Life cycle assessment: a strategic tool for a changing chemical industry

Rapidly changing economic, regulatory, technological and environmental contexts are forcing the chemical industry into a profound transformation. Traditionally based on linear processes that consume large quantities of energy and raw materials, today's chemical industry is faced with a growing need to redirect its technological choices towards more sustainable solutions, from both an environmental and a strategic point of view.

This transformation is accompanied by a broadening of the spectrum of resources used: development of bio-based materials, substitution of critical reagents, exploration of cleaner synthesis routes, integration of renewable energies into processes, or even chemical recovery of waste in closed circuits. For example, substituting fossil chemicals with biobased solutions could save up to 120 million tonnes of CO _2...