Lone Voices in the Desert
“Enough with the Snail’s Pace!”: Industry Leaders Urge Action to Save Europe’s Chemical Sector
Michael Reubold, CHEManager
Who hasn’t heard of the proverbial “lone voice crying out in the wilderness”? That’s what we call someone who warns others in vain or whose warning message no one wants to hear.
In 2006, former US Vice President Al Gore’s bestselling book “An Inconvenient Truth” was a daring call to action, exposing the shocking reality of how humankind has aided in the destruction of our planet and the future we face if we do not take action to stop global warming.
Fast forward: In 2026, the international community is still debating whether climate change is being accelerated by man-made greenhouse gas emissions from industrial activities, transportation, and food production. Those nations that accept the need for a more sustainable way of life and are taking countermeasures now face another fundamental challenge: preserving their industrial base, which is under threat due to multiple crises. In an increasingly tense geopolitical situation marked by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, blocked supply chains, and record-high energy prices, Europe’s already dramatically weakening economy is being pushed further and further into a corner. It is no longer just slumps in production and sales that are cause for concern, but plant closures, job losses, and the destruction of entire value chains.
Politicians Move Slowly
While the runaway train races ever faster toward the abyss—that is, the deindustrialization of Europe—political leaders are moving at a snail’s pace when it comes to the reforms needed to boost Europe’s competitiveness in the global marketplace, particularly against the United States and China.
This is one of the concerns raised by the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), which is therefore calling for action in a high-profile media campaign: “Enough with the snail’s pace!” The association, led by its president, Markus Steilemann, CEO of polymer materials producer Covestro, argues that without a competitive domestic chemical industry that supplies precursors for nearly every other sector, value chains will collapse and prosperity will be lost. And: Without a strong domestic chemical industry that invests in innovation, we as a society will also lose the fight against climate change and environmental pollution.”
Association leaders like Steilemann have been warning politicians for months (and even years) that the European chemical industry is losing its competitiveness due to expensive energy, high labor costs and exuberant regulation and time-killing bureaucracy. Although politicians have made many commitments to the region and announced plans to improve the business environment, the Chemical Industry Association says that, so far, not much has happened in favor of industry competitiveness. Many lone voices in the wilderness, it seems.
However, politicians, who often fail to see the big picture, would be well advised to listen to the experts. One, who is not heading an association but who very bluntly speaks in the interest of his own company—but also represents his industry peers—is Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Being the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ineos, the largest British and a major global petrochemicals group, Ratcliffe often speaks out in order to shake up political leaders.
By doing it so openly and early on, he appears to be spearheading the proverbial “lone voices in the wilderness”. Being who he is, one of the wealthiest persons in the UK and a charismatic personality, Ratcliffe’s voice may sound louder than others’.
Energy Security Over Net Zero Ambitions
Recently, Ratcliffe stated that Europe’s energy security must come before net zero ambitions. He stresses that energy independence is crucial for national security, especially during times of conflict when reliable energy is essential for critical services and infrastructure. He highlights how ongoing global conflicts have exposed the vulnerability of countries like the UK and regions like Europe to energy price shocks due to reliance on foreign suppliers. He calls for the UK to make energy independence its primary strategy, using recent disruptions like the Strait of Hormuz as a warning to take urgent action. “Energy prices in the UK and Europe have skyrocketed since the start of the Iran war. This kills industry and manufacturing and our competitiveness. Our dependency on foreign suppliers of energy increases. They have us where they want us – over a barrel if you’ll excuse the pun.”
And spanning the bridge from energy independence to climate protection, he explained: “Every barrel and every cubic meter we choose not to produce at home will simply be imported from somewhere else – often from countries with weaker environmental standards.”
“Net Zero ambitions are good goals but should sit firmly in second place,” the Ineos chief said.”
Chemical Leaders Call for Urgent Reforms
Ratcliffe called on Europe’s politicians to take immediate and urgent action to halt the catastrophic decline in the European chemical industry and protect Europe’s economy from a total reliance on imported goods. “There is not going to be much left of chemicals in Europe unless politicians get to grips with it very soon.”
At the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, the Antwerp Declaration Community representing more than 1,300 companies, trade associations and trade unions called for urgent, coordinated action to restore competitiveness and protect high-quality industrial jobs across Europe.
Ratcliffe set out the scale of the challenge facing Europe’s industrial base explaining that since February 2024, over 100 industrial sites have closed. He also warned that Europe’s current trajectory is increasing global emissions rather than reducing them: “Europe hasn’t cut emissions, it has exported them. Production has moved to the US and China, where carbon intensity is far higher. As a result, global emissions have risen by more than 20 million tons of CO₂.”
So, for the European chemical and pharmaceutical industries, it is to be hoped that Jim Ratcliffe and all the other business leaders and opinion makers will not end up as the proverbial biblical voices dunning in the wilderness, whose warnings go unheeded. Because there’s no time to waste!
