Blog

Good morning, everyone and welcome. It’s a privilege to be here today at the Federal Reserve Board with so many of our nation’s community bank CEOs. I want to start by thanking our bankers for the essential work you do every day—serving your communities, supporting small businesses and families and keeping local economies strong and growing. Today’s event provides us an opportunity to come together and discuss the future of community banking.

This great nation hosts the largest and most effective financial system in the world, ensuring that capital flows to those who need it and can put it to productive use. I think of community banks as the foundation of our financial system. You are often the first call for small businesses seeking to grow, for families looking to buy homes, and for anyone seeking to achieve their financial goals. At a time of rapid technological change, a shifting regulatory landscape, and evolving consumer expectations, your work has never been more vital or more challenging.

The purpose of this conference is about looking ahead, at the opportunities, risks and innovations that will shape the future of community banking. It’s also about telling the community bank story: not only the services you provide and impact you have in your communities but also the value of having strong, profitable and well-managed companies as the foundation of the banking system. There’s a story to tell here and we want to ensure community banks tell it and create their own their narrative.

This conference brings together more than a hundred community bank CEOs in person and many more attending virtually. Our panels will include CEOs from across our diverse financial system. I look forward to hearing directly from these leaders to share what they are seeing—emerging trends, economic shifts and innovations that are shaping the financial system, including the impact of artificial intelligence and fraud, and which may affect your businesses. This conference also brings a broader perspective, from our Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to new technologies with Paxos CEO Chad Cascarilla to private credit and global outlook with Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, and consumer digital platforms with Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev. These leaders will help us think more broadly about how economic and industry developments intersect with community banking.

Another special guest joining us today is CNBC host Jim Cramer, who will moderate a panel of experienced community bank CEOs who have a combined century of banking leadership. Today, we will showcase how community bankers have consistently adapted, innovated, and outperformed while staying true to their mission. These efforts do not necessarily make headlines on the front page of the business section, but they should. And there’s no one better to help elevate the community bank narrative and amplify the value that community banks bring to America’s economy than CNBC’s Jim Cramer.

Finally, we will also host a traditional policy panel, featuring community bank CEOs discussing capital and liquidity regulation. This session will provide an opportunity for a thoughtful, candid discussion about how our regulatory frameworks affect your institutions and your ability to serve your communities. These conversations are essential to help shape our thinking and inform how we as regulators work to ensure that policies are effective, fair, and balanced.

The goal and the theme running through all of today’s panels is clear: there is tremendous support from the public and private sector for a strong, resilient, thriving community banking industry. Each of our sessions today reflects a shared belief in the importance of community banks to America’s economic future.

Thank you for being with us today. Now I would like to thank our Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for taking time from his busy schedule to be here to discuss community banking, and I will now invite him to share his insight with us.

Braskem, a market leader in the production of biopolymers on an industrial scale, is currently at K 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber in D



üsseldorf, Germany. On the opening day, Braskem showcased a new generation of bio-based and circular product solutions aimed at accelerating the transformation of the plastics industry. Under its sustainable portfolio, Braskem is revealing product launches and partnerships that bring sustainability and innovation to life across packaging, healthcare, hygiene, and consumer goods.

“K 2025 is the ideal platform to show how our innovations are ready for real-world application,” said Walmir Soller, VP Olefins/Polyolefins North America, Europe, and Asia. “We’re not just testing the market; we’re scaling up solutions that combine technical performance with environmental benefits.”

New product launches

MDO film with I’m green^TM



 bio-based PE

Braskem introduces a new application of Machine Direction-Oriented (MDO) technology using bio-based polyethylene derived from ethanol, made with sugarcane. These films deliver enhanced stiffness, optical properties, and recyclability, enabling mono-material packaging such as flow packs, MDO labels, and stand-up pouches. The use of MDO films enables the development of structures that are more aligned with the circular economy, while still meeting performance requirements. The MDO films are developed in collaboration with Cazoolo, Braskem’s circular packaging design lab, and converter FCO Group.

