Energy and Climate Change

Climate change is a global challenge that requires long-term commitment and action by every segment of society.  A combination of technology, market-based and policy solutions will be necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and achieve climate goals, such as those of the Paris Agreement.

The chemical industry and innovations in chemistry are part of the climate change solution.  As a significant manufacturing sector, we are continuously improving the energy efficiency and intensity of our own operations. And are putting our brightest minds to work developing transformational technologies that cut emissions and improve energy efficiency both within our industry and throughout the value chain, to enable a socially, environmentally and economically sustainable future.

Read our Full Climate Policy Statement

Our Contributions to Sustainability

We are directly contributing to most of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (sdgs)

  • Chemistry enables adequate food supplies, clean water, medical advancements, comfortable living standards, and a healthy environment for a growing population.
  • Chemistry creates irreplaceable components for advanced building materials and batteries, wind turbine blades, solar panels, electric and high efficiency vehicles, and lightweight options that improve energy efficiency and reduce GHG emissions. Many chemical products also provide solutions to become more resilient to a changing climate.

We are assessing the potential of chemical solutions to mitigate climate change

  • ICCA has commissioned a series of reports and case studies to uncover the most promising pathways to lower GHG emissions using chemistry. The chemical industry presents significant potential towards a low-carbon society in creating innovations with partners throughout the value chains of other sectors.

We are reducing our own GHG emissions as part of Responsible Care®

The chemical industry aims to:

  • Reduce its own emissions by improving its catalytic processes, switching to renewable energy and alternative raw materials; and
  • Encourage the use of chemical products that create a net emission reduction along the value chain. Responsible Care has been implemented by 62 chemical associations in nearly 70 economies around the world.

We are building capacity to improve company performance in reducing GHG emissions

  • ICCA is helping to strengthen the skills, processes, and resources of companies as they strive to achieve their sustainability goals.
  • Our effort includes outreach and assistance to chemical industry representatives in developing countries in the field of Carbon Life Cycle Assessments (cLCA) and methodologies for calculating GHG emissions.

We are engaging the international community

The chemical industry believes that the answer toward tackling climate change is to have:

  • Ongoing global and regional dialogues to share experiences and best practices;
  • Constructive climate diplomacy; and collaboration between industry, governments, stakeholders and communities. ICCA has participated in UN activities such as the Conference of Parties (COP) climate meetings and the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) sessions on the UN SDGs.

We are advocating for effective climate policies

As per our Climate Policy Statement, ICCA supports policies which:

  • Achieve net global GHG reductions and avoid shifting emissions between regions or countries – known as carbon leakage
  • Include transparent monitoring, reporting and verification systems (MRV); and
  • Establish transparent, predictable, technology-neutral economic signals to facilitate lower GHG emissions. For instance, incentives to support new technologies toward commercialization.

Our Partners in Sustainability

Achieving ambitious sustainability goals requires that industry, governments, academia and others work together. Our partners in sustainability have played a key role in helping industry improve the way we assess our environmental performance, and they have helped us better identify and communicate the vast potential chemical products hold in helping countries meet and exceed their sustainability objectives.

Visualizing Our Best Practice

Through chemistry innovations and our actions, we contribute to sustainability & energy efficiency.

Solutions for a Sustainable Future

Chemistry, vital to our way of life, helps society boost energy efficiency and cut GHG emissions.

Measuring Avoided Emissions

The chemical industry measures the potential of new technologies to avoid emissions. We use and promote robust measurement and LCAs to do so.

Teaming Up with Other Sectors

Energy is used to heat, cool and power buildings. Products that depend on chemistry can enable significant reductions in energy use and GHG emissions in the buildings sector.