Renewable Energy Institute today released 'Pathway to Decarbonization of Petrochemicals in Japan: Shifting from Mass Consumption, Creating Carbon Circulation and Enhancing Renewable Energy Deployment' (originally published in Japanese on 12 December 2023).
The industrial sector accounts for 37.8% of Japan's energy-derived CO2 emissions. After the steel industry, the second biggest contributor to these emissions is the petrochemical industry. On top of energy-related emissions, large amounts of CO2 emissions are also generated by the use of petrochemical products and in the process of their waste disposal after use.
The petrochemical industry has long been seen as a “hard-to-abate” sector, but to meet the 1.5°C goal, this sector needs to be decarbonized without delay. Various technologies capable of achieving near zero CO2 emissions are rapidly being developed. The challenge has more to do with the lack of a shared vision of the future among the many stakeholders that need to collaborate on the decarbonization of petrochemicals.
This report shows that decarbonizing the petrochemical industry and its products will require a collaborative effort from various stakeholders across the value chain, not limited to those directly involved in the industry. The report highlights prominent European measures and presents eight recommendations for future policy focus. We hope that this report will stimulate interest in decarbonizing the industrial sector and promote the transition from a society centered on mass consumption to one focused on sustainable consumption and production.
The industrial sector accounts for 37.8% of Japan's energy-derived CO2 emissions. After the steel industry, the second biggest contributor to these emissions is the petrochemical industry. On top of energy-related emissions, large amounts of CO2 emissions are also generated by the use of petrochemical products and in the process of their waste disposal after use.
The petrochemical industry has long been seen as a “hard-to-abate” sector, but to meet the 1.5°C goal, this sector needs to be decarbonized without delay. Various technologies capable of achieving near zero CO2 emissions are rapidly being developed. The challenge has more to do with the lack of a shared vision of the future among the many stakeholders that need to collaborate on the decarbonization of petrochemicals.
This report shows that decarbonizing the petrochemical industry and its products will require a collaborative effort from various stakeholders across the value chain, not limited to those directly involved in the industry. The report highlights prominent European measures and presents eight recommendations for future policy focus. We hope that this report will stimulate interest in decarbonizing the industrial sector and promote the transition from a society centered on mass consumption to one focused on sustainable consumption and production.
<Table of Contents>
Purpose of this Report
Summary
Chapter 1 Petrochemicals and CO2 Emissions
Chapter 2 Moving to Decarbonize Petrochemicals
(1) Reducing production and consumption first
(2) Feedstock transformation: Carbon circulation
(3) Energy transition: Renewables in naphtha cracking and other processes
Chapter 3 Pathway to Decarbonization
Conclusion
