SusChem, the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry, is a forum that aims at promoting the sector of European chemical and biochemical innovation. Through substitution, damage reducing techniques or other forms of eco-manufacturing, sustainable chemistry can help meet the  needs of modern society. 

Though successful in many transportation sectors, there has not yet been a major break-through for electric hybrid technology in large industrial vehicles. The company Elforest has entered the market with an innovative electric hybrid concept which helps to reduce some of the challenges of this segment of vehicles.

In the Himalayan region, several countries and their hydrological system are affected by climate change. Northern India is one of the regions that rely on the summer monsoon and glacier snow melt for their water resources. Climate change triggers the retreat of Himalayan glaciers and possible changes of the Indian monsoon, thereby impacting the distribution of water. Hence, northern India needs damage-reducing techniques to adapt to the effects of climate change on its hydrological system.

It is now well established that climate change will deeply affect both ecosystems and hydrological systems, especially in the Himalayan region. Overall, snow and ice from the Himalayan glaciers will melt faster than it accumulates and surrounding countries (e.g. India) will be impacted socially, economically and ecologically. Climate change is expected to have both short and long term effects on the hydrological system. In the short term, discharge of mountain rivers is projected to increase due to the additional melting of snow and glaciers of the Himalayas. In the long term, with glaciers  declining, there will be a reduced amount of water flowing into rivers. Runoff variability will increase and reflect precipitation variability. Northern Indiais highly dependent on summer monsoons and glacier snowmelt for its water resources. This region needs damage-reducing techniques such as efficient and relevant adaptation measures and response strategies in order to cope with the changing patterns of water resources availability.

2-FUN was an integrated project running from February 2007 to January 2011, funded under the EU sixth framework programme (FP6) a grant funding programme,focusing on health issues related to environmental conditions and pressures. Gathering 12 project partners coordinated by the Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques in France, the project team used a multidisciplinary networking approach engaging a number of chemists, toxicologists, doctors, veterinaries, mathematicians and many more types of experts. Two related projects funded under the same framework programme are INTARESE and HEIMTSA. The first project focused on framework and guidance; the second on integrated assessment using epidemiological data. This project focused on indirect exposures and toxicological risk assessment from a conventional approach based on laboratory animal data. All three project developed methods and cutting-edge tools to help decision-makers define their priorities in environmental health management. These three projects have significantly advanced the research frontier within the field of integrated health risk assessment.

Among the challenges related to matching the global increasing energy demand, there are resource deficiency and emissions of greenhouse gases. Two common responses to meet these challenges consist of introducing measures to decrease the energy consumption or choosing more sustainable energy sources. This dual approach can be found in the project FIEMSER (Friendly Intelligent Energy Management System for Existing Residential Buildings), where the development of a ground-breaking energy management system for buildings (BEMS) is currently taking place. The project is funded under the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission (FP7), a grant funding programme, running for three years and coming to an end in 2013. 

The project FIEMSER (Friendly Intelligent Energy Management System for Existing Residential Buildings), is developing an energy management system for buildings (BEMS) in order to decrease the energy consumption and increase the use of more sustainable energy sources. The technologies developed within the project are new and innovative elements in the field of damage-reducing techniques, designed to increase energy awareness and decrease the emissions of greenhouse gases. 

FRIT-REC project aims at eco-designing the manufacturing process of frits and enamels. During the production of frits and enamels, micronized fluoride lime (MFL) by-product can be generated. The project allows producing high-value MFL by-product that can be used as raw material in the production of new frits and enamels.

Towards Integral BUilding CONnectivity, TIBUCON project, aims at eco-designing a sensing network and a software tool responsible for managing Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems in order to improve buildings energy efficiency, environmental impact and comfort.

Several research studies have strongly suggested that people are willing and capable of adapting their behaviour in an energy-saving direction if given the necessary feedback, support, and incentives. The project BeAware aims to foster and inspire the creation of new products and services turning householders into active players in energy and raising energy awareness. 

