Why sustainable chemicals matter?
Chemicals are the building blocks of modern life. Around 96% of all manufactured products, from clothes and furniture to medicine, electronics, and cars, rely on chemical products. With the right design, chemicals can unlock new capabilities in materials and drive innovation across industries.
But as the world pushes toward climate neutrality, the chemical sector faces a major challenge: most raw materials still come from fossil sources like oil, gas, and coal. This creates substantial emissions throughout the value chain, not only from production but also from the raw materials used and how products are treated at end-of-life.
Carbon will remain the foundation of most chemicals but where that carbon comes from must change. Unlike sectors that can decarbonize through electrification, chemistry needs to re-carbonize using biogenic and recycled sources.
Today’s market regulations pull sustainable carbon away from chemicals and materials slowing down the . Most of it is diverted into fuels and energy, slowing down progress toward a truly circular carbon cycle. To reach global climate goals, sustainable chemicals must play a central role. The chemical industry will be crucial in enabling industries to innovate while reducing environmental impact. By making sustainable carbon accessible on competitive terms, the chemicals sector can accelerate innovation and contribute meaningfully to climate neutrality.
Learn more Perstorp’s positions on the needed qualified solutions here, which are being discussed within the Critical Chemical Alliance work on Lead Markets.