The environmental side of chemistry: competitive advantage and investment opportunity.
At first sight environment and chemical industry appear as polar opposites.
The simple mention of chemicals bring to mind images of Seveso and Bhopal revived this summer by the spectacular and dramatic Tianjin explosions.
Chemical products are flammable, dangerous, they pollute rivers and air, they cause death and illness.
In 1984 the gas leak off the pesticide plant at Bhopal alone exposed half a million people to methyl isocyanate, which ultimately killed tens of thousands. Surely nothing could be further from “environmental”.
And yet…
And yet, this is a highly superficial view. The chemical industry with its estimated 5% of GDP contribution in most advanced countries is an irreplaceable cornerstone of the economy.
In reality its very problems have led to the search for solutions which have created a wealth of opportunities for an environmentally- minded investor.
Let’s look at few facts.