# The many pathways to decarbonizing chemicals

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2022-01-24
- Length: 1h 06m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals

## Summary

Rebecca Dell, Program Director for Industry at the Climateworks Foundation, explains the complexity of decarbonizing the petrochemical sector, focusing on plastics and fertilizers. She details how the industry relies on fossil fuels both as energy sources and as feedstocks, making it distinct from other heavy industries. Dell breaks down solutions into cleaning the energy supply (electrification, efficiency) and replacing feedstocks (biomass, CO2 utilization), while highlighting the logistical and economic hurdles of each. She also critiques the current state of plastic recycling and the failure of demand-reduction policies like bag bans.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals#t=7) Introduction and the Scope of Petrochemicals
- [8:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals#t=482) Fertilizer Production and Emissions
- [13:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals#t=837) Plastics Lifecycle and Feedstock vs. Energy
- [26:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals#t=1575) Cleaning the Energy Side: Electrification and Separation
- [37:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals#t=2228) Clean Feedstocks: Biomass Logistics and Limits
- [44:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals#t=2675) CO2 Utilization and Economic Barriers
- [53:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals#t=3198) Plastic Recycling, Reuse, and Demand Reduction

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Climateworks Foundation (company)
- BASF (company)
- Via Separations (company)
- Charm Industrial (company)
- Brazcam (company)
- Shell (company)
- Energy Hub (company)
- Bloom Energy (company)
- Nextracker (company)
- Antenna Group (company)
- Energy Impact Partners (company)
- Form Energy (company)
- Boston Metal (company)
- Nitricity (company)
- Haber Bosch process (other)
- ethylene (product)
- propylene (product)
- methanol (product)
- BTX (product)
- ammonia (product)
- urea (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [232 - Talking COP28 and Climate Science with, you know, a climate scientist! Roger Pielke, Jr](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-12-07-232-talking-cop28-and-climate-science-with-you-know-a-climate-scientist-roger-pi) (People of Packaging)
- [The Race to Replace Plastic: 2026 SF Climate Week](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Why Manufacturing Leaders Must Understand the Global Chemical Supply Chain w/ Doug Friedman](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2024-09-24-why-manufacturing-leaders-must-understand-the-global-chemical-supply-chain-w-dou) (The Manufacturing Executive)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-01-24-the-many-pathways-to-decarbonizing-chemicals. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.