- Home
- About
- Our focus
- The Chemical Industry
The Chemical Industry
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.
Read more
- Events
- News
- Become a member
Net Zero
The chemical industry’s products and technologies will provide the foundation for net zero. We create the advanced materials that seed new low-carbon industries and drive green growth in the UK.
Our Route to Net Zero
The journey for our sector is not a new one. It has already seen us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by over 80% since 1990. But the transition does not stop here. Taking 2018 as our base year, a huge collective effort will be required to halve 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, but above all, access to hydrogen, carbon capture and storage and clean electricity.
The past three decades have seen the UK chemical industry reduce its greenhouse gas footprint by over 80%, predominantly through fuel-switching, emissions abatement and energy efficiency , but also through loss of production. Now the task for the next three decades is transforming how we produce, all whilst remaining globally competitive.
Whether it’s through advanced batteries and hydrogen fuel cells to enable more sustainable mobility, insultation materials to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings or the technological solutions to facilitate the recycling of materials, the CIA will continue to work with the chemical sector and government to do all it can in leading the world’s response to the huge challenges presented by climate change.
Our Route to Net Zero film series
CIA partnered with ITN Productions Industry News to produce a news-style programme exploring how the chemical industry is at the forefront of the new revolution to make products sustainable, vital in helping the UK achieve its net zero target by 2050.
A Diverse Sector
Our sector is diverse, with businesseses at different stages of their own journeys and our response to climate mitigation continues to evolve. A adaptation of chemical business sites and their operations to minimise the risks from projected climate-related severe weather impacts can also make a significant contribution to meeting net zero targets and requires action now to protect businesses.
Innovation
GSK and AstraZeneca’s decarbonisation pathway
Seven major pharmaceutical companies will follow a new joint industry roadmap to net-zero.
LanzaJet and Nova Pangaea’s SAF
Project Speedbird aims to develop SAFs in the UK for commercial use, with construction of a plant in the North East.
Dow’s bio-based approach
Dow is exploring how bio-based plastics can be used in a way that doesn’t compete with other sector’s needs for bio-based feedstocks.
CF Fertiliser Billingham’s CO2
Energy prices forced CF Fertilisers to halt ammonia production at Billingham, now the UK’s food and drink sector is struggling to find CO2.
RWE’s CCUS and hydrogen
Associate member, RWE Hydrogen, is looking at CCUS and hydrogen retrofit at Pembroke gas power plant.
JM’s hydrogen technology
Johnson Matthey (JM) has signed an LCH™ technology license with Equinor and Linde Engineering for the H2H Saltend hydrogen plant.
ExxonMobil backs launch of Solent cluster
A new decarbonisation cluster on England’s south coast, which could store up to 3MtCO2 per year.
INEOS improves energy efficiency
Grangemouth announced a co-funded feasibility study with the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
Industry Commitments
Clariant
Striving towards sustainability leadership in everything we do.
Croda
Reducing our carbon footprint and increasing sustainable innovation.
Dow Chemical
Accelerating our sustainability commitments
Be part of it
Members are invited to get involved with various net zero networks and issue teams, which include the Energy and Climate Change Policy and Net Zero Council sub group
For further information, or to express an interest in joining, please contact Nishma Patel at PatelN@cia.org.uk or Rich Woolley at WoolleyR@cia.org.uk.
Delivering Solutions
Supply chain challenges are not only holding back growth, but threaten to slow down progress against the UK’s net zero commitments and levelling up ambitions.
Reducing CO2
Member companies of the CIA have stated its collective ambition to halve direct emissions by 2034 and further reduce them by 90% by 2050.
Efficient technology
Helping to reduce our resilience on fossil fuel for power and heating through the development of efficient technology for green and blue hydrogen and associated carbon capture, storage and utilisation.
Sustainable
The chemical industry is committed to delivering more sustainable solutions for a cleaner, greener society.
Low carbon
We have an important role to play in moving to low carbon economies – providing coatings for solar panels, lightweight plastics to reduce vehicles’ energy consumption and insulating materials for buildings.
Innovation
It is through our industry’s innovation and technology that will allow other companies and sectors to decarbonise, deliver the UK’s net zero ambitions and ultimately, combat climate change.
EV Batteries
Helping the UK become a global leader in technology and supply of EV batteries.
Reports
Navigating Net Zero
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.
Accelerating Britain’s Net Zero Economy the chemical industry
Close cooperation between Government and business, data driven policy measures and a just transition are key to improving the UK’s business environment for sectors who operate in global markets.
Shale Gas: The Facts
As a major energy user, the UK chemical industry supports the development of unconventional gas (including shale gas) while protecting the environment and ensuring that the public are both safeguarded and receive associated benefits.
Safeguarding chemical businesses in a changing climate
How to prepare a Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Report: Delivering a low carbon future
UK and EU strategies to reduce GHG emissions need to recognise the role we play if the chemical industry’s contribution to the low carbon economy is to be maintained and enhanced.
Tackling climate change through chemistry
The chemical industry is at the forefront of the net zero revolution. Find out about our formula for success and learn from our member case studies showing how companies are achieveing net zero and improving everyday lives.
