Santos Perez , principal strategist , chemicals , and Philipp Meister , chemicals lead at Quantis , outline the benefits of nature-based strategies for chemical companies
Chemicals & nature : The story of a frog
Santos Perez , principal strategist , chemicals , and Philipp Meister , chemicals lead at Quantis , outline the benefits of nature-based strategies for chemical companies
What can frogs teach the chemical sector about sustainability ? Let ’ s start with chemistry , which provides the key building blocks for our world today .
Because half of the chemical subsector ’ s energy input is consumed as feedstock or fuel rather than as a source of energy , it is also the largest industrial energy consumer and the third largest industry subsector in terms of direct CO 2 emissions , according to the International Energy Agency . 1 It also accounts for 6.1 % of global emissions , according to the World Resources Institute , or 8 % according to EU data . 2
Human activities and ecosystems are intertwined and cannot be assessed by a single set of data alone . The industry has widely acknowledged the importance of going beyond carbon metrics when assessing its impacts and dependencies , with regards to sustainability .
To track the chemical industry ’ s transition to a safe , resource-efficient and circular economy within a climateneutral Europe , CEFIC developed industry-specific indicators under the framework of UN Sustainable Development Goals . These are organised around four sustainability activities that aim to :
• Enable a low-carbon economy
• Drive resource-efficiency across global value chains
• Promote the adoption of circular economy principles
• Care for people and planet
Biosphere integrity
Land-system change
Climate change
Freshwater use ( Blue water )
Freshwater change
Figure 1 – Nine planetary boundaries Note : Source – Quantis graphic elaboration based on Stockholm Resilience Centre
Resource-efficiency , circularity and care for the planet go beyond what is broadly known as carbon tunnel vision and mean going in the direction of nature .
Radiative
What is nature ?
The UN Intergovernmental Science- Policy Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services ( IPBES ) and the Science-Based Targets Network ( SBTN ) define nature as “ all non-human living entities and their interaction with
Biogeochemical flows
Novel entities
Stratospheric ozone depletion
Ocean acidification
Atmospheric aerosol loading
other living or non-living physical entities and processes ”.
The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures ( TNFD ) defines nature as encompassing four realms : land , ocean , freshwater and the atmosphere . Additionally , TNFD brings to light four nature-related issues that need to be identified , assessed , managed and potentially disclosed to the primary users of general financial reports and other stakeholders :
62 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981