The Symposium “Innovation through Ecodesign for a Sustainable Chemistry” was organized in June 2007, 14-15th in  Montpellier (France) by the French Federation for Chemistry Sciences (FFC) and Chemistry for a Sustainable
Development Chair (ChemSuD). This first event in France on this theme gathered around 120 people from 6 different countries. Participants came from all areas of industry, universities and public research.
After opening conferences, the first day of congress allowed to identify real stakes of ecodesign in sustainable development issues and assess state of art on methods and tools for ecodesign.
The second day was dedicated to ecodesign success-stories that lead to strategic innovations in different areas of industry, from chemical resourcing to packaging and end-of-life. Further more, this Symposium permitted real exchanges on current
themes and stakes: from life cycle analysis methods to ecolabels, and products end-of-life.

Ecodesign is a whole approach focused on product. Ecodesign consists to take into account and try to reduce all environmental and human impacts in the early steps of product conception. These impacts concern the whole life cycle steps, from raw materials production, to product production, delivery, use, and end-of-life.

The high stakes of sustainable development lead to a new design, an eco-design of products and services. Ecodesign is the only way to innovate and communicate in this context.The main themes of this Symposium exhibited that ecodesign is in development in all areas of chemical industry. Professionals of this approach expressed needs for consolidation of method, for developmentof new tools and databases of life cycle assessment. They call for collaborations with public research. In all domains, Chemistry has the keys to solve these issues.

The new edition of this event next April, EcoChem 2009 - Chemistry & Ecodesign, is really oriented towards the answers to the needs of worldwide ecodesigners and chemists. Real place for exchanges, knowledge and experimentation, this new edition will be a preferential place for expression of industrial needs and academic skills.