International Year of Glass

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The UN General Council meeting on 18th May 2021 gave approval for 2022 to be designated the United Nations International Year of Glass. The International Commission on Glass (ICG), the Community of Glass Associations (CGA) and International Council of Museums ICOM-Glass were the lead organisations promoting 2022 as the International Year of Glass to underline its scientific, economic and cultural roles and celebrate several anniversaries. "Glass supports many vital technologies, facilitates sustainability and a green world and enriches our lives, yet often goes unnoticed." A video was created to support the bid as well as other documents.

Establishing the International Year of Glass

The vision for a United Nations International Year of Glass (IYoG2022) is to celebrate the past, present and future of this transformative material by:

Demonstrating its role in advancing civilization throughout recorded history.

Organizing international festivals, with workshops that excite and inform the public of this rich history, and highlight links between glass, art and culture.

Holding: an inaugural Conference in Geneva, Switzerland; a July International Glass Congress in Berlin, Germany; a Glass Technology event in China; a Congress in Egypt; and a World Congress and Exhibition on glass art and history. There is a full register of events.

Stimulating glass research in educational organizations, industry, and the public domain, including museums, to address the great challenges the world faces such as sustainable, equitable growth and an improved quality of life for all.

Building worldwide alliances focusing on science and engineering for young people, addressing gender balance and tackling the needs of emerging economies.

UN Sustainable Developmental Goals and Glass The UN has set a series of development goals with a completion date of 2030. The International Year of Glass in 2022 demonstrates how glass is helping to address these targets.

GOAL 3: Good health and well-being Biocompatible and bioactive glasses have been universally life changing for patients. Specialty glasses can bond broken bones without rejection. Deep, persistent wounds, especially in diabetic patients, are hard to treat but new glasses show a remarkable restorative capacity. Porous hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) can encapsulate fragile drugs but reject undesired biological agents. Radioactive Yttrium‐90 delivered in HGMs has treated liver cancer. Chemically inert glass vials, cartridges, syringes and ampoules prevent interaction with their contents, particularly active formulations. The EpiPen® auto-injector cartridge treats severe allergic reactions - at its heart is chemically strengthened glass; millions have been made. Glass has multiple roles in orthodontics and even toothpaste.

GOAL 4: Quality education A quality education underpins sustainable development. An inclusive education delivers the tools to create innovative solutions for the world’s pressing problems. A well-rounded education offers insights into how society copes with change. Education is at the heart of the International Commission on Glass (ICG); it links experts in science, technology, art, history and education and in the last decade has organized 20 schools in Europe, China, India, North America and South America. The book Teaching Glass Better celebrates these Schools, capturing their development and summarizing content. Sharing staff across schools propagates best practice. An ICG Youth Outreach team arranges events and mentors to attract and retain future talent. Beyond ICG University Glass Art programs are transforming craftspeople into sculptors. Brazil and India already run educational glass programs for younger students and technicians. ICG actors represent many international teaching organizations - our IYoG goals are to share aspirations, stimulate fresh ideas and seed new courses.

GOAL 5: Gender equality Gender equality is a fundamental human right, a foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. A must for the IYoG, it will be achieved by recruiting top glass-women for plenary and invited talks, as well as CEO and Management Board positions. The IYoG board will propose and support committees chaired by women and, whether organising a congress or a smaller event, a balanced constituency. Educating industry and institutions to manage diversity, making it an engine for innovation and creativity, is the best path to a brighter future. Gender matters. Women are half of the world; they must become half the glass world.

GOAL 6: Clean water and sanitation In the last century billions have experienced an unprecedented rise in living standards, but many still live in poverty with little access to clean water. Sufficient fresh water exists but damaging economics or poor infrastructure cause millions to die annually from diseases linked to inadequate supplies, sanitation and hygiene. Similar issues impact adversely on food security, life choices and educational opportunities. Industrial discharges, excess agrochemicals and domestic waste landfill contaminate surface and groundwater. Glass can mimic current water treatment processes. Porous foam glass or phase separated glass filters can aid sanitization (and purify air, another global issue). Sunlight on coated glass immersed in solutions of organic pollutants can oxidize many into non-toxic products and likewise restore drinking water. Most cost-effective is a combination of porous glass filters with titania-coated glass.

