EU strategy on sustainable carbon cycles is a major opportunity

Brussels, 15 December – The European Commission has published an initiative on restoring sustainable carbon cycles. Marco Mensink, Cefic Director General, said:

Sustainable carbon cycles will be key towards 2050. As you can see in the new EU strategy, the chemical industry plays a central role. We have already made significant progress in reducing carbon intensity, notably through energy efficiency. Through recycling, we can close the remaining carbon loops. For example, re-using the emissions of other industries can bring valuable feedstocks to our sector, adding to the opportunity. In the longer term, using carbon directly captured from the air, we can create the chemistry of the future and reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere at the same time. We find this field very exciting. Carbon is and will remain at the very heart of our value chains, embedded in chemicals that make the materials and consumer products we all use. Securing access to alternative carbon sources from waste, industrial processes, and bio-based resources is an absolute necessity to achieve the ultimate goal of climate neutral value chains. An area to work on soon is the definitions and accounting frameworks that allow the industry to move forward fast.