New Report Shows What Businesses Need to Scale Sustainable
Chemicals — and Why Policy Incentives Matter
April 22, 2026 — A new report released today by Change Chemistry and the Sustainable Chemistry Catalyst at the UMass Lowell outlines why government incentives are critical to helping businesses scale more sustainable chemicals — and how those incentives can reduce risk, unlock investment, and enable real market adoption.
Titled Incentivizing Sustainable Chemicals: A Policy Framework for Innovation, Manufacturing, and Market Transformation, the report is the outcome of a yearlong working group involving more than 50 U.S. and European companies across sectors and the full chemicals value chain. It reflects what research has documented and companies say they need to move sustainable chemistry innovations from R&D into manufacturing and mainstream markets.
For many businesses, scaling new chemistry technologies remains challenging not because of a lack of innovation, but because incumbent chemicals have benefited from decades of policy support, established infrastructure, and mature markets. While predictable government policy is an important driver of innovation, the report notes that it is insufficient to guide market responses. The report details how targeted policy incentives can help level the playing field — reducing risk for private investment and accelerating commercialization and adoption.
"Co-developed with more than 50 companies, this report outlines how carefully designed government incentives — applied across the innovation and adoption pathway and throughout the value chain — can help drive real adoption of more sustainable chemicals by derisking private investment," said Joel Tickner, Professor at UMass Lowell, Founder of Change Chemistry, and a co-author of the report. "The current generation of chemicals has benefited from decades of sustained government support. If we want businesses to invest in the next generation of more sustainable chemicals and materials, comparable incentives will be needed."
The report identifies where both supply‑push incentives, such as support for research funding, first-of-a-kind facility production subsidies, and manufacturing tax incentives, as well as demand‑pull incentives, such as procurement and market assurances, can have the greatest impact at different stages of technology development and adoption. It also notes how combinations of incentives that reinforce one another are critical to helping companies justify investment decisions, support supply chain readiness, and scale production.
Rather than prescribing a single solution, the framework is intended as a practical toolkit for policymakers, investors, and business leaders seeking to align policy, technology, and market dynamics to enable sustainable chemistry at scale.
To mark the release of the report, Change Chemistry and UMass Lowell hosted a public virtual webinar on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, featuring leaders from across industry and policy discussing the findings and their implications for business and markets.
Webinar recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQWvw5SLRoo
Webinar panelists include:
- Jason Pearson, Executive Director, Change Chemistry (Moderator)
- Dr. Joel Tickner, Founder & Strategic Advisor, Change Chemistry; Professor, UMass Lowell
- Molly Jacobs, Director of Applied Research, Sustainable Chemistry Catalyst, UMass Lowell
- Michele Jalbert, Founder, Effective Advocates LLC
- Dr. Ana Maria Bravo, Director of Public Affairs, IFF
- Lauren Breynaert, Policy & Government Affairs Director, Tidal Vision
- Alexander Majer, Government Affairs Director, Chemicals Management, Dow
- Jesse Martens, Head of Global Public Affairs and Stakeholder Management, AkzoNobel
- Benjamin Nummert, Head of Industry Affairs, Henkel
Report link:
https://member.changechemistry.org/news/incentivizing-sustainable-chemicals-a-policy-framework
About Change Chemistry: Change Chemistry is a membership organization that works across chemical value chains to advance safer and more sustainable chemistry. Through shared learning, policy engagement, and the exchange of credible information, Change Chemistry supports informed decision‑making and the adoption of sustainable chemistry solutions.
About the Sustainable Chemistry Catalyst at UMass Lowell: The Sustainable Chemistry Catalyst at UMass Lowell advances policies, tools, and partnerships that support the transition to safer and more sustainable chemicals, materials, and processes.
