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D5.4 Social Impact Assessment - Executive Summary

The SunCoChem project, part of which is this report (D5.4.), is mainly related to the CO₂ recycling [1], reduction of carbon emissions and climate change mitigation. More specifically, this study concerns a technological innovation for a green process, namely Tandem Photo-electrocatalytic Reactor (TPER) technology that uses recycled CO₂, water and sunlight to produce fluid, green oxo-products that can replace conventional raw materials, necessary to produce CPGs. A pioneer reactor is being developed, which will capture CO₂ from the atmosphere, recycle it with the help of sun and water, and use its components in the production of innovative, green oxo-products (https://suncochem.eu/). Currently, the focus is placed on three chemicals that are widely used in the production of cosmetics, fragrances, and detergents. Glycolic acid is used in personal care products, n-Valeraldheyde is used to produce plastic and flavouring, and Limoxal^TM is used in a number of CPGs such as fragrances, personal care, and household cleaning products.

This part of the overall project (Work Package 5, Task 5.3/WP5, T5.3) focused on chemical cosmetics and detergents, in which some of their conventional ingredients will be replaced by the above mentioned innovative oxo-products made from recycled CO₂. The aim of the T5.3 was to assess the social impact of the benefits of SunCoChem TPER technology to both industry and consumers. The research effort to accomplish this goal included the following two studies:

Study I: Industry experts were investigated regarding the relevance to environmental protection status quo of each firm as well as their perceptions about the innovative production processes and the new attributes of the cosmetics and cleaning products that are going to contain the new, green oxo-products produced from recycled CO₂. Three types of semi-structured interviews were conducted: a. with two SunCoChem Partners (AVT, IFF), b. with nine cosmetics industry experts and c. with four cosmetics and detergents industry experts. The results indicated that recycling and conservation of energy and water technologies are carried out in all factories, while green applications that concern the composition of products are implemented by half of the industries. All executives hold positive attitudes towards innovative technologies that concern carbon neutrality. Half of them were found willing to include the new, green oxo-products (Glycolic acid, n-Valeraldheyde and Limoxal^TM) in their production process of their Consumer Packaged Goods (CPGs), stating prerequisites that concern quality and actual contribution to neutrality. The reservations that were expressed by the other half of the respondents concern the low level of awareness about the recycled CO₂ oxo-products and the early stages of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) implementation.

Study II: Four Surveys were conducted regarding consumers’ perceptions and intentions to buy CPGs (cosmetics and detergents) containing oxo-products produced from recycled CO₂. Large enough (to be representative of the relevant populations) consumer samples were investigated, from four European countries, namely France, Germany, Greece and Spain. The samples were gathered with a probability sampling method, namely stratified sampling [2], [3], with Gender and Age population distributions serving as the strata. The survey instrument was initially edited in English and translated to French, German Spanish and Greek languages by the utilization of the TRAPD methodology (Translation, Review, Adjudication, Pretesting and Documentation) that is proposed by the European Social Survey [4]. Data were statistically processed using a combination of the adequate statistical software packages (SPSS v17, AMOS v20) in order to extract the optimum results.

A combined Values-Beliefs-Norms (VBN) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) model extended by Risk Perception, Scepticism and Media Influence was employed to examine Consumption Intentions (regarding cosmetics and detergents with green ingredients made from recycled CO₂). With regards to the whole sample of the four countries, the results explained 71.1% of the variance and indicated that Consumption Intentions are generated by consumers’ Biospheric Values and a sequence of Risk Perception, Awareness of Consequences, Ascription of Responsibility while they are directly determined (in declining order) by Perceived Behavioural Control, Personal Norms, Attitudes and Subjective Norms. Subjective Norms indicated additional indirect impacts on Consumption Intentions through Personal Norms and Ascription of Responsibility. Moderation also indicated that the relationship between Perceived Behavioural Control and Consumption Intentions is stronger in those consumers, who obtained scores below the Mean in Scepticism while the relationship between Personal Norms and Consumption Intentions is stronger in those, who obtained scores below the Mean in Media Influence.

The outputs of the above two studies bring a complete description of the main social impacts in the production and consumption of the CPGs sector, particularly with reference to the cosmetics and detergents firms. Light was set on the innovative properties of the new oxo-products and on their differences with their conventional alternatives, in terms of ecological footprint, as well as in terms of cost and effectiveness. Opportunities for utilization of them by the cosmetic and detergent industries were diagnosed and described. Insights regarding both practical and moral motives of consumers’ intentions to welcome cosmetics and detergents that are going to contain recycled CO₂ were revealed. Above all, this report is expected to bring positive results to the European and global effort to protect the environment, through its contribution to the reduction of carbon emissions, the mitigation of climate change and therefore, in people's health and well-being of nature.