Why Better Plastic Doesn’t Win Easily: Bart Langius on PEF, Avantium, and Rebuilding Europe’s Materials Base

Everybody agrees sustainable aviation fuel is essential for reducing aviation’s emissions. So why isn’t it already everywhere?Former SkyNRG CEO Philippe Lacamp explains why the biggest challenge is no longer proving SAF works, but producing enough of it. We discuss investment, regulation and the enormous industrial effort required to build a new fuel industry.The question now is whether we can produce enough SAF, fast enough.

Bart Langius explains why replacing fossil-based plastics is not just a chemistry challenge, but an industrial one. At Avantium, he is helping bring PEF, a polyester made from plant sugars, from pilot scale into the market. The conversation looks at Europe’s weakening petrochemical position and the real hurdles facing new materials: cost, scale, customer risk, and recycling systems. It is a practical look at what it takes to build a new materials category.

Olivier Rolland is a chemist turned sustainability strategist working at the intersection of biology, business, and climate impact. Over two decades, he has worked on bio-based materials, sustainable aviation fuel, and large-scale supply systems across companies like Michelin, Total, Boeing, and now L’Oréal. He shares what it takes to bring sustainable technologies to market, why economic viability is often the missing piece, and how large companies are rethinking their value chains from the inside out.

Palm Oil Isn’t the Problem: Land, Perception, and Supply Chain Reality with Caroline Westerik-Sikking​ and Jules Blom and Jules Blom from AAK challenge one of the most emotional debates in sustainability: palm oil. They argue the issue is not the crop itself, but how it is produced, and that replacing palm can increase pressure on land rather than reduce it. In this conversation, they show what supply chain sustainability actually looks like in practice, from satellite-based deforestation monitoring to direct sourcing models in West Africa.

Lilian Cooper is an artist and European Climate Pact Ambassador whose work connects nature, science, and everyday places. For nearly three decades she has documented fragile coastlines, rising sea levels, and the quiet resilience of urban nature. She speaks about drawing disappearing shorelines, rehabilitating so-called weeds, working with scientists, and why careful observation can make climate change visible.

Tjebbe Boersma talks about climate action, his passion for Japan, and nematodes. 

Roberta Bosu is a European Climate Pact Ambassador. In her role as ambassador she focuses on ways to improve communication around climate change and make it more relatable. Roberta also talks about her experience with the 30 days face challenge in Instagram, why she loves too good to go and her fascination with worm hotels in amsterdam.

Flora Späth talks about how the horticulture industry is working on replacing single use plastic trays. Flora is  a board member of Euro Plant Tray and an independent consultant for the horticulture industry. In her role at Euro Plant Tray Flora is working towards replacing single-use plastic plant trays with a reusable pooling system, which is fully recyclable at end of life and can last for 10, 20 and even 40 years. When the system is introduced in 2024, it will save over 40,000 tons of plastic every year, equivalent to 220,000 tons of CO2.

Samira I. Ibrahim is a European Climate Pact Ambassador, a Clingendael Institute Alumni and part of the Springtij crew. Next to being an academic scholar, her passion is interdisciplinary work where she combines her expertise from water management, theology, and international studies. Together these can unlock potentials that can be a massive force for positive change and are easily overlooked.

Willem Grootonk talks about the importance of youth participation and the challenges that need to be overcome for a proper implementation of youth participation in policy making.Willem is a European Climate Pact Ambassador, a former e-sports commentator, and the former Chair of the Dutch Youth Environmental Council (Jongerenmilieuraad), where he is still active as member of the Advisory Board.