ABSTRACT
One of the mainstays of the modern global economy is the chemicals industry with sales grossing over $1500 billion a year, and accounting for roughly 10 per cent of the trade between countries (OECD, 2001). Using raw materials such as metals, minerals and fossil fuels, this industry produces nearly all synthetic consumer products, including materials that serve as input into a wide array of industrial, agricultural, transportation and construction activities. Estimates show that since the 1930s, global production has increased exponentially, from 1 million to more than 400 million tons a year. At this rate, chemical production is expected to far outpace the world population growth rate in the 21st century, resulting in a higher global chemical output per capita (OECD, 2001).
