The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is fundamental to modern society. With an immense variety of products, from vital medicines and foods, the construction of buildings, to transport and leisure, the industry truly does have an impact on virtually every aspect of our daily lives.
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The journey to net zero began over three decades ago for the chemicals sector, seeing a reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% since 1990.
This long-standing and continuous effort in driving down emissions has also seen a joint Industry-Government Industrial Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency Roadmap Action Plan – a voluntary but important framework for driving both energy efficient and wider decarbonisation improvements.
We all know however that it does not and must not stop here. In 2019 the UK Government committed to a net zero target by 2050 needing a huge collaborative effort to meet this ambitious but necessary goal. For the chemicals sector this will mean halving our remaining CO2 emissions by 2034 and to further reduce them by 90% by 2050.
This will require us building on our energy efficiency progress, enabling circularity, and, critically, securing access to sufficient hydrogen, carbon capture and storage and clean electricity.
Industry collaboration and, in particular, learning, are always central to our success. With this in mind, my thanks go to Inspired PLC for developing this toolkit, aimed at providing advice to chemical companies, all of whom are at various stages of their decarbonisation journey. I hope you and your business find this a useful resource and do please get in touch with any queries, suggestions or feedback.
Each and every stakeholder has a role in transitioning to a cleaner and greener economy. For the chemicals sector this goes beyond transforming our own businesses, providing innovative products and technologies to underpin the UK’s collective net zero transition. Whether it’s through advanced batteries and hydrogen fuel cells to enable more sustainable mobility, insulation materials to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings or the technological solutions to facilitate the recycling of materials, the chemical sector will continue to do all it can in leading the world’s response to the huge challenges presented by climate change.
Achieving Net Zero: Chief Executive Steve Elliott Where are you on your journey?
1: Baselining emissions
2: Setting Targets
3: Creating A Net Zero Strategy
4: Developing A Near Term Carbon Action Plan
5: Implementing Your Carbon Action Plan
Net Zero Strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
Call to Action
Industry collaboration and, in particular, learning, are always central to our success. Find out how.
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The CIA has worked with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help inform and develop one element of the Act, the ‘British Supercharger’ policy support package, to deliver a meaningful and permanent solution to the high electricity prices faced by domestic manufacturers.
