Reaching net-zero in the chemical industry—A study of roadmaps for industrial decarbonisation
Kloo, Y. LU ; Nilsson, L. J. LU and Palm, E. LU
(2024)
In Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition
5.
- Abstract
Striving to mitigate climate change, the European Union has adopted net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as a target for 2050. In this paper, European chemical industry roadmaps from the past six years are assessed and compared to uncover how the industry envisions its role in the transition to net-zero emissions. The roadmaps are assessed in terms of ambition level, technology and feedstock strategies, investment needs and costs, agency and dependency on other actors, as well as timeline and concretion. Although net-zero pathways are often drawn out in the roadmaps, some also choose to emphasize and argue for less ambitious pathways with emission reductions of only 40–60 %. The roadmaps vary widely in terms of the importance they assign... (More)
Striving to mitigate climate change, the European Union has adopted net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as a target for 2050. In this paper, European chemical industry roadmaps from the past six years are assessed and compared to uncover how the industry envisions its role in the transition to net-zero emissions. The roadmaps are assessed in terms of ambition level, technology and feedstock strategies, investment needs and costs, agency and dependency on other actors, as well as timeline and concretion. Although net-zero pathways are often drawn out in the roadmaps, some also choose to emphasize and argue for less ambitious pathways with emission reductions of only 40–60 %. The roadmaps vary widely in terms of the importance they assign to mechanical and chemical recycling, switching to biogenic carbon and carbon dioxide as feedstock, electrification and hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage. A commonality though, is that low-tech or near-term mitigation pathways such as demand reduction, reuse or material efficiency are seldom included. High investment needs are generally highlighted, as well as the need for policy to create enabling conditions, whereas the agency and responsibility of the chemical industry itself is downplayed. Our analysis highlights that the chemical industry does not yet have a strong and shared vision for pathways to net-zero emissions. We conclude that such a future vision would benefit from taking a whole value chain approach including demand-side options and consideration of scope 3 emissions.
(Less)
- author
- Kloo, Y.
LU
; Nilsson, L. J.
LU
and Palm, E.
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024-08
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Chemical industry, Industrial decarbonisation, Mitigation pathways, Net-zero emissions, Plastics, Roadmaps
- in
- Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition
- volume
- 5
- article number
- 100075
- pages
- 20 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85182289050
- ISSN
- 2667-095X
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.rset.2023.100075
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors
- id
- 2ce8617d-3c70-4b4d-9b6a-8220bd33af72
- date added to LUP
- 2024-01-29 08:05:26
- date last changed
- 2024-02-09 12:03:26
@article{2ce8617d-3c70-4b4d-9b6a-8220bd33af72,
abstract = {{<p>Striving to mitigate climate change, the European Union has adopted net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as a target for 2050. In this paper, European chemical industry roadmaps from the past six years are assessed and compared to uncover how the industry envisions its role in the transition to net-zero emissions. The roadmaps are assessed in terms of ambition level, technology and feedstock strategies, investment needs and costs, agency and dependency on other actors, as well as timeline and concretion. Although net-zero pathways are often drawn out in the roadmaps, some also choose to emphasize and argue for less ambitious pathways with emission reductions of only 40–60 %. The roadmaps vary widely in terms of the importance they assign to mechanical and chemical recycling, switching to biogenic carbon and carbon dioxide as feedstock, electrification and hydrogen, and carbon capture and storage. A commonality though, is that low-tech or near-term mitigation pathways such as demand reduction, reuse or material efficiency are seldom included. High investment needs are generally highlighted, as well as the need for policy to create enabling conditions, whereas the agency and responsibility of the chemical industry itself is downplayed. Our analysis highlights that the chemical industry does not yet have a strong and shared vision for pathways to net-zero emissions. We conclude that such a future vision would benefit from taking a whole value chain approach including demand-side options and consideration of scope 3 emissions.</p>}},
author = {{Kloo, Y. and Nilsson, L. J. and Palm, E.}},
issn = {{2667-095X}},
keywords = {{Chemical industry; Industrial decarbonisation; Mitigation pathways; Net-zero emissions; Plastics; Roadmaps}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition}},
title = {{Reaching net-zero in the chemical industry—A study of roadmaps for industrial decarbonisation}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rset.2023.100075}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.rset.2023.100075}},
volume = {{5}},
year = {{2024}},
}