Several research studies have strongly suggested that people are willing and capable of adapting their behaviour in an energy-saving direction if given the necessary feedback, support, and incentives. The project BeAware aims to foster and inspire the creation of new products and services turning householders into active players in energy and raising energy awareness. 

Several research studies have strongly suggested that people are willing and capable of adapting their behaviour in an energy-saving direction if given the necessary feedback, support, and incentives. The project BeAware aims to foster and inspire the creation of new products and services turning householders into active players in energy and raising energy awareness. 

The SoilCAM (Soil Contamination: Advanced integrated characterization and time-lapse Monitoring) project is a four-year initiative funded by the Seventh Framework Programme, FP7, a grant funding programme, and will end during 2012. It aims to develop integrated strategies to detect temporal and spatial change of chemical and physical properties of the subsoil that can be related to sustainable environmental recovery of polluted sites.

The SoilCAM (Soil Contamination: Advanced integrated characterization and time-lapse Monitoring) project is a four-year initiative funded by the Seventh Framework Programme, FP7, a grant funding programme, which will end during 2012. It aims to develop integrated strategies and
damage-reducing techniques to detect temporal and spatial change of chemical and physical properties of the subsoil that can be related to sustainable environmental recovery of polluted sites.

Contamination of soil and ground water from diffuse and point sources is a serious problem. The most frequent local soil contaminants are mineral oil and heavy metals and for ground water, mineral oil and chlorinated hydrocarbons. However, the development of certain damage-reducing techniques can provide solutions to these challenges. The SoilCAM (Soil Contamination: Advanced integrated characterization and time-lapse Monitoring) project is a four-year initiative, part of the research cluster “Soil Technology Research” funded by the European Commission. This particular project was funded by the Seventh Framework Programme, FP7, a grant funding programme, and will end during 2012.

Product and Process Design for Ambient Intelligent Supported Energy Efficient Manufacturing Installations, DEMI project, aims at eco-designing energy efficient manufacturing processes through the development of a generic methodology and
software tools.

European seas have for a long time been harmed by human activities. Over-fishing, extensive use of fertilisers and insufficient wastewater treatment are only a few of the pressures that are causing damage to the marine environment and ecosystems. In 2008 the European Union adopted the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) with the aim of improving the environmental health of Europe’s regional seas by 2020, setting out deadlines and targets for EU member states. According to the MSFD, managing the marine environment should include the introduction of an “Ecosystem Approach”. This concept, however, has not been adequately defined until now.

The need to identify leakages in the water pipeline infrastructure is vital in the field of water cycle monitoring. Leakages in water pipes could imply a large loss of drinking water and is also a possible threat to our health; when water pressure in the damaged pipes drops, surrounding water is allowed to enter the pipes. Managing these leakages is therefore a high priority, especially since rehabilitation of damaged pipe systems can cut the costs with 30 to 70 % compared to replacing them.  However, rehabilitation must start with identifying the problem, which in this particular case means finding leakages and cracks in the water pipes.   As the traditional damage-reducing techniques and equipment for obtaining information of underground media has proven to be insufficient, a new technology for inspection and evaluation of water pipe conditions has been the aim for the project WATERPIPE.

Since the devastating Asian tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004, the interest in systematic studies of the Mediterranean tsunami situation and related damage-reducing techniques has been growing.  Tsunamis in the Mediterranean Sea are not as frequent as those in the Pacific or Indian Oceans, but have nevertheless historically caused severe damage and loss of lives. In the NEAREST project (Integrated observations from NEAR shore sourcES of Tsunamis: towards an early warning system), the complex situation of near-shore tsunamis has been thoroughly analysed by experts from ten scientific institutions and one company. The project was funded by the European Union Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), a grant funding programme, and coordinated by the Institute of Marine Sciences in Italy.

It is assumed that a European bio-based economy is likely to affect the sustainability of soils. Demands for agricultural food production and land conservation are competing against a greater production of biofuels due to the increasing demand for sustainable solutions and a green economy. In the meantime, maintaining soil biodiversity and managing the sustainable delivery of ecosystem goods and services has somewhat been disregarded.