GOAL 7: Affordable and clean energy Energy epitomises the opportunities and challenges the world faces. Universal access to energy is crucial to build more sustainable and inclusive communities and in turn entails more efficient generation, renewable energy sources and ways to store it. Sunlight is the main carbon-neutral source and brings more energy hourly to the earth than society consumes annually, But renewable energy is just 17% (2018) of global consumption. Solar energy harvesting uses: photo-voltaic cells, solar thermal energy generation and photobioreactors. Photovoltaics need glass protective covers which are highly transparent and have antireflection coatings. Solar thermal devices have glass mirrors to reflect the sun’s rays and heat a fluid inside a glass tube, which powers a generator. In photobioreactors, microorganisms such as green algae grow in glass tubes, converting solar into chemical energy. Turbine blades made from fiberglass-reinforced composites convert wind energy to electricity. Improved glass design has created stronger composites and given us larger, more efficient and reliable windmills. Nuclear power is another low carbon energy source but generates radioactive waste that decays over geological time. New glasses will dissolve and immobilise this waste. New glasses are also improving solid-state batteries and hollow glass microspheres may have a role in hydrogen storage for transport.

GOAL 9: Industry, innovation, infrastructure Investing in infrastructure such as communication technologies is imperative for sustainable development and increases social cohesion. Low-loss glass optical fibers were the precursor to the Internet and catalysed a paradigm shift in global communications. They are indispensable in our knowledge-based society. Product development is being driven by the demand to send more data further; on the horizon are photonic crystal fibers (made from glass) and communication via quantumly entangled photons. But photonics is more than fibers: optical communications industries manage information streams with circuitry fabricated wholly or partly in glass such as spherical lenses, prisms and beam splitters. Recent advances concern signals such as 5G carried over fiber-optic cables. Fiber lasers exploit rare earth doped glass and are now standard for many applications. Their use in surgery and therapy is expanding and they are furthering studies in nonlinear optics. LEDs based on light emission from crystalline semiconductors, require a phosphor, often a doped glass, to produce white light. One-dimensional photonic structures, which can manipulate light, are made by depositing glass layers with different refractive indices. 2D and 3D photonic crystals require self-assembling glass nanoparticles and are attracting interest as sensors. Television began with glass cathode ray tubes before moving to glass flat panel displays. As resolution improves and pixel size shrinks, thin film deposition display electronics need panels with exceptionally stable dimensions. Ultra-thin glasses for bendable, even foldable displays are being developed. Integrated optical circuits in films on ultra-thin glasses may soon lead to a breakthrough like that in flexible electronics. Glasses to visualize information through augmented and virtual reality devices offer another revolution. Glasses have transformed data storage. Rewritable storage is realized by toggling regions between glassy and crystalline states. Magnetic memory disks are high-strength, high-stiffness glasses for faster reading and higher densities. Glass holographic memories promise exceptional capacity.

GOAL 11: Sustainable cities & communities Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, production, social development and more. At their best, cities have enabled social and economic advances. But by 2030 cities will house 5 billion people and require efficient management. Issues include: congestion, underfunded services, a lack of adequate housing, solid waste management, ageing infrastructure and air pollution. In transport, glazing allows unimpaired vision and contributes to safety and security, as well as style. So, airplane cockpit windshields are chemically strengthened. Innovative designs offer thermal comfort; improve fuel efficiency by light-weighting; and integrate display features which expand entertainment and connectivity options. Contemporary architectural designs use larger windows with more energy-efficient coated panes and new double/triple glazing formats. Buildings may soon be energy-neutral or even contribute to the energy grid. A TNO study showed that new glazing could reduce energy consumption across the EU by 30% in 2030, saving CO2 emissions of 94 million tons. Savings are potentially greater using glazing-integrated photovoltaics, switchable/electrochromic glazing and other novel technologies. The EU aims by 2050 to have the first climate neutral economy. Glass containers lessen solid urban waste (SUW). The “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” philosophy is vital to a sustainable lifestyle and waste management. 60% of SUW is packaging, mostly single use, often non-renewable or scarce materials. ‘Reduce’ means using durable goods such as glass kitchenware. Some hotels and restaurants use returnable glass bottles for ‘Reuse’ and glass jars are often reused for storage. Supermarkets though prefer single-use containers leading to the third R, ‘recycling’, the transformation of an object into a raw material and back. Glass is the only truly recyclable container: one glass bottle produces another, a perfect “circular economy” expressed as “from cradle to cradle”. Glass containers are the only ones with the GRASS and Food Safety stamp in Europe and US. Culture is essential to city life, enhancing the well-being of its inhabitants. Museums have a strategic role, preserving the heritage of humanity for scholarship and enjoyment. In museums with glass collections art, science, archaeology, history and social sciences meet. Glass objects spanning history, works of art and glass for everyday use, are displayed with specialized glassware for industry and science. They describe raw materials and production, telling the stories of those who made and used them. Glass museums, particularly ones with hot and cold workshops, promote lifelong learning through programs for young and old (Goal 4).

