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Why sustainable carbon cycles matter

Carbon is an essential building block for the chemical industry, used to produce materials and products for everyday life. However, traditional carbon sources, such as fossil fuels, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Sustainable Carbon Cycles aim to optimise carbon use by keeping it in circulation rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. This approach helps achieve climate neutrality, enhances circularity, and reduces dependence on virgin fossil resources.

By using alternative carbon sources—such as biomass, captured CO�, and recycled carbon—the chemical industry can reduce emissions while ensuring a more sustainable supply of raw materials. Various technologies, including carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), chemical recycling, and bio-based production, support these cycles. Combined with low-carbon energy, these processes can significantly contribute to climate goals.

How does it work?

In Sustainable Carbon Cycles, most of the carbon used in production stays within the economy rather than being emitted into the atmosphere.

This carbon can come from biomass (which captures CO� from the air), from waste materials, or from CO� captured during industrial processes.

The carbon goes through various transformations in the chemical value chain. Some of it is burned as fuel during production or incinerated at the end of a product’s life. The CO₂ released during these processes is captured and reused as raw material through Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU). Products containing carbon are kept in the cycle through reuse and recycling, either mechanically or chemically, as much as possible.

Biodegradable products can also be recycled or processed through composting or fermentation, returning their components to the biosphere. Minimising landfill use helps keep carbon in the loop. Capturing CO₂ and storing it underground can offset unavoidable emissions. Carbon captured directly from the air can be used as additional raw material, helping to reduce atmospheric carbon to levels that meet the Paris Agreement goals. Any extra carbon needed can be extracted from underground (fossil carbon) but should be balanced by an equal amount of carbon removal.

For these cycles to have a meaningful impact on climate change, they should be powered by low-carbon energy, and processes should minimise carbon loss and emissions as much as possible.