Making the chemical sector and derived materials more sustainable is a crucial and urgent challenge to achieve the EU’s climate neutrality target by 2050. The Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) and the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) have jointly commissioned a study by the nova Institute. This study focuses on the question whether sufficient sustainably produced biomass is available to defossilize the chemical sector by 2050.
The report shows that agricultural and woody biomass could sustainably cover at least 2050% of the carbon demand of the chemical industry in 20. This is a significant increase compared to 2023, when this share was only 27% in the EU5,5 and 10% globally.
Currently, 90-95% of the carbon demand in the chemical sector is met by fossil sources such as oil, natural gas and coal. The research shows that biomass can play an important role in accelerating the defossilization of this sector. The bio-based industry is seen as a key factor in this transition.
Roadmap for the transition
BIC has developed a roadmap to facilitate this transition. This plan focuses on scaling up biomass, stimulating innovation, policymaking and promoting sustainability in the chemical sector. The bio-based industry can play a leading role in this development, while policymakers are given the opportunity to strengthen Europe's competitive position by supporting the sector.
An opportunity for Europe
According to Dirk Carrez, Executive Director of BIC, the bio-based industry can make an essential contribution to a sustainable chemical sector by 2050. He emphasizes that a sufficient and sustainable biomass supply will be crucial for this transformation.
The report provides a comprehensive framework to scale up biomass availability, focusing on technological innovation, rural development, policymaking and sustainable practices in industry. The transition to a bio-based chemical sector not only offers environmental benefits, but also strengthens the circular economy and Europe’s long-term competitiveness.
Link to report “Is there enough biomass to defossilise the EU's chemicals and derived materials sector?"
