Call for carbon mandate for UK chemicals industry

The UK Government should explore a green carbon mandate for chemicals, says the Green Alliance.

Transitioning the chemical industry from fossil feedstocks is a major challenge, notes the independent think tank, in part because they are more economical and none of the alternatives are guaranteed to be greener.

More than 90% of today's carbon-based chemical products contain input from fossil resources, finds The last use of fossil fuels? report, including everyday items such as plastics, detergents and rubbers. These are said to account for 63% of all chemicals.

The Green Alliance says the most promising alternatives are biomass, plastic wastes and captured carbon, but they all currently have significant downsides – either cost, availability or wider environmental impacts.

The think tank extols the case of a green carbon mandate on these products, to limit chemical manufacturers reliance on fossil resources.