Green and low-carbon becomes the main theme

As global carbon regulations tighten (including the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and China’s regional carbon trading schemes) and downstream industries (e.g., packaging, automotive) demand greener inputs, 2025 has cemented green and low-carbon as the core direction of the chemical sector.

On the production side, enterprises are ramping up investments in low-carbon technologies: Shell’s Rotterdam chemical park has deployed a large-scale carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) system, capturing 1.2 million tons of CO₂ annually and repurposing 30% of it for industrial use, cutting the park’s emissions by 30%. Wanhua Chemical has replaced 20% of its coal consumption with green hydrogen in its polyurethane production lines, reducing carbon intensity by 15% while maintaining product quality.

In material innovation, demand for biodegradable polymers (e.g., PLA, PBAT) has surged 25% year-on-year, driven by bans on single-use plastics in 120+ countries. Cargill is expanding its PLA production capacity in Brazil by 80,000 tons/year, using sugarcane-derived feedstock, while domestic firms like 金发科技 are developing PBAT blends that degrade 30% faster than standard products. Meanwhile, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) chemical additives have become a standard requirement for coatings and adhesives: a European chemical firm’s new low-VOC dispersant line has captured 20% of the global architectural coatings market in just 6 months.