Two Keynote Addresses Given at ECC Plenary Session
The opening session of the European Coatings Congress (ECC) included two keynote addresses that both focused on sustainability. The first, given by Dr. Aditya Ranade of Lux Research, was titled Assessing Sustainability in Architectural Coatings. Ranade noted that it is difficult to distinguish what is truly sustainable and what is “greenwashed” technology. He noted that it is important to define sustainability along three different parameters – resource efficiency, energy efficiency and environmental impact.
The presentation revealed a tool Lux Research uses to assess the true sustainability value of established and emerging coatings technologies, and the sustainability value relative to their performance value to the end user. A Sustainability Grid illustrated the challenges in balancing sustainability and end-user value. “Win-Win” technologies offer both sustainability and technology value; “Voluntary Adoption” technologies offer significant sustainability value, but are compromised on either cost or performance; “Endangered Technologies” have both a negative sustainability impact and questionable technical value; and “Survivor” technologies provide enough technical value to fight rising regulations.