Welcome to the May edition of RCI’s monthly newsletter. Our new project, “Exploring Sustainable Feedstock Sources and Biodiversity Protection” is now underway, supported by an active project advisory board. This issue also highlights report summaries from our partner, Renewable Carbon Plastics Magazine, offering concise insights on RCI’s biomass availability and LCA methodologies for quick and easy access to core insights. The first internal RCI Brands meeting explored opportunities for collaboration and alignment across brands under the RCI umbrella. Additionally, gain updates from RCI’s Working Groups on Sustainability and Policy. We have exciting member news: Denmark’s groundbreaking commercial e-methanol plant has officially started operations. Early adopters include RCI member LEGO, alongside major Danish industry leaders Maersk and Novo Nordisk Lastly, our recent webinars on our scientific background reports on biomass supply and LCA standards attracted many participants and sparked lively discussion.
1. New project: Exploring Sustainable Feedstock Sources and Biodiversity Protection (awaiting board approval)
Following its introduction in the March edition, the project on “Exploring Sustainable Feedstock Sources and Biodiversity Protection” officially kicked off on 24 April, 14:00–15:00 CEST with about 20 participants. The internal launch brought together the newly established Project Advisory Board (PAB), which includes member representatives from Arkema, BASF, Beckers, Beiersdorf, Braskem, Continental, Futerro, Henkel, IFF, Lenzing, Neste, Primient Covation, P&G, RWTH ITA, SCG Chemicals, Syensqo, UPM and Vioneo.
Key goals of the project are to investigate how industrial use of biomass, mainly from agriculture and forestry, in the chemical and materials industry can be maximised while minimising impact on biodiversity. Concrete and pragmatic recommendations for cultivation and production of biomass which consider biodiversity shall be developed, with joint input of best practices from RCI members and external experts.
These external biodiversity experts will be brought in via a tender to ensure scientific quality, and a physical workshop with a larger group of relevant stakeholders at the end of the project will validate the findings and recommendations.
2. New Format: RCI Roundtable to put member topics on the table
We are launching a new member-led format for open, focused discussions on key challenges and opportunities around renewable carbon and bio-based materials.
To help us prioritise themes, we invited members to select up to five topics most relevant to their organisations. The first session is scheduled to start in June/July 2025. The survey closed on 2 June 2025 (EOD).
We are currently reviewing the results. Members who proposed the most prioritised topics will be contacted shortly to confirm their interest in joining a session as a speaker and to receive further details. If the highest ranked topics are thematically aligned, we may combine three to four into a single session. Each session will last approximately 60 to 90 minutes.
3. Brands of RCI Meeting: Renewable Carbon heads into mainstream
In April, an internal RCI meeting was held to bring the RCI brands together in an intimate setting. This initiative stems from previous discussions with some of the brands, internal discussions and input from the Board, as well as the importance we place on fostering collaboration within RCI.
The meeting focused on the potential for collaboration and alignment among brands under the RCI umbrella, with discussions on the importance of brands in the value chain and their potential leverage in promoting the shift to renewable carbon. The group also exchanged on the challenges and opportunities related to renewable carbon and alternative materials in their respective businesses, and the implications for brand owners. The conversation ended with discussions on potential areas for collaboration among brands, the need for clear communication with consumers, and the importance of maintaining transparency in the certification process.
We are looking to continue exploring such more focused meetings, both with brands but also for other groups (e.g. start-ups, SMEs, suppliers) in an attempt to better tackle specific issues for parts of the value chain.
Are you exploring defossilisation or fossil-free materials? We invite you to reach out to us!
4. WG Sustainability
We are looking to more actively engage within WG Sustainability in 2025, based on our participation in the Environmental Footprint Technical Advisory Board.
