Showing 21–36 of 36
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Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) Shapes the Future of the Chemicals and Materials Sector
Markets & Economy, Policy
3 Pages
125 Downloads125 Downloads
2023-07
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DownloadsFrom international brands to leading chemical and bioeconomy companies to innovative start-ups for CO2 utilisation, companies are collaborating to guide a smart transition from fossil carbon to renewable carbon. The Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) (www.renewable-carbon-initiative.com) was created after observing the struggles of the chemical and material industriesin facing the enormous challenges to meet the climate goals set by the European Union and the sustainability expectations held by societies around the globe. It was clear that the industry has to go beyond using renewable energy and also consider their raw materials. Because decarbonisation is not an option for the chemical and material sector, as it is entirely based on the use of carbon, an alternative strategy is required: defossilisation through renewable carbon – carbon from above the ground: biomass, CO2 and recycling.
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RCI’s scientific background paper: “Making a case for Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) – It is much more than just a carbon removal technology” (July 2023)
Markets & Economy, Policy, Sustainability & Health, Technology
48 Pages
1645 Downloads1645 Downloads
2023-07
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DownloadsThis scientific background paper highlights the importance of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) and the need for more political recoginition and support for CCU.
CCU enables the substitution of fossil carbon in sectors where carbon is necessary, supports the full defossilisation of the chemical and derived material industries, creates a circular economy, reduces the emission gap, promotes sustainable carbon cycles, fosters innovation, generates local value and stimulates job growth.
CCU is much more than a carbon removal technology: the technology offers multiple solutions to pressing problems of our modern world and can support several Sustainable Development Goals if implemented properly.
In total, 14 different benefits and advantages of CCU are described and discussed in the paper. A key advantage is that CCU supplies renewable carbon to – and thereby substitutes fossil carbon in – sectors that will require carbon in the long run. This includes the chemical sectors and products like polymers, plastics, solvents, paints, detergents, cosmetics or pharmaceuticals. But CCU is also essential to a long-term net-zero strategy, crucial for creating a sustainable circular economy, providing solutions for scaling up the renewable energy system, and bringing multiple benefits for innovation and business.
The relevance of the technology is not yet accepted in Europe, but the RCI wants to make a very clear statement: CCU is a central pillar for the biggest transformation of the chemical and material industry since the industrial revolution.
DOI No.: https://doi.org/10.52548/VYKR3129
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164 Downloads
2023-07
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164
DownloadsThis short document contains seven key policy messages the RCI advocates for to shape the future of the chemical and material industry. These seven messages are:
- Renewable carbon and comprehensive carbon management need to become integral guiding principles of policies to achieve truly sustainable carbon cycles.
- Adopt a precise definition of “non-fossil, sustainable” carbon and then adopt a legally binding target for 20% sustainable, non-virgin-fossil carbon content
- Suitable measures to support the 20% goal would be
- material- and product focused policies that promote all three renewable carbon sources,
- CCU receiving at least the same support as CCS and
- recognition and promotion of chemical recycling technologies
- Support the transformation of existing chemical infrastructure from fossil to renewable carbon and support the transformation of biofuels plants into chemical suppliers
- Support the massive expansion of renewable energies
- Develop standards, certificates and labels for renewable carbon
- Phase out financial support, tax advantages and tax exemptions for fossil feedstocks
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RCI’s scientific background report: “The use of food and feed crops for bio-based materials and the related effects on food security – Promoting evidence-based debates and recognising potential benefits” (June 2023) Long Version
Markets & Economy, Policy, Sustainability & Health, Technology
36 Pages
1296 Downloads1296 Downloads
2023-06
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1296
DownloadsPromoting Evidence-based Debates and Recognising Potential Benefits
This scientific paper highlights new insights into a hotly debated topic and urges for careful and evidence-based debates.
The paper aims to show that the well-known biomass debate is flawed, subjective and not fully based on evidence. What is detrimental to food security are, according to the World Food Programme in 2023, climate change, conflict, extreme inequalities in wealth distribution, heavy dependence on food imports from industrial countries, overconsumption of meat, losses along the value chain and the impact of the COVID pandemic. Competition between biomass uses is not mentioned among the relevant causes.
The use of biomass for industrial applications, does have the potential to replace fossil feedstocks and thus contribute to the urgently needed reduction of fossil carbon emissions into our atmosphere to mitigate climate change.
While not denying the dire need to combat world hunger, the authors of the paper argue that using food and feed crops for chemicals and materials will not necessarily exacerbate food insecurity, and in fact has the potential to cause multiple benefits for local and global food security, climate mitigation and other factors:
- The climate wins – Bio-based materials are part of the solution to achieve climate change mitigation.
- Land productivity wins – The competition between applications is not for the type of crop grown, but for the land.
