The chemical industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions due to its reliance on fossil-based feedstocks, energy-intensive processing routes, and long-lived capital infrastructure. Achieving international climate targets therefore requires deep decarbonisation across the entire chemical value chain, a transition complicated by technological limitations, economic risks, and systemic operational barriers. This article critically evaluates key emission-reduction pathways, including electrification of process heat, substitution of fossil resources with bio-based and renewable alternatives, deployment of green hydrogen, carbon capture utilisation and storage strategies, and the adoption of circular production models supported by advanced process intensification. Emphasis is placed on integrating digital optimisation, life-cycle thinking, and resource efficiency to enhance sustainability performance without compromising productivity or product quality. The discussion also examines enabling factors such as policy incentives, carbon pricing mechanisms, industrial symbiosis, and collaborative innovation ecosystems that accelerate commercial deployment of low-carbon technologies. Persistent constraints are analysed, including capital investment challenges, infrastructure readiness, supply chain transformation, and uncertainties surrounding technology maturity and scale-up feasibility. By synthesising recent technological developments with strategic industrial priorities, the article outlines practical transition pathways that allow chemical manufacturers to remain economically competitive while aligning with net-zero ambitions. Overall, it provides a comprehensive framework for guiding stakeholders toward resilient, low-carbon, and resource-efficient chemical manufacturing systems capable of meeting future global demand responsibly. It further highlights workforce reskilling, cross-sector electrification linkages, transparent sustainability metrics, and robust techno-economic assessment methodologies as essential components for informed decision-making, risk mitigation, and long-term industrial transformation planning across global chemical clusters worldwide.Keywords: Decarbonisation, the chemical industry, green hydrogen, electrification, carbon capture and use (CCU), sustainable feedstocks, and the industrial energy transition

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Teske S, Niklas S, Talwar S, Atherton A. 1.5 C pathways for the Global Industry Classification (GICS) sectors chemicals, aluminium, and steel. SN Appl Sci. 2022 Apr;4(4):125.
2. Barecka MH, Ager JW, Lapkin AA. Carbon neutral manufacturing via on-site CO₂ recycling. iScience. 2021 Jun 25;24(6).
3. Bommareddy RR, Wang Y, Pearcy N, Hayes M, Lester E, Minton NP, Conradie AV. A sustainable chemicals manufacturing paradigm using CO₂ and renewable H₂. iScience. 2020 Jun 26;23(6).
4. Yadav VG, Yadav GD, Patankar SC. The production of fuels and chemicals in the new world: critical analysis of the choice between crude oil and biomass vis-à-vis sustainability and the environment. Clean Technol Environ Policy. 2020 Nov;22(9):1757–74.
5. Gallo JM, Trapp MA. The chemical conversion of biomass-derived saccharides: An overview. J Braz Chem Soc. 2017;28:1586–607.
6. Rego de Vasconcelos B, Lavoie JM. Recent advances in power-to-X technology for the production of fuels and chemicals. Front Chem. 2019 Jun 5;7:454241
7. Schmidt TS. Spurring low-carbon electrosynthesis through energy and innovation policy. iScience. 2021 Feb 19;24(2).
8. Diab GA, da Silva MA, Rocha GF, Noleto LF, Rogolino A, de Mesquita JP, Jiménez-Calvo P, Teixeira IF. A Solar to Chemical Strategy: Green Hydrogen as a Means, Not an End. Glob Chall. 2024 Jun;8(6):2300185.
9. Ioannou I, Javaloyes-Antón J, Caballero JA, Guillen-Gosalbez G. Economic and environmental performance of an integrated CO₂ refinery. ACS Sustain Chem Eng. 2023 Jan 26;11(5):1949–61.
10. Bains P, Psarras P, Wilcox J. CO₂ capture from the industry sector. Prog Energy Combust Sci. 2017 Nov 1;63:146–72.
11. Castillo-Castillo A, Angelis-Dimakis A. Policy analysis and recommendations for EU CO2 utilisation policies. InCEST2017-15th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology 2017 Aug 31.
12. Summerton L, Clark JH, Hurst GA, Ball PD, Rylott EL, Carslaw N, Creasey J, Murray J, Whitford J, Dobson B, Sneddon HF. Industry-informed workshops to develop graduate skill sets in the circular economy using systems thinking. J Chem Educ. 2019 Nov 1;96(12):2959–67.
13. Luh S, Budinis S, Giarola S, Schmidt TJ, Hawkes A. Long-term development of the industrial sector–case study about electrification, fuel switching, and CCS in the USA. Comput Chem Eng. 2020 Feb 2;133:106602.
14. Sankaran K. Renewable methanol from industrial carbon emissions: A dead end or sustainable way forward? ACS Omega. 2023 Jul 31;8(32):29189–201.

