Toward a defossilized chemical industry – trends in Europe

The chemical sector is th e 4th largest manufacturer in Europe in terms of sales. It employs over 1.2 million people directly, and 3.4 million, if the pharmaceutical sector is included. Chemicals are present in more than 90% of manufactured goods, and almost everything from solar panels to pharmaceuticals is made with the help of chemicals. It is still largely based on fossil raw materials and is a major consumer of fossil resources and energy. Because Europe is committed to reducing CO 2 emissions from fossil sources in the interest of climate protection, the chemical industry must reduce its fossil fuel footprint. Key measures for achieving this goal are the decarbonization of energy and the defossilization of carbon embedded in chemical products. In this brief, we discuss the status and future trends of renewable energy supplies in Europe, including hydrogen, and the status and trends of the development of green carbon chemicals through recycling, bioproduction in biorefineries, and the use of CO 2 as feedstock (CCU, carbon capture and utilization). We also refer to the current approaches to climate neutrality of major chemical producers in Europe.