European chemical industry’s commitment to Paris agreement

Petrochemicals Europe strongly supports this commitment, all the more so that significant greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction cannot be achieved without petrochemicals.The petrochemical sector has embraced the sustainability challenge and has made substantial increases in production efficiency while steadily decreasing its energy input.  The European chemical sector has managed to decouple production from GHG emissions. Since 1994, it has halved its CO2 emissions while at the same time increasing production by 71%. The EU petrochemical sector is committed to reducing its environmental footprint even more and to pursue its long-term objectives to contribute to a greener world with less GHG emissions and increased energy efficiency.

Furthermore, petrochemicals enable downstream industries to innovate in sustainable technologies. They enhance product lifecycles and increase the durability, flexibility and convenience of products, making materials more light-weighting and efficient. Such innovation may be found in renewable energy, such as windmills and solar panels, insulation materials, etc. A study from the International Council of Chemical Associations shows that for every Giga tone (Gt) CO2 that the chemical industry emits, 2.1 to 2.6 Gt CO2 are saved via products and technologies it provides to other industries or users. Therefore, meeting the EU CO2 reduction targets would not be feasible without the petrochemical industry.

For more information, please read the press release of Cefic.