The chemical industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions due to its reliance on fossil-based feedstocks, energy-intensive processing routes, and long-lived capital infrastructure. Achieving international climate targets therefore requires deep decarbonisation across the entire chemical value chain, a transition complicated by technological limitations, economic risks, and systemic operational barriers. This article critically evaluates key emission-reduction pathways, including electrification of process heat, substitution of fossil resources with bio-based and renewable alternatives, deployment of green hydrogen, carbon capture utilisation and storage strategies, and the adoption of circular production models supported by advanced process intensification. Emphasis is placed on integrating digital optimisation, life-cycle thinking, and resource efficiency to enhance sustainability performance without compromising productivity or product quality. The discussion also examines enabling factors such as policy incentives, carbon pricing mechanisms, industrial symbiosis, and collaborative innovation ecosystems that accelerate commercial deployment of low-carbon technologies. Persistent constraints are analysed, including capital investment challenges, infrastructure readiness, supply chain transformation, and uncertainties surrounding technology maturity and scale-up feasibility. By synthesising recent technological developments with strategic industrial priorities, the article outlines practical transition pathways that allow chemical manufacturers to remain economically competitive while aligning with net-zero ambitions. Overall, it provides a comprehensive framework for guiding stakeholders toward resilient, low-carbon, and resource-efficient chemical manufacturing systems capable of meeting future global demand responsibly. It further highlights workforce reskilling, cross-sector electrification linkages, transparent sustainability metrics, and robust techno-economic assessment methodologies as essential components for informed decision-making, risk mitigation, and long-term industrial transformation planning across global chemical clusters worldwide.Keywords: Decarbonisation, the chemical industry, green hydrogen, electrification, carbon capture and use (CCU), sustainable feedstocks, and the industrial energy transition

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Teske S, Niklas S, Talwar S, Atherton A. 1.5 C pathways for the Global Industry Classification (GICS) sectors chemicals, aluminium, and steel. SN Appl Sci. 2022 Apr;4(4):125.
2. Barecka MH, Ager JW, Lapkin AA. Carbon neutral manufacturing via on-site CO₂ recycling. iScience. 2021 Jun 25;24(6).
3. Bommareddy RR, Wang Y, Pearcy N, Hayes M, Lester E, Minton NP, Conradie AV. A sustainable chemicals manufacturing paradigm using CO₂ and renewable H₂. iScience. 2020 Jun 26;23(6).
4. Yadav VG, Yadav GD, Patankar SC. The production of fuels and chemicals in the new world: critical analysis of the choice between crude oil and biomass vis-à-vis sustainability and the environment. Clean Technol Environ Policy. 2020 Nov;22(9):1757–74.
5. Gallo JM, Trapp MA. The chemical conversion of biomass-derived saccharides: An overview. J Braz Chem Soc. 2017;28:1586–607.
6. Rego de Vasconcelos B, Lavoie JM. Recent advances in power-to-X technology for the production of fuels and chemicals. Front Chem. 2019 Jun 5;7:454241
7. Schmidt TS. Spurring low-carbon electrosynthesis through energy and innovation policy. iScience. 2021 Feb 19;24(2).
8. Diab GA, da Silva MA, Rocha GF, Noleto LF, Rogolino A, de Mesquita JP, Jiménez-Calvo P, Teixeira IF. A Solar to Chemical Strategy: Green Hydrogen as a Means, Not an End. Glob Chall. 2024 Jun;8(6):2300185.
9. Ioannou I, Javaloyes-Antón J, Caballero JA, Guillen-Gosalbez G. Economic and environmental performance of an integrated CO₂ refinery. ACS Sustain Chem Eng. 2023 Jan 26;11(5):1949–61.
10. Bains P, Psarras P, Wilcox J. CO₂ capture from the industry sector. Prog Energy Combust Sci. 2017 Nov 1;63:146–72.
11. Castillo-Castillo A, Angelis-Dimakis A. Policy analysis and recommendations for EU CO2 utilisation policies. InCEST2017-15th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology 2017 Aug 31.
12. Summerton L, Clark JH, Hurst GA, Ball PD, Rylott EL, Carslaw N, Creasey J, Murray J, Whitford J, Dobson B, Sneddon HF. Industry-informed workshops to develop graduate skill sets in the circular economy using systems thinking. J Chem Educ. 2019 Nov 1;96(12):2959–67.
13. Luh S, Budinis S, Giarola S, Schmidt TJ, Hawkes A. Long-term development of the industrial sector–case study about electrification, fuel switching, and CCS in the USA. Comput Chem Eng. 2020 Feb 2;133:106602.
14. Sankaran K. Renewable methanol from industrial carbon emissions: A dead end or sustainable way forward? ACS Omega. 2023 Jul 31;8(32):29189–201.