The following comments were provided by Geoffery Merszei, executive vice president of The Dow Chemical Company and Dow president of Europe, Middle East and Africa as an introduction to the Future Leader Program at the IYC Closing Ceremonies in Brussels, Belgium on December 1, 2011. Two Dow scientists, Rui Cruz, Epoxy Process R&D leader and Nahrain Kamber, an associate scientist in Industrial Coatings R&D joined other participants from seven chemical and healthcare companies in the IYC Future Leaders Program and presented their view of the world, enabled by chemistry in 2050.
Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon. Thank you for inviting Dow to deliver a few opening remarks before the Future Leaders Presentation. During this session, I would like you to keep in mind a very simple question.
Where does a sustainable future begin?
Recently, on October 31, the world welcomed the 7 billionth baby. None of us here can predict exactly what the future will bring for this baby. While we cannot predict the future, there are a number of things that will likely happen:
In 2050, when this baby turns 39 years old:
- We expect that there will be an additional 2 or 3 billion people on Earth.
- 10 to 20 percent of the grassland and forestland we now enjoy will likely have been converted to other uses.
- Reactive nitrogen, which increases atmospheric ozone levels, will have increased by 66 percent.
- Per capita income is expected to have doubled or quadrupled.
Like any proud parent, we, as a society, hold a responsibility for ensuring that this baby has the opportunity for a healthy, productive and prosperous life — with access to clean drinking water … affordable energy … nutritious food … and clean air. At the same time, we can wonder whether this young life will grow up to be the next generation's Albert Einstein and help us break through new barriers of time and space. Or build on the work of Marie Curie and discover new elements that will help us cure disease or solve our energy challenges.
It is our responsibility to ensure that this baby inherits a sustainable future — and that it can realize its full potential.
As scientists and engineers — and the people like me who work to support them — it is our job to anticipate and prepare for the future. For today's generation and tomorrow's.
And we're already doing that …
- by developing paints that scrub the formaldehyde from the air,
- by designing intelligent packaging that not only keeps foods fresher longer, but communicates its condition,
- and by investing in alternative fuels and feedstocks, more efficient batteries to power vehicles, and next-generation photovoltaics.
We are working toward unlocking answers at the molecular level to help address the big issues facing all of us today, and our children and grandchildren tomorrow. We will continue to seek out new ways to better our lives. But we cannot innovate at the expense of our planet or of future generations.
So, where does sustainability begin?
- It begins in the classroom: In investing to ensure students have a solid foundation in math, science, engineering and technology. We must educate to innovate.
- It begins in the laboratory: With the world's best scientists tackling the world's biggest problems. To address tomorrow's challenges, we must think big and think differently.
- It begins at our seats of governments: From local to international levels — we need our governments to understand that chemicals are one of the most vital areas within manufacturing as they enable the development of sustainable solutions and thus spur innovation and growth.
- Finally and most critically, it begins with collaboration: Companies, governments and academia need to collaborate to develop sustainable solutions for the future.
This is also what the Future Leaders have done whom you will be meeting in a few minutes. They have collaborated over the last year to develop a new vision for our future. This vision is one in which chemistry enables whole economies to transform in order to master the challenges related to cleaner, healthier, and greener growth. This vision shows how innovation … hard work … and collaboration will be essential for sustainable success.
I recall reading about Louis Brandeis (pronounced 'brændaɪs'), who served on the U.S. Supreme Court in the first half of the 20th century. He once said:
"Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done."
Many people may say that the vision of these Future Leaders is just a dream. I say: Keep dreaming. Keep innovating. Keep breaking new ground. Keep doing what others have declared "impossible." If you do this — and if we do this together — I am absolutely confident that we will win over the forthcoming challenges and shape a brighter future — for all of us.
Chemistry will provide the answers … you will provide the inspiration.