Pia Locatelli MEP welcomed the contribution of EuCheMS to the ongoing energy debate and agreed that chemistry has an important role to play. 

Representatives of the European Commission, chemical societies and chemical industry organisations, as well as other interested groupings, participated in the first EuCheMS energy event in Brussels.

José Fluxa Garcia from DG TREN in the European Commission opened the morning seminar session with a description of the new European Strategic Energy Plan (SET).  

Professor Vincenzo Balzani, University of Bologna, gave an excellent presentation on the opportunities and challenges for Europe in leading the world in finding sustainable solutions to the energy crisis, saying that ‘finding a breakthrough is indeed the grand challenge of chemistry’.   

Professor Wolfram Koch, Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, illustrated the significant contributions that chemistry will make to meeting future energy needs.

In the afternoon workshop RSC Chief Executive Dr Richard Pike chaired a brainstorming session on ways in which the chemical sciences will provide clean, affordable and secure energy in the long-term.  

Further information Email: mcewane@rsc.org