Risky Business? The Very Tangible Supply Chain Threats of Climate Change

Industry consolidation, customer demands, and competition from abroad present complex challenges that continue to ratchet up pressures on the chemical industry. Climate change threatens this precarious balance even further. Yet the vast majority of climate change discussions are framed in terms of the distant future. While conditions will indeed lead to increasing impacts over time, we don’t have to wait decades. In many places, these impacts are already being felt, with critical implications for chemical engineering supply chains. This presentation will take a close look at current temperature and water resources trends in selected locations, from source to delivery. Special attention will be given to impacts at facilities in Texas. To ensure durability of both individual organizations and the industry as a whole, it will only become more crucial to respond to climate trends at both global and on-site levels.