GOAL 12: Responsible consumption & production Sustainability means “doing more and better with less”. It concerns efficiency throughout the life cycle; infrastructure, supply chains and basic services; green and decent jobs; and a better quality of life for all. Glass firms are addressing these environmental challenges and ICG organizes international bench-marking exercises to stimulate improvement. Glass is innately environmentally friendly. Most glasses are made from safe, readily available raw materials. Recycling rates are high and industry actively seeks more energy efficient melting technologies and alternative glass compositions to reduce its carbon footprint. It has a rich history of responding to challenge, a valuable example for the future. Educating consumers on sustainable lifestyles depends on distributing information through standards, labels and advertising. The concept of a “circular economy” needs to be understood so all can commit to the challenges of global change; ways to maintain lifestyle without damaging the planet need explaining. Many organizations already do this and an IYoG can help to disseminate best practice.

GOAL 13: Climate Action Climate change is affecting every country on every continent, disrupting national economies and individual lives, costing people, communities and even countries. Glass recycling and product lightweighting have increased the energy efficiency of glass melting substantially; affordable pathways to decarbonization are under development. Glass windows let light into homes and offices while protecting from harsh weather. Double-glazed units increasingly have vacuum insulated glazing, a more effective new technology. Laminated glasses improve acoustic damping to reduce “noise pollution”. Architects are using more glass for its functionalities and appealing aesthetics. Energy saving glass products compensate during their service life several times over for the energy used to make them. So, replacing single with double-glazed windows can give a five month energy payback.

GOAL 14: Life below water The world’s oceans and rivers – their temperature, chemistry, currents and life – drive global systems that make Earth habitable. Careful management is vital for a sustainable future, compared to other materials glass packaging is infinitely recyclable and a safe, clean alternative made of natural, plentiful materials.

GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve goals A successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector and civil society built on principles and values, a shared vision and goals with people and the planet at the center; partnerships are needed at global, regional, national and local levels. An IYoG will underline the varied roles of glass and stimulate, mobilize and redirect such partnerships to unlock their resources and deliver sustainable development.

With its unparalleled versatility and technical capabilities, glass has fostered numerous cultural and scientific advancements. Its history is shared with the evolution of humankind. Its future will contribute to the challenges of a sustainable and fairer society. For an IYoG the International Commission on Glass, the Community of Glass Associations and International Council of Museums will: Weave together the multicolored threads of technology, social history and art through educational programs and museum exhibitions. Plan national and international events for varied audiences centered on glass history, key anniversaries, technologies, applications, and building a future. Promote networking among glass associations; R&D centers; universities, colleges, schools; producers, processors and suppliers; museums; and civil society. Mobilize governments, industry, academia and cultural centers to collaborate in the initiative and promote a multitude of activities, building on the imaginative programs already proposed. Activate support for a UN IYoG by showing that glass is worth celebrating.

Opening Ceremony in Geneva

The Opening Ceremony of IYOG2022 Opening Ceremony website took place in the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilisations Room UN Geneva Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room at the Palace of Nations in Geneva on 10-11 February 2022.

