Unveilment of top speakers and programme for Vsf 2018
Organised by VinylPlus, the Voluntary Commitment to sustainable development by the European PVC industry, the forum’s theme of ‘Meeting Societal Needs’ will explore how the vinyl sector’s products and services can help to meet the diverse challenges presented by future society in areas such as healthcare, housing and related infrastructure.
Keynote speeches, presentations and discussions will feature representatives spanning the EU institutions, the UN, academia, politicians, specifiers, designers, architects, recyclers and all sectors of the PVC industry.
Key topics for debate include policy frameworks, new forms of partnerships to address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how the industry can respond to increasing environmental pressures. Among the keynote speakers, Anders Wijkman, Co-president of the global think tank Club of Rome will highlight issues relating to ‘Meeting the challenges of the era of peak global population’, including aligning industry with circular economy principles and recycled materials’ place in a global market.
Following him is Nilgün Tas, Chief and Deputy Director of UNIDO’s Industrial Resource Efficiency Division looking at solutions for collaborative policy frameworks and sharing sustainability best practices globally. Fellow panellists will include MEP Martina Dlabajová, European Parliament, and Timoteo De La Fuente Garcia, Policy Officer, DG Grow, EU Commission.
Brigitte Dero, VinylPlus General Manager, will update delegates on progress through the Voluntary Commitment of the European PVC industry and next steps towards future goals for PVC sustainability. ‘Global access to quality water piping’ will be discussed by Frans Alferink, Product Manager Civils at Wavin T&I followed by a panel discussion on the potential of PVC to contribute to sustainable prosperity.
Insights into how the sports industry is seeking to address its environmental impacts will be shared by Justin Zeulner, Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance. Madrid’s impressive Santiago Bernabéu Stadium will host the concluding presentation on PVC’s architectural applications in sports facilities and stadia by Lars Meess-Olsohn.
Global PVC industry markets and opportunities will also be covered with examples of worldwide projects followed by an update on European PVC industry initiatives from Zdenek Hruska, ECVM’s Public Affairs Senior Manager.
Brigitte Dero, VinylPlus General Manager, comments: “Our ‘Meeting Societal Needs’ theme explores the wide-ranging challenges of providing essential services that support peoples’ lives. As a versatile, durable and recyclable material, PVC is a critical element of supplying the resource-efficient solution.
Our annual event, which shares and celebrates best practice, will demonstrate how wonderfully PVC meets societal needs worldwide!”
VinylPlus® is the Voluntary Commitment of the European PVC industry. The programme establishes a long-term framework for the sustainable development of the PVC industry by tackling a number of critical challenges in the EU-28, Norway and Switzerland.
More information on the 2018 forum can be found at http://events.vinylplus.eu/vsf2018.
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For more information, contact:
Sylvie Famelart - sylvie.famelart@vinylplus.eu
Noelle Tracey - noelle.tracey@vinylplus.eu