- The environment wins – due to increased resource efficiency and productivity of food and feed crops.
- Farmers win – because they have more options for selling stock to different markets.
- Market stability wins – due to increased global availability of food and feed crops.
- Feed security wins – due to the high value of the protein-rich co-products of food and feed crops.
- Food security wins – due to the increased overall availability of edible crops that can be stored and flexibly distributed.
DOI No.: https://doi.org/10.52548/WQXU7327
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RCI’s position paper: “Commission proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation” (May 2023)
Policy
3 Pages
263 Downloads263 Downloads
2023-05
FREE
263
DownloadsThis position paper highlights chances for the EU to lead the way to a sustainable packaging industry and to promote innovation
In November 2022, the Commission adopted the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on packaging and packaging waste, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC. The proposed regulation includes several rules that would – if implemented – push for a much stronger circular economy in the packaging sector, due to higher re-use and refill quotas, higher use of recycled materials and mandatory composting of certain hard-to-recycle products.
The Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) welcomes this proposal and wants to offer several suggestions to strengthen it further and get implementation closer to the market realities of Europe.
1. Set ambitious targets for all types of renewable content:
A complementary renewable content target should be added to the proposal promoting the use of bio- and CO2-based feedstocks in packaging similar to recycling.2. Keep Article 8 as it is – scientific evidence shows that these products offer true environmental benefits from being compostable
The proposal, following scientific evidence, requires that certain types of tea and coffee packaging, sticky labels attached to fruit and vegetables as well as very lightweight plastic carrier bags shall be compostable in industrially controlled conditions in bio-waste treatment facilities.3. Support the market uptake of all state-of-the-art recycling technologies
To actually achieve the ambitious recycling quotas and recycled content targets, technologies will have to evolve. Advanced recycling technologies (i.e. depolymerisation) are key. -
RCI’s position paper: “Communication on sustainable carbon cycles” (April 2023)
Policy
7 Pages
532 Downloads532 Downloads
2023-04
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DownloadsThe RCI, an interest group of leading companies and pioneers from the chemical and material sector, has a rich history of advocating for policies acknowledging the indispensable need of carbon in a broad range of chemical and material industries. The Communication on Sustainable Carbon Cycles, as published in December 2021, is a milestone in European policy as it acknowledges exactly this value of carbon as a feedstock and its unavoidability for certain sectors. The recently published position paper of the RCI highlights why this is an important step in the right direction and asks policy makers for effective follow-up.
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Letter to the Commission on the definition of natural polymers in the REACH microplastics restriction
Policy, Sustainability & Health
4 Pages
436 Downloads436 Downloads
2023-02
FREE
436
DownloadsSix leading associations and stakeholders from the chemicals, polymers and plastics sectors – namely BioChem Europe (a sector group of Cefic), EDANA, EuropaBio, European BioPlastics, GO!PHA and Renewable Carbon Initiative) – express in this letter their specific concerns about the proposed definition of “natural polymers” and its impact on biopolymers in the context of the REACH restriction on microplastics.
Under the coordination of the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) they ask the European Commission in a letter “that in the adoption of the text of the Synthetic Polymer Microparticles restrictions (REACH Microplastics Restriction), the European Commission should not use the definition of ‘natural polymer’ which refers to a polymerisation process that takes place in nature.“
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RCI’s position paper: “Mass Balance and Free Attribution” (October 2022)
Policy, Sustainability & Health
4 Pages
624 Downloads624 Downloads
2022-12
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DownloadsThis position paper highlights the importance of mass balance and free attribution “MBFA” as one possible way to incentivise the transformation of the chemical sector away from fossil and on towards renewable carbon.
The term “mass balance” has become established to describe systems in which biomass, CO2 and secondary materials are used as a feedstock, but is not or not fully physically traced to the end product . It is common practice in many value chains in which large scale capacities are involved in one or more steps of the value chain that require mixing the sustainable with conventional material to fill the capacity. The approach makes it possible to substitute large quantities of fossil raw materials and attractive renewable content shares can be attributed to desired materials or products for which demand on the market exists. This incentivises a stepwise continuous transformation to increase the share of renewable carbon in particular for the large-scale chemical industry
However, the term “mass balance” is somewhat unfortunate because it is too general, and does not mention the essence of the method: the free attribution of the bio-based, CO2-based or chemically recycled share in the feedstock mix to certain selected end products.
The RCI recommends to only speak of “mass balance and free attribution (MBFA)” when talking about such cases, as this is how the complete method and its two central parts are referred to. This is transparent and honest, building trust from customers, end consumers and society in general. Both, mass balance and the free attribution are based on solid and established certifications.