The Opening Session was chaired by Alicia Duran Professor Alicia Duran, Research Professor CSIC CSIC - Spanish National Research Council, Past-President of ICG and Chair of the IYOG2022

A message was read from General Secretary United Nations António Guterres. Other contributions to the Opening Session came from: Spanish Ambassador at UN Spanish Mission in NY, Agustín Santos Maraver, Permanent Representative of Turkey at UN, Geneva, H.E. Sadık Arslan, Minister Plenipotentiary/Deputy Permanent Representative of Egypt Mr. Ahmed Salama, and Science and Technology Counsellor, Permanent Mission of China in Geneva, Mr. SHEN Yanjie.

Opening Ceremony presentations

Video recording of the Opening Ceremony of the glass presentations are available on the United Nations Web TV:

Ian Freestone: How it all began: The invention and re-invention of glass in the ancient world

Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk: Glass: A History of Meaning

James Carpenter: Light in the Public Realm

Emmanuelle Gouillart: Glass for Sustainable Construction

Kathleen A. Richardson: Seeing and Sensing the Future: Enabled by Infrared Glass Innovation

Naoki Sugimoto: The role of glass in 5G communication technology

Lukas Novotny: Glass and Quantum

Andy McConnellAntiques_Roadshow#Ceramics_and_glass: Making glass visible

Andrea S.S. de Camargo: Glass science in Brazil

Courtney Calahoo: Glass: Shaping Lives

Frederik Kotz-Helmer: High-resolution 3D printing and injection molding of fused silica glass

Steve Jung: Future Opportunities for Glass in Healthcare

Leonid Glebov: Photo-Thermo-Refractive Glasses for Advanced Laser Applications

Samuel Poulain: Fluoride glass technologies for XXIst century’s challenges

Falko Langenhorst: Glass in space

Frank Heinricht: Glass – an enabler in life science and pharma

Julian Jones: Bioglass: Glass for regenerative medicine

Peng Shou: Development and Trends of Glass Innovation Under Global Climate Change

Ilkay Sökmen: Glass Creates Value

Florian Kongoli: Sustainability Framework and the Role of Science and Technology

Vitaliano Torno: The role of sustainable glass packaging in the circular economy

Philippe Bastien: Sustainability in the flat glass sector: a solid track record to transform an industry vision into reality

Erik Muijsenberg: Furnace of the future

Srikanth Sastry: Recent advances in glass physics and the glass science landscape in India

Edgar Zanotto: Glass education worldwide through formal courses and research

Márcia Vilarigues: Education in Glass Art and Science - challenges of transdisciplinarity

Corinne Claireaux: Empowering the industry through education and collaboration

Jeffrey Evenson: From Magic to Science…and Back

Kimiake Higuchi: Nature of pâte de verre

Closing session: the event at the United Nation Geneva closed with a discussion on the impact the International Year of Glass will have against the UN Sustainable Development Goals

VITRUM/GIMAV - Dino Zandonella Necca

CTIEC - Peng Shou

AGC - Naoki Sugimoto

Corning - Jeff Evenson

Sisecam - Ahmet Kirman

Reinhard Conradt, President of the ICG

Events

National Day of Glass The North American International Year of Glass Steering Committee hosted the National Day of Glass event, April 5-7, 2022 at The Madison Washington DC. The event featured technical programming and talks from some of the largest companies and biggest minds in the North American glass industry, art community, government agencies, and educational systems who rely on glass.

Welcome to the Glass Age

Photo of the cover of the book "Welcome to the Glass Age" published for the United Nations International Year of Glass 2022. Available in both English and Spanish.

Welcome to the Glass Age is a multi-authored book designed to whet the interest of an intelligent 18 year old; it was printed for the IYOG opening ceremony in Geneva. The 13 chapters were written by experts and explain how glassy artefacts are helping the UN achieve its 2030 humanitarian goals. It is available in English as a free download. The book is also available in Spanish and other translations are being considered.

Grants

There have been two rounds of grants to support glass events in the International Year of Glass and beyond. Nearly Euro 200,000 has been made available from sponsors and supporters of IYoG2022.

References

This article "International Year of Glass" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:International Year of Glass. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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