On May 18, the UN General Assembly adopted, by consensus, a resolution proclaiming 2022 "International Year of Glass".
Following an inauguration ceremony in Geneva on February 10, 2022, the event was officially launched in France at a conference organized by the glass industries federation and the crystal and glass federation.
The opening conference, entitled "Glass for sustainable living", was held at the Palais du Luxembourg under the patronage of Catherine Dumas, Senator for Paris and Chair of the Senate's Métiers d'art group.
Catherine Dumas took the floor and emphasized that art crafts require technical gestures and dexterity. In her view, the International Year of Glass is an opportunity to "to raise awareness and make the public aware of the ubiquity of this material, the various associated trades and the potential for innovation."
Jacques Bordat, President of the French Federation of Glass Industries, and Jérôme de Lavergnolle, President of the French Federation of Crystal and Glass, reminded us that glass is a product of the future. "A versatile material that has stood the test of time and become part of our daily lives, while at the same time establishing itself as a material of the future. Recylcable and a source of innovation, glass still faces the challenge of "Decarbonizing glass production for a sustainable future.
Glass designer Emmanuel Barrois then spoke about his workshop and projects, highlighting the creative and innovative potential of glass.
Two round tables followed. The first was dedicated to climate change, while the second focused on the diversity of uses for glass through a number of testimonials.
Irène Gosset, President of the Pochet Group, took part in the round table discussion on decarbonizing the glass industry, which was also attended by Emmanuel Normant, VP in charge of sustainable development at Saint-Gobain, and Olivier Rousseau, Managing Director of Verallia France.
The Pochet Group has announced that it is working on an ambitious decarbonization plan for the next 10 years, as well as a project to electrify a kiln."With this plan, we are stepping up our efforts to reduce our environmental impact and are making strong commitments to cut our CO2 emissions by more than 40 % by 2030. "said Irène Gosset.
A number of events will be organized throughout the year to raise awareness of glass and the professions associated with this multifaceted material.
Photo: ©Pochet
