1 Functional coatings can contribute to sustainability from two points of view: first, by being safe and sustainable by themselves, and second, by providing functionalities that contribute to a more sustainable world. Let me expand a little on these concepts. The European Green Pact is a new growth strategy, developed with the aim of making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. A key element of this strategy is the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) approach, understood as a systemic and global strategy that allows simultaneous consideration of sustainability and safety aspects at a very early stage ...