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Be Passionate, Keep it Simple and Make it Personal were three of the key messages of the event “Changing Perceptions of Chemistry and Chemicals”, organised by the Belgium section of the British Royal Society of Chemistry on February  4th. The event, which intended to launch a debate regarding the opinion of general public and policy-makers about chemistry and chemists, gathered passionate chemists and professionals interested in the topic.

Jon Edwards of the British Royal Society of Chemistry outlined the main findings of a recent survey on public attitudes to chemistry in the UK. The one-year-long survey provides for the first time evidence of how the public feels about Chemistry, and informs chemists and professionals in the field on how to better understand the audiences they are confronted with. It turned out that the public perception of chemistry and chemicals is far more positive than professional chemists believed, although with some confusion over what a chemist is and what a chemist does. The research shows a better picture than anticipated but also a picture of neutrality towards chemistry, with this latter considered more as a school-subject concept, far away from a negative perspective. Natural outcome of the survey is that people want to know more about chemistry: this entails a change of attitude for chemists and experts working in the sector, with a view to embrace a more strategic approach of public communication where understanding audience, crafting an effective narrative and building the content are equally important.

Initiative such as Your Formula, bringing together people to discuss key sustainability topics, go in that direction. Your Formula, a Cefic initiative, is a platform where young scientists and researchers with an interest in sustainability share expertise and experience to promote a more sustainable future. By doing this, the platform naturally allows a different way of communicating chemistry and science, with contributors sharing personal activities and high interaction through social media. Contributors are from different areas and believe that chemistry and science hold the key to building a sustainable future, explained the Editor-in-Chief, Nuno Bacharel.

Need for a change in perception is also part of communication initiatives undertaken by an increasing number of chemical companies, such as BASF and Solvay, which are now investing on a more sustainable communication: no fear of communicating, but openness on what chemistry can bring to everyday life. As the event invitation stressed, chemistry and chemicals are essential to life and our modern society - everything is chemistry. Thus a need for a clear and concrete communication: people relate to things they understand and topics they care about.

Concrete examples and factual data are the added value scientists and chemists bring on the table when discussing regulatory issues, and this value needs to be positively and widely communicated, with no fear, as pointed out Dr Anna Gergely from Steptoe & Johnson LLP, who talked about the regulatory environment in which chemistry has to operate and how policy-makers perceive chemistry and chemicals.

Be passionate, keep it simple and make it personal: three key recommendations when communicating chemistry and chemicals. Changing perceptions is a long road but progress is slowly but surely happening.

Related links:

• RSC survey on public attitudes to chemistry in the UK
• Your Formula