{"id":102366,"date":"2019-06-06T07:27:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T05:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=102366"},"modified":"2021-12-21T13:15:15","modified_gmt":"2021-12-21T12:15:15","slug":"plastic-climate-the-hidden-costs-of-a-plastic-planet-may-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/plastic-climate-the-hidden-costs-of-a-plastic-planet-may-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet (May 2019)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Amidst growing concern about the impacts of plastic on the oceans, ecosystems, and human health, there\u2019s another largely hidden dimension of the plastic crisis: plastic\u2019s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. This report examines each of these stages of the plastic lifecycle to identify the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, sources of uncounted emissions, and uncertainties that likely lead to underestimation of plastic\u2019s climate impacts. The report compares greenhouse gas emissions estimates against global carbon budgets and emissions commitments, and it considers how current trends and projections will impact our ability to reach agreed emissions targets. It also compiles data, such as downstream emissions and future growth rates, that have not previously been accounted for in widely used climate models. This accounting paints a grim picture: plastic proliferation threatens our planet and the climate at a global scale.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the full report: here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the four-page executive summary: here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the press release: here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n


Executive Summary:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plastic & Climate in English<\/a>\n\u5851\u6599\u4e0e\u5065\u5eb7<\/a> \u2013 Chinese\nEl Plastico y la Salud<\/a> \u2013 Spanish\nPlastik & Klima<\/a> \u2013 German<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Key Figures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Figure 1: Annual Emissions from the Plastic Lifecycle<\/a>
Figure 2: Annual Plastic Emissions to 2050<\/a>
Figure 6: World Plastic Demand May Increase Significantly<\/a>
Figure 8: Emissions Associated with Natural Gas Extraction<\/a>
Figure 9: Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ohio River Valley Petrochemical Buildout<\/a>
Figure 10: Greenhouse Gas Emissions from US Industrial Sites that Produce Ethylene<\/a>
Figure 18: Net CO2 Emissions from Plastic in the EU Could Grow by 76% by 2050<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Table of Contents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Executive Summary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Methodology
Chapter 3: Calculating the Climate Costs of Plastic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Estimates of Cradle-to-Resin Emissions Rates
Previous Efforts to Measure Plastic\u2019s Lifecycle Impact
Plastic Production Growth Estimates 2015\u20132100
Estimating Plastic\u2019s Impact on Global Carbon Budgets<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter 4: Extraction and Transport<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Origins of Plastic: Olefins
The Growth of Petrochemical Production
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Oil and Gas Production for Plastic Feedstocks
Natural Gas in the United States
Greenhouse Gases from Natural Gas Extraction
Hydraulic Fracturing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
  • Venting and Flaring<\/li>
  • Leaking Tanks and Pipelines<\/li>
  • Transport<\/li>
  • Water Hauling<\/li>
  • Waste Disposal<\/li>
  • Other Traffic<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
    Pipeline Construction and Compressor Stations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    • Land Disturbance<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      Natural Gas Storage and Disposal
      Gas Processing
      Case Study: Pennsylvania
      Extraction and Transport Emissions Gaps<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      Chapter 5: Refining and Manufacture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      Challenges of Calculating Emissions from Refining and Manufacture
      Emissions Sources
      Steam Cracking
      Case Study: US Ethylene Production and Projected Expansions
      Resin Manufacturing
      Plastic Product Manufacturing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      • Reducing Emissions in Plastic Manufacturing<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        Chapter 6: Plastic Waste Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        \u201cEnd of Life\u201d is Not End of Impact
        Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Plastic Waste Disposal
        Waste Incineration and Waste-to-Energy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
        • Landfilling<\/li>
        • Recycling<\/li>
        • Other Known Unknowns<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          An Alternative Path: Zero Waste<\/p>\n\n\n\n
          Chapter 7: Plastic in the Environment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          Plastic in the Ocean
          Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Plastic: Hawaii Case Study<\/p>\n\n\n\n
          • Virgin vs. Aged Plastic<\/li>
          • Physical Features<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
            Estimating Direct Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ocean Plastic
            Potential Impact of Microplastic on the Oceanic Carbon Sink
            Reducing the Climate Impact of Plastic in the Environment<\/p>\n\n\n\n
            Chapter 8: Findings and Recommendations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            Plastic and Cumulative Greenhouse Gas Emissions
            Lifecycle Plastic Emissions Relative to Mitigation Scenarios and Carbon Budget Targets
            Recommendations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
            • High-Priority Strategies<\/li>
            • Complementary Interventions<\/li>
            • Low-Ambition Strategies<\/li>
            • False Solutions<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              Recommendations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
              <\/p>\n\n\n\n
              Chapter 9: Conclusions
              Endnotes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
              Amidst growing concern about the impacts of plastic on the oceans, ecosystems, and human health, there\u2019s another largely hidden dimension of the plastic crisis: plastic\u2019s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. This report examines each of these stages of the plastic lifecycle to identify the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, sources […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"New report compares greenhouse gas emissions estimates against global carbon budgets and emissions commitments, and it considers how current trends and projections will impact our ability to reach agreed emissions targets","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[13087,11966],"supplier":[10887],"class_list":["post-102366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-climate","tag-plastics","supplier-center-for-international-environmental-law-ciel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102366\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102366"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=102366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}