
2. You highlight the importance of an “Ecosystem of the Willing” involving suppliers, peers, and partners. How can companies across the process industry collaborate more effectively to create demand for low-carbon chemicals, plastics, and construction materials?
No industry player can pivot all alone; we must synchronize and aggregate market demand beyond traditional supply chains. Internally, Roche drives this via our RESPECT program, embedding sustainability benchmarks into global procurement to make it a core differentiator for suppliers. Externally, we must co-create cross-industry platforms, aligning with rigorous frameworks like the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to standardize our commitments. Through the Sustainable Markets Initiative, we are aggregating demand for low-carbon plastics to accelerate the shift toward alternative materials. Furthermore, collaborative regional hubs like the Green Carbon Valley initiative in Northwestern Switzerland are helping push breakthroughs in carbon capture and utilization past the tipping point.
3. The DECHEMA FORUM brings together industry, academia, and early-career professionals to move from ideas to implementation. What skills, mindsets, or forms of collaboration will the next generation need to develop a strong “Carbon Gut Feeling” and drive sustainable transformation at scale?
"Developing a 'Carbon Gut Feeling' is the critical new skill itself. Our hurdle isn't technology; it's a 'cognitive muscle gap'. The next generation must intuit carbon weight as naturally as financial return of investment. To build this, young professionals need system thinking to bridge ecology with industrial economics. Despite all the AI and on top of gut feelings, it however still requires from young people solid knowledge of the scientific fundamentals and the ability to analyze and understand complex relationships and stamina to solve tough problems.”
