International Council of Chemical Associations Statement on Climate Neutrality

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ICCA, the global voice of the chemical industry, fully supports the Paris Agreement and the ambition to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century. The chemicals and materials manufacturers ICCA represents are committed to being part of the solution to global climate change in two ways:

  1. By working to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with our own operations; and
  2. By enabling the entire manufacturing value chain including the building and construction, energy, transportation and consumer goods sectors and even individual consumers, to reduce their own GHG footprints through the use of the energy-saving and emissions-reducing technologies and materials produced or made possible by chemical innovations.

Founded on the world’s most essential and innovative science, the chemical industry is uniquely positioned to develop products and technologies contributing to mitigating climate change and enhancing circularity and sustainability.

ICCA welcomes the pledges from chemical companies, along with local and regional associations, to work toward climate neutrality, showing the industry is already on the path to address the climate predictions of the August 2021 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The chemical industry through its unique innovation potential is a solution provider and enables a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable future.

As a significant manufacturing sector, we are continuously improving the GHG footprint of our operations to develop transformational technologies that reduce emissions, enable circularity, improve energy efficiency along the value chain, and contribute to GHG abatement in other sectors. We are increasingly using alternative and renewable feedstock sources like biomass, CO2, residues, and waste as raw material. To implement these solutions, the global chemical industry will require low carbon energy at competitive costs and massive investments into breakthrough innovations.

ICCA believes that a combination of technology, market-based and policy solutions are necessary to achieve climate neutrality. Internationally harmonized rules and public support will be needed to create a level-playing field for companies to sustain the additional cost of R&D investments and capital and operational expenditures. Enhanced transparency to demonstrate achieved emission reductions along the value chain will be a key contributor to a climate neutral economy.

A strong collaboration between the whole value chain, industry, governments, stakeholders, consumers, and communities at local, regional, and global level is necessary to identify and overcome technological, economic and infrastructural challenges to the net zero future which we all aspire. All parties need to cooperate to promote an enabling and open international economic system, which contributes to the sustainable economic growth and development of all parties, especially developing countries. Sharing knowledge and providing training on sustainable operations, processes and equipment, will be indispensable in the pursuit of our common ambition.