Following a short survey, we have received a broad spectrum of further interesting topic proposals from RCI members, including advanced recycling technologies, design-for-sustainability and circular packaging, carbon and environmental footprinting methodologies, and the evolving regulatory and certification landscape. To facilitate comprehensive and structured discussions, we have cautiously consolidated the feedback into four thematic sessions:
1. Advanced Recycling Technologies and Circular Feedstocks
2. Design-for-Sustainability (DfS) and Circular Packaging
3. Carbon and Environmental Footprinting Methodologies
4. Regulatory and Certification Frameworks for Circularity
These sessions are a first idea of focus topics to be discussed at upcoming WG Sustainability meetings, in order to enable a focused scientific exchange and contribute to advancing the group’s sustainability objectives. But we will continue to elaborate and finetune topics of relevance on which we want to bring together the WG.
5. WG Policy
Follow-up on Publication of “Policy Proposals for Facilitating the Transition to Renewable Carbon”
The RCI Policy Proposals for Facilitating the Transition to Renewable Carbon report has been published and received a great deal of positive feedback, including notable coverage in specialised media outlets.
In June, another visit to EC contacts in Brussels will take place, where the proposals and their consideration in EU policy will be discussed further. The proposals have also been well-noted by the Dutch government, who will consider them for developing concrete policy actions to realise the national vision on sustainable carbon in the chemical industry. We remain in close exchange with the Dutch authorities on this topic. Additionally, a dedicated workshop will be held at the Renewable Materials Conference 2025 in September.
Finally, a concise summary of the policy recommendations is currently in preparation to further support broader dissemination and understanding.
6. Webinar: How Leading LCA Standards Address Renewable Carbon- An RCI Study
On 7 May 2025, a 90-minute webinar was conducted to present the key findings of RCI’s recent study on renewable carbon in LCA standards. The session, attended by 171 participants, facilitated detailed discussions on reviewed LCA frameworks, highlighting areas of convergence (such as biogenic carbon accounting) and divergence (including substitution credits and allocation methods). Feedback from participants indicated strong engagement and interest in the technical content and its practical implications.
The webinar provided an overview of existing provisions and identified gaps within current LCA standards and frameworks, supporting informed application and further development in this area.
The webinar was based on a three-part study released by RCI on 12 March, comprising a technical report on frameworks and guidance (Report 1), an in-depth analysis of renewable carbon in recycling scenarios (Report 2), and a non-technical summary aimed at policy makers and non-specialists (Report 3).
Find the presentation slides here: https://renewable-carbon.eu/publications/product/rci-webinar-lca-approaches-and-methodologies-for-renewable-carbon-pdf/
Find the recording here: https://www.nova-cloud.info/index.php/s/Wkoa7TXjA8ARgnP. Please note: The recording must be downloaded in order to be viewed and will be available on the cloud for one month (until 12 June).
7. Webinar: Joint BIC and RCI Report “Is there Enough Biomass to Defossilise the Chemicals and Derived Materials Sector by 2050?”
A second webinar held on 26 May 2025 attracted considerable attention from stakeholders across industry, academia, and policy, with 76 registered participants. The event focused on the recently published joint study by RCI and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), released in February 2025. The study applied a robust modelling framework to assess biomass availability in Europe and examined a critical question for the future of climate-neutral material production:
Can agricultural and woody biomass together sustainably supply 20% of the global carbon demand of the chemical and derived materials industries by 2050 – up from 5.5% (EU27) and 10% (global) in 2023?
In light of the high level of interest, Michael Carus (CEO, nova-Institute) and Olaf Porc (Economy & Policy Department) hosted the webinar to present an in-depth analysis of the study’s approach and findings. The presentation covered the study’s methodological foundation, modelling assumptions and key conclusions.
The core conclusion: achieving the 20% bio-based carbon supply target by 2050 is not only technically achievable but also compatible with established sustainability criteria. The analysis supports the viability of a transition toward a circular, bio-based economy without exceeding planetary boundaries or compromising food security.
The webinar concluded with a discussion on the broader implications for industrial defossilisation strategies, policy frameworks, and innovation priorities in the bioeconomy sector.