Medcol: I’m green^TM



 bio-based LDPE for healthcare

Under the Medcol brand, Braskem presents a low-density polyethylene designed for pharmaceutical applications such as blow-fill-seal processes, like plastic ampoules with twist-off caps. The material meets regulatory requirements without additives and offers improved temperature resistance and flowability. Its updated Life Cycle Assessment study (2023) shows a carbon footprint of -2.27 kgCO



²e per kg, reinforcing its sustainability profile within healthcare packaging.

I’m green^TM



 bio-based HDPE for non-wovens

Braskem introduces the I’m green^TM bio-based high-density polyethylene specifically developed for the non-wovens market. Designed for hygiene and bi-component fiber applications such as diapers, this HDPE offers low gel levels, excellent processing stability, improved heat resistance, and great color stability. It performs well in both bi-component spunbond and mono-component spunbound processes, ensuring reliability in high-performance hygiene applications. According to a 2023 updated Life Cycle Assessment study, the material has a carbon footprint of -2.01 kgCO



²e per kg, underscoring its contribution to more sustainable hygiene product solutions.

EVA 21%: ultra-soft I’m green^TM



 bio-based foam

Braskem presents a new I’m green^TM bio-based ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) containing 21% vinyl acetate, offering significantly improved softness and flexibility compared to lower VA grades. This material is particularly well-suited for footwear applications, especially soles and insoles that require enhanced comfort and performance. As part of Braskem’s I’m greenT bio-based portfolio, this EVA combines functional advantages with a renewable origin, making it a sustainable alternative for high-quality consumer goods.

Featured applications at the booth

Polytan: a leading German manufacturer of high-performance sports surfaces, is using Braskem’s I’m green^TM



 bio-based polyethylene to bring sustainability to its advanced turf technologies. The Poligras Paris GT zero, the world’s first carbon-zero synthetic hockey turf, was prominently featured during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, setting a new benchmark for sustainable sports infrastructure. In football, the LigaTurf Cross GT zero system offers a fully recyclable and multifunctional turf solution that supports eco-friendly organic infills and meets elite performance standards – all while helping reduce carbon emissions.

bottle up & Eurobottle: reusable bottles made from I’m green^TM



 bio-based PE.

bottle up, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, offers stylish, refillable bottles designed to reduce plastic waste and lower carbon emissions using renewable materials. Eurobottle, from Dronten, Netherlands, has over 30 years of experience producing durable, reusable sports bottles



-now completely bio-based to support a circular future.

Together, these partners show how everyday products can combine design, durability, and climate-friendly materials.

Veja: Veja, the French footwear and accessories brand, created a sneaker with internal layers, made with I’m green^TM



 bio-based materials. This product highlights how bio-based plastics can be seamlessly integrated into premium consumer products without compromising on design or performance.

Strategic partnerships

In collaboration with leading machine manufacturers, Braskem is leveraging strategic partnerships to demonstrate the performance of its polymers’ technologies across a variety of transformation processes. Live demonstrations at partner booths will showcase the practical application of these materials, emphasizing their role in driving innovation and sustainability within the industry. These partnerships underscore the importance of seamless integration between equipment, processing methods, and polymers portfolios. By aligning technological capabilities, Braskem and its partners are enabling more efficient, forward-thinking solutions tailored to the evolving needs of the market. It is possible to find Braskem’s polymers at Euro Machinery (Hall 11, I46), Dr. Boy (Hall 13, A43), and Carnevalli (Hall 16, C170).

Service – Braskem at the K 2025 Fair

Date: 8 to 15 October 2025

Booth location: Hall 6 – Stand D27

 

ABOUT BRASKEM

Braskem is a global, human-oriented petrochemical company with a forward-looking approach, cultivating strong relationships and generating value for all. Offering sustainable chemical and plastic solutions to improve people’s lives, the company has a comprehensive portfolio of plastic resins and chemical products for various sectors, including food packaging, construction, industrial, automotive, agribusiness, healthcare, and hygiene, among others. Braskem believes that disruptive innovation is the only path to establishing a new relationship with the planet. That’s why it chooses to act in the present, promoting plastic circularity and driving the revolution of bio-based materials. With 40 industrial units in Brazil, the U.S., Mexico, and Germany, the company exports its products to customers in over 70 countries through its 8,500 team members who operate globally under a management model that demonstrates a commitment to ethics, compliance with regulations in all countries, and respect for responsible comp