Issue 05/2023

INITIATIVE
RCI’s Manifesto for the next
European Commission
RENEWABLE
CARBON
Dependence on fossil fuels such as crude oil and gas –
the main cause of climate change – must end! Political
support is essential to successfully implement this shift
to renewable carbon use. The RCI Manifesto outlines seven
key recommendations for the next European Commission to
turn this vision into reality.
The Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) has published a
Manifesto for the next European Commission (2024 – 2029),
highlighting key issues as policymakers’ awareness
and support is crucial for the much-needed transition
to renewable carbon.
Defossilisation is essential for the chemicals and
materials industry to meet both climate change targets
and the continuing demand for embedded carbon – the
carbon bound within molecules. This can only be achieved
by using renewable carbon sources from biomass, direct use
of CO 2
, or recycling.
The manifesto outlines seven key messages to
policymakers to make this transformation a reality:
1. Ensure renewable carbon is a guiding
principle for policies and targets
Product-related policies do not sufficiently consider the
feedstock base or the carbon source of products. If they
do, they only consider recycled content, as seen in recent
developments around the Packaging and Packaging Waste
Regulation (PPWR) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable
Products Regulation (ESPR). This oversight is detrimental
to climate objectives, as the material and chemical sectors
will then continue to rely on fossil carbon feedstock from
below the ground for their products. The embedded fossil
carbon in these products will eventually be released into
the atmosphere at their end of life through degradation or
incineration – if the products are not collected and recycled.
This embedded carbon needs more political attention as an
important factor for material-related emissions (Scope 3).
2. Stepwise phaseout of fossil carbon by 2050
In order to achieve independence from fossil carbon
from the ground, three sources of renewable carbon are
available: biobased, CO 2
-based, and recycling, including
advanced recycling technologies that complement
mechanical recycling when it falls short (i.e., accumulation
of toxic substances, quality loss, recycled packaging for food
contact). The concept of circular carbon cycles – in which
carbon is emitted, re-captured, recycled, emitted, and recaptured
again through the use of CCU (from point sources
and direct air capture (DAC)), and biomass used as feedstock
– must be an integral part of political thinking. RCI believes
that virgin fossil-based chemicals and materials should not
have a future beyond 2050, and the European Commission
must make this an explicit objective.
3. Enshrine the Sustainable Carbon Cycles
Communication’s 20 % target of non-fossil
carbon in binding legislation
The Sustainable Carbon Cycles Communication has
a visionary target: “At least 20 % of the carbon used in
chemical and plastic products should be from sustainable
non-fossil resources by 2030”. While the RCI agrees with
this target, there is no definition for “sustainable non-fossil
resources”. Therefore, we urge the Commission to adopt
a precise definition that includes all three carbon sources
(biobased, CO 2
-based, and recycling), enshrine the target
in binding legislation, and follow up with concrete political
action for implementation.
4. Establish a Carbon Management Regulation
Establishing a comprehensive legal framework that
promotes the management of sustainable carbon supply
and demand, and that facilitates renewable carbon uptake,
would be a significant step towards a climate-neutral and
circular chemical and material sector. It should be possible
to set targets for Member States or companies to increase
the minimum percentage of renewable carbon in products,
similar to renewable energy targets. In particular, such targets
could be achieved through blending mechanisms and the
trade of renewable carbon credits. Updated methodologies
are needed to accurately account for carbon, including
biogenic carbon, in European production and imported goods.
5. Promote bio – and CO 2
-based content
in addition to recycled content in
product-related legislation
All three renewable carbon sources should be recognised
as preferable alternatives to fossil carbon from the ground.
Product-related regulation (both for short – and long-lived
products) should provide incentives for bio – and CO 2
-based
or – attributed content in parallel to recycled content.
Sustainable primary biomass should be equivalently accepted
as a feedstock for meeting these political ambitions. Such an
approach in regulation also ensures industry competitiveness
and avoids carbon leakage.
6. Enable the deployment of CCU as a key
strategic net-zero technology to supply
sustainable and circular carbon
CCU is an indispensable technology for supplying carbon to
the chemical and material industries without further tapping
into fossil carbon resources from below the ground, making
it an important CO 2
abatement tool. CCU with biogenic or
atmospheric carbon also leads to carbon removals when
used for long-term applications or in combination with
high recycling rates. This should be accounted for in carbon
removal legislation.
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bioplastics MAGAZINE | Renewable Carbon Plastics [05/23] Vol. 18