A sustainable role for the chemical sector

China's 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) is expected to provide the framework that will allow the country to shift from an energy-guzzling economy toward a more sustainable model.

This will have huge implications for the environment and the local energy market. China is set to enter a crucial period where it will look to redress the imbalances of past decades - with an emphasis on environmental degradation - and it will provide the opportunity to explore other government agendas, such as encouraging innovation and improving the quality of life.

Chemical companies face increasing challenges as they are perceived as one of the main causes of safety and environmental problems in China. But what is frequently forgotten is that the chemical industry in China has over the past two decades also produced technological advancements that have addressed many of China's challenges.