Besides terminology, there is still a need for regulatory harmonisation between the schemes of the existing certification systems. MBFA cannot only be applied for bio-based feedstock, but also for CO/CO2 or feedstock from chemical recycling, both will gain strongly in importance in the coming years. Every MBFA scheme should cover these three renewable feedstocks: biomass, CO/CO2 and recycling.
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RCI’s position paper: “Draft EU policy framework on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics” (October 2022)
Policy, Sustainability & Health
5 Pages
515 Downloads515 Downloads
2022-10
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DownloadsThe Commission is currently preparing a “Policy framework on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics.” The framework was announced in the Circular Economy Action Plan and is part of the Plastics Strategy for Circular Economy. It aims at developing guidance on the “sourcing, labelling and use of bio-based plastics, based on assessing where the use of bio-based feedstock results in genuine environmental benefits, going beyond reduction in using fossil resources” and on the “use of biodegradable or compostable plastics, based on an assessment of the applications where such use can be beneficial to the environment, and of the criteria for such applications”. While publication is planned for late 2022, the Renewable Carbon Initiative took the opportunity to comment on the draft from summer 2022.
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Erneuerbarer Kohlenstoff – Schlüssel zur Zukunft (PDF)
Policy, Sustainability & Health, Technology
2 Pages
337 Downloads337 Downloads
2022-07
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DownloadsDie chemische Industrie steht aktuell vor einer Vielzahl an Herausforderungen, aus denen eine neue, nachhaltige Chemie erwachsen kann – wenn die große Transformation in den nächsten Jahrzehnten gelingt. Und das muss sie!
Quelle: „Erneuerbarer Kohlenstoff – Schlüssel zur Zukunft“ – aus CHEManager 7/2022
https://www.chemanager-online.com/news/erneuerbarer-kohlenstoff-schluessel-zur-zukunft -
RCI’s scientific background report: “CO2 reduction potential of the chemical industry through CCU” (May 2022)
Sustainability & Health, Technology
28 Pages
1834 Downloads1834 Downloads
2022-05
FREE
1834
DownloadsIn an exploratory scenario, this study investigates the CO₂ emission reductions that can be achieved in the global chemical and derived material industries if the entire demand for embedded carbon is met solely and exclusively via CO₂ instead of from fossil sources. Major simplifications are used to achieve transparency and comprehensibility of the issue. Methanol (CH3OH) is considered to cover the needs for hydrocarbons for chemicals and derived materials among the various chemical intermediates as a representative pathway for renewable carbon. It is a plausible scenario to assign methanol a central role in supplying the chemical industry of the future.
The GHG emissions of CCU-based methanol could be 67 to 77 % lower compared to emissions from releasing embedded carbon of fossil fuels, when using current energy supply based on photovoltaics. With improvements in renewable energy production, the reduction could increase to levels between 96 and 100 %.
DOI No.: https://doi.org/10.52548/UTRL5869
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RCI’s scientific background report: “Renewable carbon as a guiding principle for sustainable carbon cycles” (February 2022)
Policy, Sustainability & Health
41 Pages
2839 Downloads2839 Downloads
2022-02
FREE
2839
DownloadsWhy it is right to choose renewable carbon as a guiding principle for sustainable development in the chemicals and materials sectors.
The Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) publishes this fundamental strategy paper on the defossilisation of the chemical and material industry with eleven policy recommendations. The Renewable Carbon Initiative is an interest group of more than 30 well-known companies from the wide field of the chemical and material value chains. (www.renewable-carbon-initiative.com)Read more here: https://renewable-carbon-initiative.com/media/press/?id=315
DOI No.: https://doi.org/10.52548/QUHG1295
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Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) draws worldwide attention (PDF)
Policy, Sustainability & Health
2 Pages
283 Downloads283 Downloads
2021-11
FREE
283
DownloadsThe climate crisis is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, with global warming, greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation leading to food insecurity, global health problems and biodiversity loss. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of carbon-containing fossil energy sources such as oil, coal and natural gas have been shown to be a major contributor to climate change. Thus, for decades the focus of climate protection has been predominantly on the energy sector. A new initiative is now expanding this view. Learn about the history and activities of the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI).
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Renewable Energy and Renewable Carbon for a Sustainable Future − Graphic
Markets & Economy, Policy, Sustainability & Health, Technology
1 Page
1853 Downloads1853 Downloads
2020-09
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1853
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nova-Paper #12: Renewable Carbon – Key to a Sustainable and Future-oriented Chemical and Plastic Industry − Full version
Policy
25 Pages
4836 Downloads4836 Downloads
2020-09
FREE
4836
Downloads -
nova-Paper #10: Renewable Carbon is Key to a Sustainable and Future-Oriented Chemical Industry − Full version
Markets & Economy, Policy
11 Pages
2170 Downloads2170 Downloads
2018-08
FREE
2170
Downloads