Belgium – The EU Chemical Industry Transition Pathway was made public by the European Commission. This is a road map for the sector to accomplish the objectives of the European Green Deal.
With the support of this roadmap, the chemical industry will be better able to take the necessary steps to become carbon neutral, circular, and more digital by 2050. For this shift to be viable, the industry anticipates that additional expenditures in the tens of billions of euros will be needed. According to Martin Brudermüller, CEO of Basf and president of Cefic, the European advocacy organization for the chemical industry, the release of the roadmap is a significant milestone that offers clarity, perspective, and direction on how the industry can accomplish those goals.
About 200 specific steps that the EU, Member States, and industry must do to guarantee a smooth transition are outlined in the Transition Pathway. The paper, in accordance with Cefic, strengthens the European chemical industry and gives the sector assurance that Europe is the best place to invest.
Rapid response
A document with steps that should help modernize European industry was already released by the EC in 2020. However, the financial crisis and the war in Ukraine made it need to move more quickly. The European Commission began creating a transition plan in the spring of 2022. Together with Member States, the chemical industry, social partners, civil society organizations, and universities, this plan was created.
Concrete action
The result is a list of subjects and specific tasks that each of the relevant actors must do. Collaboration in the area of innovation, the availability of renewable energy, and the diversity of raw materials will be the three primary topics that will be covered. The industry should concentrate on electrification, hydrogen, biomass, waste, CCU/CCS, and process efficiency in terms of technology. It is necessary to evaluate the regulations governing chemical industry research and innovation, digitization, and sustainable development.
