A Catalyst For Sustainable Change: The CBA Joins CAFA

London, UK - August 15, 2025 - Climate Action for Associations (CAFA)  is excited to welcome the Chemical Business Association (CBA) represents the UK chemical supply chain, with around 170 members spanning manufacturers, distributors, and logistics companies. Its role is to support this diverse sector through policy engagement, resources, and awareness-raising initiatives that help businesses prepare for future risks and seize sustainability opportunities. Through programmes like Responsible Care, which emphasises health, safety, and the environment, CBA is embedding sustainability into the core of its members’ operations while also working closely with regulators, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.

Why this partnership matters

The chemical sector is both energy-intensive and central to the UK’s economy, with significant emissions generated during the manufacture of organic compounds such as surfactants. These processes, still heavily dependent on oil and gas, present unique decarbonisation challenges, as alternatives must balance scalability, cost, and resource availability. The CBA is helping members navigate this complex landscape by raising awareness, supporting data collection on greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting phased improvements through adaptation and life cycle assessment practices. By addressing both carbon reduction and other critical environmental impacts, such as water acidification and eutrophication, the CBA is enabling its members to reduce risks, innovate, and build long-term resilience.

Collaborating for climate action

Through this partnership, the CBA will continue to guide and inspire its members, many of whom want to do better but are unsure how to take the next step. By combining practical tools, knowledge-sharing, and stronger policy engagement, the association can help companies gather the right data, understand their emissions, and identify viable pathways for decarbonisation. This support is essential in a sector where technologies exist but are not yet commercially ready, and where large-scale changes require long-term investment and planning. With CAFA, the CBA can strengthen its collective voice, accelerate progress across the supply chain, and ensure the UK chemical industry plays a meaningful role in tackling climate change while reducing other environmental impacts such as biodiversity loss and water pollution.

"The CBA is delighted to be joining CAFA. The chemical industry is proud to have a track record in supporting our members to go beyond compliance in the areas of health and safety for the past four decades, and we are excited to now be striving for the same kind of excellency in ensuring the industry is sustainable. Joining CAFA is a commitment to continuing such progress and we are looking forward to working together." Edward Platt, Responsible Care Lead at Chemical Business Association

About CAFA

Climate Action for Associations (CAFA) is the only dedicated network and resource hub focused on sustainability and net zero for the membership sector. CAFA equips professional bodies and trade associations with the guidance, tools, and peer-to-peer connections they need to take meaningful climate action and support their members in doing the same.

If you're a membership organisation wishing to know more about what you can do to support your members with sustainability and addressing climate risks, join Climate Action for Associations here.