Decarbonisation roadmap for the chemicals sector

The French National Low Carbon Strategy sets a target for the industry sector to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 35% by 2030, compared to 2015. The chemicals sector accounts for 25% of total emissions of the industrial sector. 

The Ministry of Ecological Transition published a Decarbonation Roadmap for the chemicals sector. It highlights the progress made in the sector, its future needs and emissions, and the ways for the sector to reduce its carbon emissions. It sets a new emissions reduction target of 26% by 2030, compared to 2015. The goals highlighted in the roadmap are: 

- improving energy efficiency (-1.8 MtCO2 eq reduction of annual GHG emissions emissions between 2015 and 2030), 
- reducing nitrous oxide (N2O) (-0.8 MtCO2 eq) 
- reducing hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) emissions (-0.9 MtCO2 eq) 
- producing low-carbon heat (-1.4 MtCO2 eq for heat from biomass and -0.8 MtCO2 eq for heat from Solid Recovered Fuel - SRF) 

The roadmap encourages tools to ensure competitive and predictable access to low-carbon electricity, while providing incentives for energy efficiency, including:

- Tools to support competitive low-carbon energy supply for industry; 
- Extending and securing the interruptibility and tariff reduction mechanisms of the public electricity network; 
- Implementing compensation of indirect costs of the ETS scheme for the period 2021-2030; and
- Encouraging an energy tax system favourable to improve electrification.

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