Royal Society explores non-fossil feedstocks for chemicals

The Royal Society is exploring the potential to replace fossil feedstocks in chemicals with alternative carbon sources.

The chemical industry is responsible for 6% of global greenhouse emissions, notes Graham Hutchings  CBE FRS, Regius Professor Chemistry at Cardiff University, UK.

The Royal Society's policy briefing, Catalysing change: Defossilising the chemical industry, calls for sources of carbon to make chemicals manufacture net-zero by 2050.

The briefing notes that, unlike other sectors, the chemical industry cannot fully decarbonise as carbon is essential to chemical products.

They have considered biomass, plastic waste and carbon dioxide as alternative sources, but conclude that none of the three sources can deal with all the materials required - a mix will be required.

To make them and use them, more research is needed, says Hutchings.

Research into catalysts, increasing renewable energy and access to green hydrogen is also needed, the report says.