Exclusive Interview: Arkema Vision for Low-Carbon Coatings and the Path to Mainstream Decarbonization

ChemAnalyst Talks with Richard Jenkins, Senior Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee at Arkema

Arkema, a global leader in specialty materials, is shaping the future of sustainable coatings through a unique blend of innovation, material science, and strategic collaboration. The company is redefining how the coatings industry approaches decarbonization, combining bold sustainability goals with partnerships involving BASF, AkzoNobel, and others. ChemAnalyst spoke with Richard Jenkins, Senior Vice President and Member of the Executive Committee at Arkema, about his professional journey, the business case for low-carbon materials, and Arkema’s broader commitment to transforming value chains across coatings, construction, automotive, packaging, and beyond.

Complete Interview with Richard Jenkins

Please provide an overview of your professional journey and experience with Arkema, and how it has shaped your approach to sustainability in the coatings industry.

Richard Jenkins: For three decades, I’ve had roles in R&D, marketing, strategy, and business leadership in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. From acquisitions to restructuring, I’ve seen the industry evolve. What remains constant is the global demand for a better way forward. Sustainability isn’t one-size-fits-all; it requires local insight, global coordination, and a willingness to challenge legacy systems. My journey with Arkema has shaped a pragmatic yet ambitious approach to sustainability in coatings.

The Interpon D range now claims up to a 40% lower carbon footprint through your partnership with AkzoNobel and BASF. What is the long-term business case for Arkema in investing in low-carbon materials — is this about regulatory pressure, customer demand, or future competitiveness?

Richard Jenkins: Investing in low-carbon materials, at all levels of the value chain, is about remaining competitive and profitable into the future — along with doing the right thing. Without the chemical industry, the sustainability transition the industry requires for success simply isn’t possible.

Regulation and customer demand are important, but the real opportunity lies in innovation – focusing on sustainability, performance, and economics. The next generation of engineers and chemists will redefine coatings, and Arkema is committed to enabling that transformation.

At some point, will it make sense for Arkema to move away from conventional intermediates and resins altogether and focus fully on bio-attributed and renewable-based materials?  Can you point to a specific policy framework — whether from the EU Green Deal, U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, or Asian markets — that has had the greatest impact on Arkema’s push toward lower-carbon coatings?

Richard Jenkins: Ultimately, consumer demand drives change. As a raw material producer, our focus is solving problems along the value chain — starting with what our customers need to meet their customers’ expectations and connecting these with material science.

Policy frameworks like the EU Green Deal and the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act help guide our priorities, especially around circularity and carbon neutrality. The more we align with those regulations, and the needs of the full value chain, the faster the industry will evolve.

AkzoNobel, BASF, and Arkema are often competitors. What does Arkema do better than its partners when it comes to advancing sustainability in coatings?

Richard Jenkins: Arkema’s strength lies in material science: we create innovative, sustainable solutions that meet evolving consumer needs. That’s where we differentiate.

Sustainability is an ecosystem, and real change requires collaboration across the entire value chain. Each company contributes differently. Identifying and merging our respective strengths will help us achieve our collective and individual goals much faster.

You talk about enabling “mainstream decarbonization along the value chain.” Realistically, what kind of timeline are you working with? Are we talking incremental progress, or do you see a moment when fossil-based inputs could be phased out altogether?

Richard Jenkins : Meaningful scale in bio-attributed materials is achievable — especially in areas like architectural coatings.  Examples such as the one discussed here are encouraging us to continue down the pathway.

Fossil-based inputs won’t disappear overnight, but we are making progress every day. Transformation takes collaboration – working together across the value chain toward common goals. No single company can do it alone. It’s a journey, and we’re committed to it.

At a time when there’s pressure to balance shareholder value with climate action, how do you want to be remembered as Senior Vice President of Arkema Coatings?

Richard Jenkins: Climate action, shareholder value and corporate profitability are not at odds — they’re aligned. Sustainability is being built into the way we deliver solutions that meet customer needs and create long-term value. We can say this with confidence because our customers and our customers’ customers are driving the points home every time we speak. The industry needs innovation in sustainability to remain profitable.

I’d like to be remembered as someone who empowered people, helped to develop Arkema as a global leader in specialty materials — with purpose and integrity.

Do you see Arkema’s intermediates and resins as contributors to climate change today — and if so, is it Arkema’s role to help customers move in a different direction?

Richard Jenkins : Our materials enable the performance of our customers’ products. When those products contribute to climate change, then yes — we have a role to play in helping customers move toward better solutions. It’s a two-way relationship, and we’re committed to enabling progress.

It is the leading reason we invest as much as we do into projects like the one with BASF and AkzoNobel.

Beyond coatings, is Arkema willing to take a leadership role in pushing entire downstream industries — construction, automotive, packaging — toward embracing bio-attributed, low-carbon materials?

Richard Jenkins : We’re ready to lead our part, but we know it takes an entire industry, and clear signals from consumers. We’re committed to doing our part in sectors like construction, automotive, and packaging, where sustainable materials can make a real impact.

When we talk about advances across the value chain, we have to look at entire industries and the products that go into them. All of the examples you cite rely on coatings to improve protection and aesthetics – so our products are part of a greater mix.

Arkema has an advantage in looking at these larger industry categories due to the breadth of materials we produce. While one of my roles is focused on coating materials – through my place on the Arkema executive leadership team, I am also tasked with identifying synergies across everything we offer, which is much more than coating resins and additives.

I strongly encourage people to watch (through publications like yours, social media, etc) what Arkema is doing in industries such as EV battery manufacturing, adhesives (through our Bostik brand), renewable energy applications, building construction and much more – all areas where we are taking a big picture view of industry needs.

Looking ahead, will Arkema expand similar collaborations with other partners in paints and coatings, and what areas of innovation are you prioritizing next to maintain leadership in sustainable materials?

Richard Jenkins : Absolutely, yes. It is an essential part of our long-term strategy, and what will be needed to create the sustainable future the world seeks.

Collaboration is more important than ever, especially post-COVID. We’re actively expanding partnerships in paints and coatings, and prioritizing innovation in areas like electrification, AI-enabled infrastructure, efficient buildings, sustainable lifestyles, and advanced electronics. These fast-growing applications demand scalable, sustainable solutions. Arkema, through our ongoing collaborations across the value chain, is offering those solutions.

ChemAnalyst Insights on European Neopentyl Glycol (NPG) Market

In Europe, Neopentyl Glycol (NPG) prices saw a moderate increase in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting a generally bullish market sentiment. In Germany, the price index remained largely stable to slightly declining, shaped by a balance between supply and demand. Feedstock formaldehyde costs stayed steady, supporting production and limiting volatility. The construction sector showed minor signs of recovery early in the quarter, but overall demand remained weak amid high interest rates and inflationary pressures. Domestic consumption fell below expectations, while international demand was moderate, constraining price growth. ChemAnalyst noted that supply remained steady, supported by sufficient inventories and healthy feedstock availability, though port congestion and adverse weather disrupted outbound logistics.

Later in the quarter, modest declines were observed as subdued downstream activity persisted and inventories accumulated. In July, prices began to fall due to ongoing logistical delays at major ports, stable feedstock costs, and weak demand from construction and coatings sectors. ChemAnalyst highlighted that these factors combined to create localized oversupply and limited upward momentum in the European NPG market.