TO BE PUBLISHED September 2026
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This conference will focus on the future direction of the UK chemical industry, and the management of chemicals in the environment.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to explore practical pathways forward for balancing innovation, competitiveness, economic resilience, environmental stewardship, and next steps as the Government progresses with reform to chemical regulations. We expect discussion to reflect ongoing concern around industrial competitiveness, energy costs, investment, and resilience across the sector.
The agenda will draw on latest thinking on priorities for supporting the UK chemical industry amid ongoing concerns around site closures, output declines, and the workforce. Delegates will assess what will be needed from industrial policy, regulatory reform, and market frameworks to support competitiveness, investment, domestic capacity, and supply chain resilience - including implications of developments to UK REACH for manufacturing, trade, and longer-term confidence in the sector.
With the discussion also taking place amidst ongoing scrutiny of chemical pollution and treatment, we expect there to be a focus on key issues raised in the Environmental Audit Committee’s recent report on Addressing the risks from PFAS. Areas for consideration include potential weaknesses in regulation, priorities for prevention and remediation of contamination, and practicalities for improving treatment, disposal, and long-term management of pollutants. Following the publication of the PFAS Plan alongside the Environmental Improvement Plan, sessions will examine the way forward for managing chemicals in the environment, looking at priority areas for targeting pollution prevention and remediation.
Policy, costs, workforce priorities & maintaining resilience
Sessions will assess next steps for securing long-term resilience, competitiveness, and sustainable growth of the UK chemical industry, including priorities for the £350m Critical Chemicals Resilience Fund.
Discussion will assess current policy, regulation, and government-industry co-ordination, and what can help support chemicals as a foundational sector amidst pressures on production, competitiveness and costs driven by high industrial electricity and gas prices, energy and carbon policies, and rising supply chain and trade costs.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- energy costs: options for addressing industrial electricity and gas prices - implications for competitiveness - the role of the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme
- carbon leakage: risks of offshoring and reduced domestic production - impacts on supply chains - reconciling potential tensions between aims for resilience and decarbonisation policy
- investment confidence: implications of the Industrial Strategy for long-term certainty - attracting capital - supporting growth and modernisation
- workforce pressures: addressing shortages in process engineering, digital and net zero technologies - strategies for recruitment and retention - long-term workforce capacity
- global markets: the UK’s position in international chemicals markets - trade pressures - maintaining competitiveness amidst regulatory reform
Sustainability, circularity & decarbonisation
Discussion will consider latest thinking on decarbonisation and resource efficiency in the chemicals and plastics sectors ahead of the forthcoming Circular Economy Growth Plan, including the role of electrification, hydrogen, CCUS, and alternative feedstocks in supporting low-carbon production.
Sessions will assess what is needed from policy certainty, stakeholder coordination, investment, and regulation to support innovation and deployment of circular technologies and strategies, while balancing costs, competitiveness, and industrial transition.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- low-carbon production: practicalities for deployment - implications for industrial competitiveness
- circularity: priorities for improving resource efficiency and plastics circularity - support for innovation - scaling circular technologies and systems
- investment considerations: policy certainty and regulation - incentives for deployment - reducing barriers to long-term investment
- regional clusters: role in enabling greener production - infrastructure coordination - economies of scale and shared capacity
- commercial factors: balancing decarbonisation with production costs - impacts on competitiveness - implications for investment decisions
Regulatory reform
Discussion will consider developments to UK REACH as the UK’s regulatory and market framework for the sector, following the Government’s response to its recent consultation in March - which confirmed the introduction of the Alternative Transitional Registration Model - as well as intentions for greater alignment with EU policy.
Sessions include discuss on implications of regulatory reform for manufacturing, trade, investment, and downstream users, alongside practicalities for implementation and longer-term regulatory certainty.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- UK REACH: implementation of the Alternative Transitional Registration Model - timelines for transition - implications for manufacturers and downstream users
- EU alignment: practicalities for convergence with EU regulation - implications for trade and market access - balancing alignment with UK priorities
- compliance: costs and administrative requirements - implications for SMEs - reducing uncertainty and duplication
- innovation: approaches to regulation that supports innovation and product development - maintaining health and environmental safety - enabling market confidence
- supply chains: implications of regulatory reform for sourcing and continuity - managing disruption - impact on investment and competitiveness
Pollution prevention & remediation
Delegates will discuss implementation of the PFAS Plan and priorities under the Environmental Improvement Plan for identifying sources of chemical pollution, reducing exposure and contamination pathways, and strengthening prevention and remediation.
Drawing on findings and recommendations of the EAC, sessions will also assess science-based and proportionate approaches to chemical regulation, including implications for human health and environmental protection, industrial competitiveness, and essential downstream uses
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- PFAS regulation: implications of the EAC’s findings - priorities for prevention and remediation - approaches to proportionate regulation
- pollution pathways: understanding sources and exposure routes - reducing contamination - strengthening monitoring and enforcement
- treatment capacity: practicalities for treatment, disposal, and long-term management of pollutants - barriers to safe handling - infrastructure considerations
- safer alternatives: priorities for regulation in supporting innovation and substitution - deployment of alternative materials - implications for industry and users
- downstream sectors: responsibilities of chemical users in pollution prevention and remediation - implications for agriculture, pesticides, fertilisers, and sludge management
- land contamination: implications of proposed reforms to sludge spreading rules - interaction with the UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement - impact on environmental management
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Climate Change Committee; Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; Environment Agency; Health and Safety Executive; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; National Wealth Fund; Office for Environmental Protection; Office for National Statistic; Ofwat; and the Welsh Government.
