The global plastics industry is entering a decisive phase. Across major economies, climate commitments are moving into enforceable policy, with carbon pricing expanding and disclosure standards tightening. At the same time, supply chains are being reshaped by geopolitical fragmentation and diverging energy costs. For manufacturers in packaging, cosmetics, automotive and medical sectors, the pressure is intensifying: deliver lower-carbon materials while maintaining strict cost, performance and reliability standards.

Technological pathways to fossil-free and carbon-negative plastics are advancing, yet scaling them remains commercially complex. First-of-a-kind facilities require significant capital investment, feedstock security, long-term visibility into demand and policy certainty. While Europe has positioned itself as a leader in climate ambition, investment decisions are increasingly influenced by relative energy prices, resource location, regulatory clarity and speed of permitting. For chief sustainability officers, the challenge is no longer whether alternatives exist, but whether they can secure competitive supply at scale without undermining margin, resilience or shareholder expectations.

This Financial Times Live webinar, in partnership with Vioneo, will bring together industry leaders, global brand representatives and European policy voices to examine what it will take to make fossil-free plastics commercially viable. Designed for Chief Sustainability Officers and senior procurement and strategy leaders, the discussion will focus on practical questions of cost competitiveness, plant location, procurement commitments and policy signals. Attendees will gain insight into how peers are navigating these decisions and what conditions are required to anchor sustainable materials production within Europe’s industrial base.

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