Find the recording here: https://www.nova-cloud.info/index.php/s/YJRB4RCxCE2oSGM
Please note: The recording will be available on the cloud for one month (until 2 July).
8. Report Summaries by RCI Partner Renewable Carbon Plastics Magazine
Our partner Renewable Carbon Plastics Magazine has prepared concise summaries of two recent RCI reports in Renewable Carbon Plastics | bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/25] Vol. 20. These summaries highlight the key findings and conclusions of the full studies, facilitating quicker access to the core scientific insights.
The summaries are available for download in our shop:
Summary of the RCI/BIC study “Is There Enough Biomass to Defossilise the Chemicals and Derived Materials Sector by 2050?”
Summary of RCI Scientific Background Report “Evaluating LCA Approaches and Methodologies for Renewable Carbon Sources”
We encourage you to refer to these documents as accessible entry points into the detailed analyses.
9. Member News: World’s First Commercial e-Methanol Plant Begins Operations in Denmark
The world’s first commercial-scale e-methanol plant is now operational in Kassø, Denmark, marking a key step in the application of Power-to-X (PtX) technologies for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors like shipping and industry.
- A €150 million joint venture between European Energy (51%) and Mitsui & Co. (49%), the plant will produce 42,000 tons of e-methanol annually, using green hydrogen and biogenic CO₂, powered entirely by a 304 MW solar park.
- Waste heat is repurposed for district heating, supplying energy to 3,300 households, exemplifying an integrated, closed-loop system for renewable fuel production.
Several multinational companies have committed to early adoption. Among them is our RCI member LEGO Group:
- LEGO Group plans to use e-methanol as part of efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of its plastic production processes.
- Maersk will use the e-methanol to fuel part of its dual-fuel maritime fleet, including the Laura Maersk, the first container ship to operate on methanol.
- Novo Nordisk aims to integrate e-methanol into its supply chain to reduce Scope 3 emissions in line with corporate climate targets.
These use cases demonstrate the feasibility of substituting fossil-derived methanol and other fuels with synthetic alternatives in industrial and transport applications. This project demonstrates PtX viability at scale, though further cost reductions and capacity expansion are required for broader adoption.
For further information: https://esgnews.com/de/amp/maersk-lego-first-to-source-e-methanol-from-worlds-first-commercial-scale-plant/ (only available in German)
10. Selected ambassador activities
21 May, DBFZ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum in Leipzig
Presentation at the NK2 Network Meeting on “biomass resources for chemical industry” at DBFZ in Leipzig
07 May, Bilateral exchange with Dutch ministries
As part of our regular exchange with the Dutch ministries, we exchanged on the Dutch national vision for sustainable carbon in the chemical industry, on our recent publications on policy proposals, biomass availability, and LCA, and future collaboration and support.
05 May, Workshop on the Bioeconomy Strategy Update
Hosted by DG GROW and DG ENV, the RCI office has been invited to join a strategic workshop to discuss the planned update of the Bioeconomy Strategy. During the workshop, we placed the idea of a high-level commitment on defossilisation as potential instrument for the bioeconomy strategy; and advertised the RCI/BIC study on biomass availability.
Source
Renewable Carbon Initiative, original text, 2023-06-03.
Supplier
A.P. Moller - Maersk
Arkema
BASF Corporation (US)
Beckers Group
Beiersdorf AG
Biobased Industries Consortium (BIC)
Braskem
Continental, Corp.
Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum GmbH (DBFZ)
DG GROW - European Cluster Collaboration Platform
European Energy
Futerro
Government of the Netherlands
Henkel KGaA
IFF: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) – RWTH Aachen
LEGO Group
Lenzing Gruppe
Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Neste Corporation
Novo Nordisk A/S
Primient Covation LLC
Procter & Gamble
Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI)
SCG Chemicals Co., Ltd. SCGC
Syensqo
UPM Corporation
Vioneo
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